Curved Expandable Interbody Devices with Pivoting Deployment Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current interbody fusion procedures require invasive surgical techniques to insert interbody implants into the intervertebral space, which can cause significant tissue disruption and may lead to complications, and there is a need for minimally invasive methods that can expand in situ to fit the intervertebral space accurately.
Innovation Solution
Curved expandable interbody devices that can be inserted in a collapsed configuration and expanded in situ to fit the intervertebral space, providing support and stability while minimizing tissue disruption, using a screw mechanism to change height and a deployment tool for precise placement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional interbody fusion procedures are used to insert interbody implants, then the implants can be securely placed in the intervertebral space, but significant tissue disruption occurs and surgical invasiveness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The interbody implant is divided into multiple segments or blocks that can be inserted separately through a minimally invasive approach and then assembled or expanded within the intervertebral space, reducing the need for large incisions and extensive tissue disruption while ensuring secure placement
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is designed with a nested structure where one component is inserted inside another, allowing the entire implant assembly to be delivered through a small access point and then deployed in situ, minimizing surgical invasiveness while maintaining reliable implantation
2Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive surgical techniques are used, then tissue disruption is reduced, but the ability to accurately expand and fit the implant to the intervertebral space is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The implant incorporates dynamic expansion mechanisms that allow it to be adjusted in size and shape after insertion, enabling precise fitting to the intervertebral space through controlled expansion using a deployment tool, thereby maintaining both minimally invasive access and accurate implant placement
Solution Approach 2:
The implant's physical parameters (size, shape, volume) are changed after insertion through controlled expansion, allowing it to adapt to the specific dimensions of the intervertebral space while being delivered through a minimally invasive approach, thus achieving both reduced tissue disruption and precise fit
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the implant is inserted in a collapsed configuration, then minimally invasive insertion is enabled, but the device complexity increases due to expansion mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion mechanism is segmented into simple, modular components that can be manufactured separately and assembled, reducing overall device complexity while enabling the collapsed-to-expanded transformation needed for minimally invasive insertion and in situ deployment
Data Source
AI summary
A curved expandable interbody device for placement between vertebrae having an upper structure, a lower structure, and a screw mechanism, wherein actuation of the screw mechanism moves the upper and lower structures between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. A deployment tool couples to the curved expandable interbody device for positioning the device between adjacent vertebrae and actuating the screw mechanism, wherein the deployment tool can lock to the curved expandable interbody device and pivot relative to the curved expandable interbody device.