Digital Bone Depth Probe With Neuromonitoring for Accurate Screw Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone depth gauges used in orthopedic surgeries are inaccurate and difficult to read due to reflective surfaces and small markings, requiring surgeons to bend and interpret markings, which can lead to measurement errors and increased surgical time.
Innovation Solution
A medical device combining a bone probe with a flexible shaft and a digital depth gauge that allows tactile examination of hole integrity and provides electronic depth measurements, reducing the need for manual interpretation and enhancing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional bone depth gauge with reflective surface and small markings is used, then the measurement function is provided, but the readability and measurement accuracy deteriorate due to reflective surfaces and small markings requiring surgeon to bend and interpret manually
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical depth gauge with small engraved markings and reflective surfaces with a digital electronic display system. The depth gauge member includes an electronic display that shows numerical depth measurements, eliminating the need for surgeons to interpret small markings under surgical lighting conditions. This substitution of mechanical reading mechanisms with electronic display directly resolves the contradiction by providing both accurate measurement and easy readability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of information presentation from physical markings (small engraved lines on reflective surface) to digital numerical display. The depth gauge member converts the physical depth measurement into an electronic signal that is displayed as readable numbers, fundamentally changing how the measurement information is presented to the surgeon. This parameter change resolves the readability issue while maintaining measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If a traditional bone depth gauge is used, then depth measurement is provided, but the surgical time increases due to difficult reading and interpretation requiring surgeon to bend and manually interpret markings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual interpretation process with an automatic electronic display system. The depth gauge member automatically calculates and displays the depth measurement numerically, eliminating the time-consuming process of the surgeon bending down, locating small markings, and manually interpreting them. This automation directly reduces surgical time while maintaining accurate depth measurement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The depth gauge member performs the measurement and display function autonomously without requiring surgeon intervention for reading. The system self-measures the depth and self-displays the result, freeing the surgeon from the time-consuming task of manual interpretation. This self-service capability directly addresses the time loss issue.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a bone probe with flexible shaft is used, then tactile examination of hole integrity is improved, but the device complexity increases due to combination of probe and digital depth gauge
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the bone probe function and digital depth gauge function into a single integrated device. The probe member with flexible shaft for tactile examination is combined with the depth gauge member that provides digital depth measurement. Both functions share a common handle and operational mechanism, allowing the surgeon to perform both integrity examination and depth measurement with one device rather than two separate tools. This merging reduces the need for multiple devices while maintaining both functionalities.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated device serves multiple functions: tactile examination of hole integrity through the flexible probe shaft, digital depth measurement through the depth gauge member, and potential neuromonitoring capabilities. By making the device universal and multi-functional, the patent avoids the need for multiple specialized tools, thereby managing complexity through consolidation rather than proliferation of separate devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A device configured to provide a faster and more accurate measurement of depths of holes for placement of bone screws and fastener for bone implant fixation procedures. The device includes a combination of a bone probe for physical examination of a hole drilled in a bone and a depth gauge member for determining a depth of the hole and providing digital measurement of the depth via a display on the instrument and/or via a wireless exchange of measurement data to a remote computing device, such as a tablet or smartphone. The device may further be connected to a separate neuromonitoring device and be used for nerve sensing and/or nerve stimulation by way of the bone probe. For example, the bone probe may include a conductive material such that the distal probe tip acts as an extension of the neuromonitoring device and may be used to sense and/or stimulate nerves.