Disposable Targeting Guide for Intramedullary Nail Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for inserting and fixing intramedullary nails into bones are hindered by the obstruction of bone tissue, which limits the visibility of bone-anchor fixation holes, and rely on costly, precisely manufactured guides that are not cost-effective for all medical settings.
Innovation Solution
A targeting guide system that includes a spacer and a guide body with a solid portion, where the guide body is custom-formed to align with the intramedullary nail's bone-anchor fixation holes, allowing for the formation of alignment apertures using a cutting instrument, reducing the need for precise manufacturing tolerances and enabling use of lower-cost materials like thermoplastics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional guides are used for aligning bone-anchor fixation holes, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to precise manufacturing requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable targeting guide that is attached to the intramedullary nail for a single use during surgery. This eliminates the need for expensive, precisely manufactured reusable guides while maintaining adequate alignment precision for the specific surgical task. The guide is discarded after one use, reducing manufacturing cost requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The targeting guide serves as an intermediary device that attaches to the intramedullary nail and provides alignment references for bone-anchor fixation holes. It mediates between the nail and the drilling/cutting instruments, enabling accurate alignment without requiring the instruments or other components to be precisely manufactured.
2Measurement precision
If precise guides are manufactured for all cases, then alignment accuracy is improved, but cost-effectiveness deteriorates for medical settings with limited resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the manufacturing parameters of the targeting guide from high-precision reusable standards to lower-precision disposable standards. This parameter change makes the system adaptable to medical settings with limited resources while maintaining sufficient alignment accuracy for the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
By making the targeting guide a disposable, single-use component, the patent reduces manufacturing costs and increases adaptability to different medical settings. The guide provides adequate alignment accuracy for its intended purpose without requiring expensive manufacturing, making it cost-effective for resource-limited environments.
3Reliability
If reusable precisely manufactured guides are used, then alignment reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable targeting guide eliminates the need for complex manufacturing processes, sterilization protocols, and quality control systems required for reusable guides. Alignment reliability is maintained through proper design of the disposable guide, while device complexity and manufacturing burden are significantly reduced.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a targeting guide is formed by aligning an axis of a cutting instrument with a bone-anchor fixation hole of an intramedullary nail. The cutting instrument is inserted through the bone-anchor fixation hole such that the cutting instrument is in contact with a guide body of a targeting guide, where the targeting guide is supported relative to the intramedullary nail such that the guide body is spaced outwardly from at least a portion of the intramedullary nail along a radial direction. The cutting instrument is then driven through the guide body so as to form an alignment aperture in the targeting guide. The alignment aperture has a central axis that is aligned with the bone-anchor fixation hole.