Expandable Bone Device with Retractable Member for Vertebral Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical methods for treating compressive fractures of the spine, such as Vertebroplasty, Kyphoplasty, and vertebral expandable implant, face issues like bone cement leakage, risk of spinal collapse, insufficient expansion, and spinal curve deformation due to difficulties in controlling the expansion and injecting bone cement effectively.
Innovation Solution
A bone expandable device comprising two expanding members with flexible and fixed parts, a retractable member, and a fastener, which allows for adjustable expansion to maintain space for bone cement injection, prevent leakage, and enable angular adjustments for deformed spines, with a design that can be compactly adjusted to various heights for vertebral support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If metal expanders are used to expand collapsed vertebral bones, then the bones can be expanded, but it is difficult to control the expanding effects and the expanding height is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The expander adopts a balloon structure that can be dynamically inflated and deflated to control the expansion process. The balloon can be inflated to a predetermined volume to expand the vertebral body to the desired height, and then deflated for removal, providing precise control over expansion effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion volume and pressure of the balloon are controlled as adjustable parameters. By controlling the inflation volume of the balloon, the expansion height can be precisely adjusted to match the degree of vertebral collapse, achieving accurate reconstruction of vertebral height.
2Strength
If metal tools are used to expand vertebral bones, then expansion can be achieved, but the expanding height is insufficient and space for bone cement injection is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon expander can be inflated to a predetermined volume to create sufficient space within the vertebral body for bone cement injection. After the balloon is removed, the created space remains available for injecting the bone cement, ensuring adequate injection space.
Solution Approach 2:
The balloon is inflated before bone cement injection to pre-create the necessary space and maintain it during the injection process. This preliminary expansion ensures that when the balloon is removed, sufficient space remains for complete bone cement filling.
3Strength
If inaccurate expanding height is used, then expansion can be achieved, but spinal curve deformation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion volume and pressure of the balloon are precisely controlled as adjustable parameters. By controlling the inflation volume to match the degree of vertebral collapse, the expansion height can be accurately adjusted, preventing spinal curve deformation caused by inaccurate expansion.
Solution Approach 2:
The expansion process can be monitored and adjusted based on feedback from imaging or surgical observation. The balloon inflation volume can be adjusted in real-time to achieve the precise expansion height needed, preventing over-expansion or under-expansion that could cause spinal deformity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the device is designed for multistage height adjustment, then precise support can be provided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The balloon structure provides dynamic adjustability through controlled inflation and deflation. By adjusting the inflation volume, the balloon can achieve different expansion heights to match various degrees of vertebral collapse, providing multistage adjustment capability without complex mechanical structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone expandable device comprises two expanding members, a retractable member and a fastener. The two expanding members are joined together for forming a cavity therebetween, each the expanding member includes two flexible parts and a fixed part. The two flexible parts are connected to the fixed part separately, and each the flexible part can be bent from the fixed part. The retractable member is disposed in the cavity and includes a first part and a second part. The first part is movably sleeved on the second part, and a length of the retractable member can be adjusted by moving the first part or the second part. The fastener is for fastening the two expanding members together. When the length of the retractable member is increasing, the two opposite ends of the retractable member would push against the four flexible parts to expand the flexible parts outwardly from the cavity.