Expandable Inter-body Fusion Device with Adjustable Insert
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spinal implants have a fixed length and cannot be adjusted, making it difficult to maintain proper anatomic spacing and lordosis during spinal surgery, which can lead to neurological impairment and increased patient morbidity.
Innovation Solution
An expandable and adjustable inter-body fusion device with a first and second plate and an insert, allowing for longitudinal movement to increase the device's height and volume, and adjust the angle between the plates, facilitating various spinal procedures such as OLIF, DLIF, PLIF, ALIF, and LLIF.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a fixed-length spinal implant is used, then the implant structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the ability to maintain proper anatomic spacing and lordosis is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The implant transitions from a fixed static structure to a dynamic adjustable structure. The expandable body allows the implant to change its dimensions (height, width, anterior-posterior diameter) after insertion, enabling the surgeon to adjust the implant to achieve proper anatomic spacing and lordosis while maintaining surgical simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant enables change of geometric parameters (height, width, curvature angle) after insertion through expansion mechanisms. This allows the same implant to be adapted to different anatomical requirements, resolving the contradiction between simple fixed structure and precise anatomic fit.
2Manufacturing precision
If a larger implant is used to maintain proper spacing, then the spinal alignment is improved, but the surgical incision size and patient morbidity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is inserted in a collapsed or reduced-state configuration through a minimally invasive approach, and then expanded to the desired size after insertion. This preliminary action of inserting a smaller implant first allows access through smaller incisions, reducing patient morbidity, while still achieving the necessary final size for proper spinal alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The expandable design allows the implant to transition from a small insertion size to a larger functional size, enabling minimally invasive access while maintaining the ability to achieve proper spinal alignment and spacing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple insertion instrumentation is used to adjust implant expansion and curvature, then the implant geometry can be customized, but the device complexity and surgical procedure complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The expansion and adjustment mechanisms are integrated into the implant structure itself, with expansion elements and curvature adjustment features built into the implant body. This merging of functions reduces the need for separate complex instrumentation while maintaining the ability to customize implant geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant includes self-contained expansion and adjustment mechanisms that can be actuated through simple external tools or even self-adjusting features, eliminating the need for complex multi-component instrumentation systems while maintaining geometric adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
An expandable, adjustable inter-body fusion device is presented. The inter-body fusion device can have a first plate, a second plate, and an insert positioned substantially therebetween the first plate and the second plate. The first plate, the second plate, and the insert define an interior cavity. Moving the insert longitudinally with respect to the first and second plates increases or decreases the distance of the first plate with respect to the second plate, effectively expanding the inter-body fusion device and increasing the volume of the interior cavity. The angle between the first plate and the second plate is selectively adjustable.