Expandable Ring Surgical Implant for Bone Screw Orientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical implants lack the ability to freely orient screws relative to the implant, leading to instability, especially in traumatology, and previous solutions either compromise on sealing effectiveness or complicate the surgical process with the need for multiple instruments and complex gestures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical implant design featuring a fixing element with a head and pin, an expandable ring housed within a through hole, allowing axial expansion to secure the head in place, enabling free angular orientation and dissociation of anchoring and blocking actions, facilitated by a check screw that tightens without requiring simultaneous tool use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional fixed-angle screw system is used, then the implant structure is simple, but the screw orientation cannot be freely adjusted, reducing adaptability in traumatology
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into separate functional components: a plate with through-holes, expandable rings, and screws. The ring can be independently positioned and oriented within the through-hole before expansion, allowing free angular adjustment of the screw relative to the plate while maintaining structural simplicity through modular design
Solution Approach 2:
The ring transitions from a compressed state (allowing insertion and orientation adjustment) to an expanded state (locking the screw in place). This dynamic transformation enables the system to provide both orientation freedom during installation and stable fixation after assembly, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and structural complexity
2Reliability
If a check screw system is used to secure the screw head, then sealing effectiveness is improved, but the surgical process becomes more complex requiring multiple instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing function and the fixation function are merged into a single integrated system. The expandable ring simultaneously provides the sealing effect (by compressing against the through-hole walls) and the fixation mechanism (by blocking the screw head), eliminating the need for separate check screws and simplifying the surgical process while maintaining reliability
3Ease of operation
If the ring is expandable to block the screw head, then the anchoring and blocking actions are dissociated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The ring performs dual functions: it automatically provides sealing by compressing against the through-hole walls during expansion, and it blocks the screw head through the same expansion action. This self-service mechanism dissociates anchoring and blocking into separate functional outcomes achieved by a single component, reducing overall device complexity while improving ease of operation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design provides a stable, reliable, and easily implementable solution that allows precise geometric orientation and secure anchoring of screws to bone, reducing surgical complexity and enhancing resistance to mechanical forces, while maintaining a sealing effect.
Implementation Method 1
the ring being equipped with a passage shaped on one hand to allow passage of the pin, and on the other hand to realize a means of stoppage for the head, wherein the ring is expandable according to substantially its axial direction between an initial configuration wherein the ring can be oriented relative to the hole and an expanded configuration wherein the ring is blocked relative to the hole
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a device destined to be coupled to at least one support, and in particular a surgical implant destined to be coupled to a bone. The invention relates generally to a device (1) including a fixing element (3) including a head (3A) and a pin (3B) destined to be anchored in a support. The device further includes an assembly part (4) including a through hole (5), and a ring (6) housed in a manner that can be oriented within the through hole (5). The ring (6) has a passage (6A) shaped so as to allow passage of the pin (3B) and to stop the head (3A). The ring (6) is expandable according to its axial direction between a configuration wherein the ring (6) can be oriented and a configuration wherein the ring (6) is blocked.