Flexible Chain Spinal Implant for Vertebral Augmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current treatments for vertebral compression fractures, such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, face challenges including spinal deformity correction, high costs, potential bone cement leakage, and complications like pulmonary embolism, while bone grafts face limitations in mimicking bone properties and causing patient discomfort.

Innovation Solution

A flexible chain implant comprising solid, non-flexible body portions and flexible link portions, formed from biocompatible materials like bone, designed to be implanted minimally invasively to support and augment fractured or damaged vertebrae, allowing for load distribution and integration with surrounding bone tissue.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vertebroplasty is performed with high-pressure cement injection, then fracture pain is reduced and vertebral body is stabilized, but cement leakage occurs in 30-80% of procedures leading to potential pulmonary embolism

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefracture stabilizationVSAvoidcement leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The implant is divided into multiple segments or blocks within the vertebral body, creating a distributed support structure that reduces pressure concentration and prevents cement-like material from leaking through single high-pressure pathways

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a flexible membrane or shell structure that contains the augmenting material, preventing leakage while allowing controlled distribution throughout the vertebral body cavity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Shape

If balloon kyphoplasty is performed to reposition vertebral body, then spinal curvature is corrected and vertebral height is restored, but procedure cost increases and device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespinal curvatureVSAvoidprocedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the repositioning function from the complex balloon inflation process and integrates it directly into the implant structure itself, allowing the implant to mechanically restore vertebral height and spinal curvature without requiring separate balloon catheter inflation steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The implant combines multiple functions (structural support, space occupation, and repositioning) into a single device, eliminating the need for separate balloon catheter and cement injection steps required in traditional kyphoplasty

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If bone graft is used to augment vertebral body, then bone integration is promoted, but patient discomfort increases due to donor site morbidity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone integrationVSAvoidpatient discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses allograft bone material or bone substitute materials that do not require harvesting from the patient's own body, eliminating donor site morbidity and associated patient discomfort while still providing osteoconductive properties for bone integration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The implant uses composite materials combining allograft bone or bone substitute with structural components, providing both immediate mechanical support and long-term bone integration without requiring autograft harvesting

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Object-affected harmful factors

If minimally invasive approach is used for implant insertion, then patient trauma is reduced, but implant delivery complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient traumaVSAvoidimplant delivery complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The implant is designed to be nested within a delivery catheter or introducer sheath, allowing minimally invasive percutaneous insertion through small incisions while the implant structure itself remains relatively simple for manufacturing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS11701233B2Flexible elongated chain implant and method of supporting body tissue with same

Publication Date: 2023.07.18 DEPUY SYNTHES PROD INC

AI summary

Implants and methods for augmentation of the disc space between two vertebral bodies to treat disease or abnormal pathology conditions in spinal applications. The implant includes a chain of biocompatible material suitable for insertion into a disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies in a patient's spinal column, wherein the spinal disc space has a transverse plane. The chain comprises a plurality of adjacent bodies having a height configured to reside within the disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies and a length configured to reside in the disc space between two adjacent vertebral bodies when the chain is curved in an orientation substantially along the transverse plane of the spinal disc space.