Flexible Drill Transpedicular Intervertebral Disk Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional surgical methods for treating diseases and conditions affecting the spacial relationship between vertebral bodies and intervertebral disks are associated with significant post-operative pain and morbidity, and do not allow direct access to the intervertebral space for restoring a normal three-dimensional configuration.
Innovation Solution
A flexible drill and cutting device capable of orienting the drilling tip at a predetermined angle after accessing the material through a straight passage, allowing for precise drilling and cutting within the intervertebral space, along with a method involving transpedicular access and the use of fusion agent containment devices and distraction systems to restore the normal configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional open fusion procedures are used to directly access the vertebrae, then mechanical fusion of two adjacent vertebrae can be achieved, but considerable post-operative pain and significant incidence of post-operative morbidity occur
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical approach is segmented into multiple minimally invasive access points rather than one large open incision. The drill bit accesses the intervertebral space through small punctures in the pedicle, dividing the surgical trauma into manageable segments that heal with minimal pain and morbidity.
Solution Approach 2:
A drill bit serves as an intermediary tool to create a controlled passage through the pedicle into the intervertebral space. This intermediary access method avoids the need for large open incisions while still enabling delivery of fusion materials and instruments to the target site.
2Ease of operation
If traditional open fusion procedures are used, then direct access to vertebrae is achieved, but the surgeon cannot directly access the intervertebral space to restore the normal three-dimensional configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The drill bit is designed with flexibility to navigate through the pedicle and extend into the intervertebral space in a different dimensional plane. This allows the surgeon to access the intervertebral space through a transpedicular approach, restoring the normal three-dimensional configuration of the disk space.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit incorporates a flexible portion that can dynamically adjust its orientation once inside the pedicle, allowing it to bend and reach the intervertebral space. This dynamic flexibility enables direct access to the disk space while maintaining a minimally invasive external approach.
3Manufacturing precision
If a flexible drill with curved guiding tube is used to orient the drilling tip at an angle off the long axis, then precise drilling within the intervertebral space is enabled, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guiding tube is formed with a predetermined curve rather than a straight configuration. This curvature allows the drill bit to naturally orient at the desired angle (e.g., 30-60 degrees) relative to the pedicle long axis, achieving precise drilling orientation within the intervertebral space through geometric design rather than complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The flexibility and curvature parameters of the drill bit are specifically designed to change its orientation after entering the pedicle. By controlling the flexibility parameter and the curve radius of the guiding tube, the drill bit automatically achieves the correct angular orientation (30-60 degrees) for intervertebral space access without requiring complex active control systems.
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 solution reduces post-operative pain and morbidity while enabling direct access to the intervertebral space for mechanical fusion and restoration of the normal three-dimensional configuration, effectively addressing the challenges of traditional surgical methods.
Implementation Method 1
the guiding tube comprises a substance that has been processed to return to a shape such that the distal segment has a radius of curvature sufficient to cause the drilling tip at the end of the distal segment to orient at between about 10° and 150° off of the central axis of the proximal segment when the guiding tube is not subject to distortion
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and devices for treating diseases and conditions that change the spacial relationship between the vertebral bodies and the intervertebral disks, or that cause instability of the vertebral column, or both, and a method and devices that allow the surgeon to access the intervertebral space to restore a more normal three-dimensional configuration of the space, with or without additionally fusing two adjacent vertebrae.