Foldable Intervertebral Disc Implant Radial Loops
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implants for intervertebral disc spaces and other body cavities face issues such as migration, expulsion, limited mechanical strength, and inability to adapt to different shapes and geometries, leading to inefficient force distribution and shock absorption, which can impair spinal stability and mobility.
Innovation Solution
A foldable implant with a straight, longitudinal design that transforms into a plurality of radial loops upon injection, allowing for efficient load transfer and shock absorption, and can be tailored to specific body cavities through varying geometry and material properties, including biological materials for integration with adjacent tissue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If known nuclear replacement implants are injected into the intervertebral disc space, then the implant can be delivered through minimally invasive means, but the implant is prone to being expelled from the disc space after injection
Solution Approach 1:
The implant transitions from a compressed delivery configuration to an expanded functional configuration after injection. The implant is delivered in a low-profile state through the injection needle, then expands to a larger volume within the disc space, creating mechanical interlocking and increasing resistance to expulsion forces.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is nested within the injection needle during delivery, allowing minimally invasive insertion. Once positioned in the disc space, the implant deploys from its nested state to its functional configuration, maximizing retention while maintaining ease of delivery.
2Ease of manufacture
If known implants are designed with fixed shapes and geometries, then manufacturing is simplified, but the implants cannot adapt to differently shaped body cavities and require patient-specific adaptation
Solution Approach 1:
The implant employs a dynamic structure that can change its geometry from a compact delivery configuration to an expanded functional configuration. This allows a single standardized implant design to adapt to various body cavity shapes and sizes, eliminating the need for patient-specific customization while maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant utilizes material and structural parameter changes during deployment. The implant transitions from a compressed state with specific geometric parameters to an expanded state with different geometric parameters, enabling adaptation to different cavity dimensions without requiring multiple implant designs.
3Ease of operation
If implants do not efficiently occupy the available space in the body cavity, then injection is simpler, but expulsion and migration are favored over time
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is injected in a compressed configuration through a simple injection procedure, then automatically expands to efficiently occupy the available disc space. This dynamic expansion maximizes contact with the surrounding tissue and creates mechanical interlocking, preventing expulsion and migration while maintaining injection simplicity.
4Strength
If implants are made of non-biological materials such as inorganic ceramic, then mechanical strength is improved, but the implant cannot grow together with adjacent tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The implant utilizes composite material construction combining biological materials (such as collagen or other biocompatible polymers) with potentially reinforcing elements. This composite structure provides both the necessary mechanical strength to withstand spinal loads and the biological compatibility required for tissue integration and growth.
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 foldable implant effectively distributes forces, minimizes migration and expulsion, enhances spinal mobility, and promotes tissue integration, improving the stability and health of intervertebral discs and other treated areas.
Implementation Method 1
In a folded state, the implant has a plurality of cauliflower like loops each extending radially from a fold center. The loops form cushions for load transfer perpendicular to the folding direction.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of injecting a foldable implant (1) into a body cavity of a patient includes the step of providing the foldable implant (1). The method further includes the step of injecting the provided implant (1) in an unfolded state into the body cavity, wherein in the unfolded state the implant (1) is essentially straight extending along a longitudinal axis (L). The method further includes the step of folding the injected implant (1) from the unfolded state into a folded state, wherein in the folded state the implant (1) has a plurality of loops (2) each extending radially from a fold center (3).