Guide Device for Guide Wire Pusher Concentric Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

In orthopaedic surgery, it is challenging to maintain concentric engagement between a guide wire and a guide wire pusher due to their small diameters, leading to difficulties in positioning and axial contact, which can result in the guide wire being withdrawn during drill bit changes, increasing surgical time and effort.

Innovation Solution

A guide device with a cylindrical first portion and a conical second portion is used to facilitate concentric engagement, providing frictional resistance and radial support, along with stoppers to prevent slippage, allowing the guide wire to remain in place during drill bit exchanges.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a guide wire pusher is used to maintain guide wire position during drill bit changes, then surgical time and effort are reduced, but it becomes difficult to achieve concentric engagement between the guide wire and guide wire pusher due to their small diameters

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical timeVSAvoidconcentric engagement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

A guide device with a tapered portion acts as an intermediary between the guide wire pusher and the guide wire. The tapered portion receives the guide wire and uses frictional engagement to maintain concentric alignment, making it easier to achieve and maintain proper positioning during surgical procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide device incorporates a tapered (conical) portion rather than a cylindrical shape. This curved/tapered geometry provides increasing surface area and frictional contact as the guide wire is inserted, naturally guiding the wire into concentric engagement with the pusher assembly

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the guide wire and guide wire pusher have small diameters to minimize tissue disruption, then patient comfort is improved, but axial contact and positioning between the components becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetissue disruptionVSAvoidaxial contact precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The tapered portion of the guide device provides a gradually increasing contact surface area along the axial direction. This curved geometry ensures precise axial contact and positioning even when both the guide wire and pusher have small diameters, as the taper creates natural alignment through frictional engagement

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide device is positioned and engaged with the guide wire pusher before the actual drilling operation begins. The tapered portion pre-aligns the guide wire in concentric engagement, ensuring precise positioning is established in advance rather than requiring high precision during the critical drilling phase

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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 guide device and guide wire pusher assembly ensures the guide wire remains in position, reducing surgical time and effort by maintaining concentric engagement, thus preventing unnecessary withdrawals and simplifying the surgical process.

Implementation Method 1

The conical second portion causes radial forces to be exerted on a contact point between the guide wire and the guide device in response to an axial force exerted by the operator such that the guide wire is urged into concentric contact with the guide wire pusher

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Data Source

PatentEP2272452B1Guide device for a guide wire pusher
Publication Date: 2013.04.17 STRYKER TRAUMA GMBH
  • EP2272452B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2272452B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP2272452B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A guide device is provided for use with a guide wire pusher. A guide wire is disposed in a surgical instrument that is to be guided by means of the guide wire. The guide wire pusher is adapted to displace the guide wire in relation to the surgical instrument by contacting the guide wire and holding the guide wire in position when the surgical instrument is withdrawn from a surgical site. The guide device has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is adapted to frictionally engage the guide wire pusher and to be movable axially along the pusher. The second portion is adapted to center the guide wire pusher relative to the guide wire.