Handheld Surgical Device with Nerve Proximity Detection and Depth Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone implant fixation procedures face challenges in accurately forming holes for screws without damaging surrounding tissues and ensuring proper screw length, due to difficulties in neuromonitoring and depth measurement, particularly in minimally invasive spinal surgeries where existing tools are cumbersome and prone to inaccuracies.
Innovation Solution
A handheld device equipped with neuromonitoring and neurostimulation capabilities, allowing real-time feedback on nerve proximity and providing digital depth measurements to ensure accurate screw placement, integrated with a ratchet assembly and interchangeable awl-tap members for versatile use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional drilling and depth measurement tools are used in minimally invasive spinal surgery, then surgical access is achieved through small incisions, but accuracy in hole formation and depth measurement deteriorates due to tool limitations and lack of real-time feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The handheld device incorporates a depth sensor that provides real-time feedback on the depth of the hole being drilled into the bone. The sensor continuously monitors the position of the drill relative to the bone surface and transmits this information to a display, allowing the surgeon to see the exact depth measurement during the drilling process. This real-time feedback mechanism eliminates the need for separate depth measurement steps and ensures precise control over hole depth, directly addressing the measurement precision deterioration issue while maintaining minimally invasive access.
2Device complexity
If conventional depth measurement methods are used, then simple tools are employed, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to inability to provide real-time digital measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces traditional mechanical depth measurement methods (such as physical depth gauges or rulers) with an electronic sensing system. The depth sensor uses electronic signals to measure and display the hole depth digitally, providing precise real-time measurements without the inaccuracies associated with manual mechanical measurement tools. This substitution maintains relative simplicity while dramatically improving manufacturing precision for screw placement, as the digital display provides exact depth information that can be directly used to select the appropriate screw length.
3Device complexity
If surgeons rely on anatomical knowledge and experience for screw placement, then no additional equipment is needed, but accuracy deteriorates due to lack of real-time nerve proximity detection
Solution Approach 1:
The handheld device acts as an intermediary between the surgeon's drilling action and the bone/nerve structures. It incorporates sensors that detect nerve proximity and provide real-time alerts to the surgeon, serving as a protective mediator that enhances safety without requiring the surgeon to have exceptional anatomical knowledge or experience. The device translates complex sensory information about nerve proximity into simple visual or auditory signals, maintaining ease of use while dramatically improving reliability and preventing neurological complications.
4Device complexity
If no real-time feedback system is used, then equipment simplicity is maintained, but harmful factors increase due to risk of nerve damage and tissue injury
Solution Approach 1:
The handheld device provides beforehand cushioning by detecting nerve proximity before the drill can cause damage. The sensor continuously monitors the environment around the drill tip and provides advance warning to the surgeon when approaching neural structures. This early detection system allows the surgeon to adjust the drilling path or depth before harmful contact occurs, effectively cushioning against potential nerve and tissue damage while maintaining relatively simple equipment design through the use of integrated sensing technology.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention is a system and a handheld device for use in open or minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as a bone implant fixation procedure. The handheld device is configured to perform various functions during a bone implant fixation procedure, including performing at least one of: penetration of a bone to form a hole or opening for receipt of a screw; neuromonitoring, in cooperation with a neuromonitoring device, of the hole during, or post-, formation of the hole so as to sense any nearby nerves adjacent to the hole that may be in the path of a screw, or otherwise affected, when a screw is placed within the hole; neurostimulation, in cooperation with a neuromonitoring device, of nerves adjacent to the hole during, or post-, formation of the hole; and measuring of a depth of the hole and providing a digital measurement of the depth to assist the surgeon in selecting the appropriate length of screw.