Hinged Fastener Guide for Bone-Plate Screw Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing screw guides for bone plates are not user-friendly and do not easily retain and guide screws into bone plates during surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A fastener guide with a flexible connection between two longitudinal body portions that can pivot between open and closed positions, incorporating biasing elements to facilitate easy attachment to and detachment from the bone plate, and a driven fastener guide with a gearing assembly to align and insert screws efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional rigid screw guide is used, then structural stability is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to difficulty in attachment and detachment
Solution Approach 1:
The screw guide employs a dynamic hinge connection allowing the guide to pivot between an open position for easy attachment/detachment and a closed position for stable screw retention. The biasing element enables the guide to automatically transition between positions, improving ease of operation without requiring complex manual adjustment mechanisms.
2Ease of operation
If the distal segments are spaced far apart, then ease of attachment is improved, but screw retention capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge connection enables the distal segments to dynamically adjust their spacing. In the open position, segments are spaced far apart for easy attachment to the bone plate. When closed, the segments come together to properly retain the screw. The biasing element automates this transition, ensuring reliable screw retention without compromising ease of attachment.
3Ease of operation
If a flexible connection is used between body portions, then ease of operation is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The screw guide is segmented into first and second longitudinal body portions connected by a hinge. This segmentation provides flexibility for ease of operation while the precise hinge geometry and biasing element ensure accurate alignment when closed. The threaded sections on each segment can be independently manufactured to precise tolerances, maintaining manufacturing precision despite the flexible connection.
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 fastener guide allows for easy and precise screw insertion into bone plates, maintaining alignment and facilitating efficient attachment and detachment, while the driven fastener guide enables simultaneous screw insertion and removal without additional plate modifications.
Implementation Method 1
a first biasing element incorporated into the first longitudinal body portion for biasing the fastener guide toward the open position when in the closed position
Data Source
AI summary
A disclosed fastener guide includes first and second longitudinal body portions that include, respectively, first and second distal segments. These body portions are connected together to form a fastener through-bore therebetween into which a fastener can be received for guiding the fastener into a hole in a bone plate. This connection can be flexible to allow the fastener guide to move between open and closed positions. In the closed position, a spacing of the first and second distal segments relative to one another is such that a combination of the two can be received in the hole in the bone plate for attaching the fastener guide to the plate; however, in the open position, this combination can no longer be received in the hole due to the segments being spaced relatively further apart from one another in comparison to the spacing in the closed position of the fastener guide.