Deformable Implant Inserter With Adjustable Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
The handling, insertion, and deployment of deformable implants in bone cavities require significant care to ensure correct positioning and stability, and existing instrumentation lacks reliability and ease of use.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with a freely sliding push rod actuated by a drive mechanism, featuring a removable cap and adjustable insertion stop, allows for the precise insertion and deployment of deformable implants, with a kit of parts including an impactor for bone graft transfer, facilitating assembly, disassembly, and ease of manufacture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a deformable implant is inserted into a bone cavity, then the implant can be deployed to support the bone, but the implant may move or become mispositioned during insertion and subsequent surgical steps
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into multiple struts that can be independently deformed and positioned. Each strut can be flexed into the bone cavity separately and then locked into place, ensuring stable positioning while maintaining ease of insertion through incremental deployment
Solution Approach 2:
The implant is pre-deformed into a compressed configuration before insertion, allowing it to be easily inserted into the bone cavity. Once inside, the implant is then expanded to its functional shape, ensuring both easy insertion and reliable positioning
2Ease of operation
If the push rod longitudinal length is greater than the cavity length, then the push rod can be easily abutable by the drive mechanism, but the push rod protrudes from the proximal end of the body
Solution Approach 1:
The push rod is designed with a movable, telescopic structure that can extend when needed for actuation and then retract into the body cavity. This dynamic adjustment allows the push rod to be long enough for easy operation while maintaining a compact profile when not in use
3Ease of manufacture
If the drive mechanism is made simple with a freely sliding push rod, then assembly and manufacture are facilitated, but the instrument may lack precision in controlling implant deployment
Solution Approach 1:
The drive mechanism incorporates feedback elements such as spring-loaded push rods that automatically adjust their force application. The spring mechanism provides tactile feedback to the operator and automatically compensates for variations in implant resistance, ensuring precise deployment without complex control systems
Data Source
AI summary
A kit of parts for inserting a deformable implant into a cavity in a bone of a patient is described. An inserter instrument comprises a body having a cavity extending along a longitudinal axis from a distal end to a proximal end. An attachment mechanism is provided at the distal end and to which a deformable implant can be releasably attached. A drive mechanism is provided at the proximal end of the body. An insertion stop is mounted on the body and arranged to control the depth of insertion of the inserter instrument into a guide tube. A push rod is freely and slidably arranged within the cavity and has a distal end engageable with a part of the deformable implant and a proximal end abutable by the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism is operable to drive the push rod toward the distal end of the body. The kit also includes an impactor dimensioned for slidable engagement within the cavity.