Implantable Bone Fixation Device With Integrated Coil Arrangements
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone implantation techniques face challenges in accelerating bone consolidation and preventing bacterial infections, particularly in complex fractures and osteosynthesis, where support plates and screws are prone to breakage and infection due to material fatigue and bacterial resistance.
Innovation Solution
An implantable device with electrically conductive base bodies and shaft-shaped contact means featuring coil arrangements wound in opposite directions, generating localized electromagnetic fields to induce voltages effective for bone healing and reducing infection risk, integrated into fixation screws and support plates for enhanced stability and bioelectric stimulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If support plates and screws are used for bone fixation, then bone stability is improved, but the risk of implant breakage due to material fatigue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces purely mechanical fixation with a combined electromagnetic-mechanical system. Coil arrangements integrated into the implant generate electromagnetic fields that stimulate bone healing, reducing the mechanical load and stress on the implant materials, thereby decreasing fatigue and breakage risk while maintaining bone stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and properties of the implant by incorporating electromagnetic functionality. The coil arrangements transform the implant from a static mechanical structure to an active system that generates electromagnetic fields, altering the interaction between the implant and surrounding bone tissue to promote healing and reduce stress.
2Stability of the object's composition
If support plates and screws are used for bone fixation, then bone stability is improved, but the risk of bacterial infection increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces electromagnetic fields as an additional mechanism beyond mechanical fixation. The electromagnetic fields generated by the coil arrangements have bactericidal effects that actively combat bacterial infections, transforming the implant from a passive mechanical structure to an active system that provides both mechanical support and biological protection.
3Productivity
If electromagnetic fields are generated using coil arrangements in contact means, then bone consolidation is accelerated, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coil arrangements directly into the contact means (screws or pins), combining the mechanical fixation function with the electromagnetic field generation function in a single integrated component. This eliminates the need for separate electromagnetic devices and reduces overall system complexity while accelerating bone consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact means serve multiple functions: mechanical fixation of bone fragments and generation of electromagnetic fields for bone stimulation. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate components needed, simplifying the overall implant structure while providing both mechanical support and biological acceleration.
4Productivity
If coil arrangements are integrated into contact means, then localized electromagnetic fields are generated for bone healing, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coil arrangements are integrated into the contact means during the manufacturing process, allowing for standardized production of multi-functional implants. This merging of functions enables mass production with controlled precision requirements, as the coil windings become an inherent part of the screw or pin structure rather than a separate add-on component.
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 solution accelerates bone consolidation, reduces the risk of implant breakage, and significantly decreases the likelihood of bacterial infections by generating therapeutic electric fields and currents, ensuring the stability and vitality of the bone tissue.
Implementation Method 1
If such a device is fixed to a bone in the intended manner and an external electromagnetic alternating field is applied which has, for example, a magnetising force of 1 to 5 mT and a sinusoidal characteristic with a frequency of 1 to 20 Hz, an electric voltage is induced in the coil arrangements
Implementation Method 2
Since the two poles of a respective coil arrangement are connected to sections of the contact means which are electrically insulated with respect to each other an electric field is generated between the allocated conductive surface sections
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an implantable device to be fixed to a bone and comprising an electrically conductive base body provided with at least two through holes and at least one pair of shaft-shaped contact means, wherein each contact means passes through a through hole of the base body and penetrates a section of the bone in an implanted state, wherein the surface of each contact means comprises a first and a second electrically conductive surface section as well as an electrically insulating surface section separating the electrically conductive surface sections from each other, wherein the first electrically conductive surface section electrically contacts the base body while the second electrically conductive surface section is electrically insulated with respect to the base body, wherein each contact means contains a coil arrangement in its interior by means of which the electrically conductive surface sections of each contact means are electrically coupled, and wherein the coil arrangements of a pair are wound in opposite directions.