Interspinous Implant Deployable Wing Spinal Stenosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for spine implants that alleviate pain caused by spinal stenosis and other spinal conditions by distracting the vertebrae to reduce pressure on nerves and blood vessels, while also requiring a minimally invasive surgical method that preserves spinal physiology and accommodates anatomical structures, minimizing further trauma.
Innovation Solution
The development of interspinous process implants with deployable wings that include a distraction guide and adjustable wings to increase the foraminal area, allowing for minimally invasive insertion between spinous processes without severing ligaments or removing bone, and featuring a deployable second wing that limits movement along the longitudinal axis, facilitating positioning and securing without additional attachment devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional spine implants are used to distract vertebrae and relieve pressure on nerves, then pain relief is achieved, but surgical trauma is increased due to ligament severing and bone removal
Solution Approach 1:
The implant is divided into multiple functional segments: a first wing for initial stabilization, a second deployable wing for enhanced motion control, and a distraction guide for precise positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, achieving effective pain relief while minimizing overall surgical trauma through targeted intervention rather than extensive tissue removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The second wing is designed to be deployable rather than fixed, allowing it to transition from a compact storage state during insertion to an expanded functional state after implantation. This dynamic configuration enables the implant to adapt to the anatomical space available, providing effective motion control and pain relief without requiring pre-surgical preparation that would increase surgical trauma.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If minimally invasive insertion method is used to reduce surgical trauma, then surgical trauma is reduced, but implant positioning and securing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The first wing is pre-configured in a retracted position that facilitates minimally invasive insertion through narrow anatomical passages. After the implant is positioned between the spinous processes, the first wing is then deployed to engage the bone surfaces. This preliminary configuration reduces surgical trauma by enabling small incisions while the subsequent deployment ensures proper positioning and securing without requiring complex surgical maneuvers.
Solution Approach 2:
The distraction guide is designed to self-align with the spinous processes based on anatomical landmarks, eliminating the need for complex external alignment tools or procedures. The guide's geometry naturally directs the implant to the correct position, and the deployable wings automatically engage the bone surfaces upon deployment, reducing positioning complexity while maintaining minimally invasive benefits.
3Stability of the object's composition
If deployable second wing is added to limit movement along longitudinal axis, then motion control is improved, but implant complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second wing is nested within the implant body in a compact configuration during insertion, similar to a nested doll structure. After positioning, the second wing is deployed outward to engage the spinous processes and limit motion along the longitudinal axis. This nesting approach provides effective motion control when needed while maintaining a simple, low-profile structure during the minimally invasive insertion phase, thus reducing overall implant complexity.
4Ease of operation
If distraction guide is used to facilitate minimally invasive insertion, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The distraction guide is designed as a separate, removable component that can be extracted from the implant body after positioning. This extraction allows the distraction guide to facilitate minimally invasive insertion through its streamlined shape and distraction function, while the main implant body remains relatively simple in structure. The temporary presence of the distraction guide provides insertion ease without permanently increasing the complexity of the final implant configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention can includes an implant comprising a first wing, a spacer extending from the first wing, and a distraction guide. The distraction guide is arranged in a first configuration to pierce and/or distract tissue associated with adjacent spinous processes extending from vertebrae of a targeted motion segment. The implant can be positioned between the adjacent spinous processes and once positioned, the distraction guide can be arranged in a second configuration. When arranged in a second configuration, the distraction guide can act as a second wing. The first wing and the second wing can limit or block movement of the implant along a longitudinal axis of the implant.