Interspinous Implant with Removable End Portion for Profile Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal implants for treating spinal stenosis, such as interspinous process implants, often require invasive procedures and leave a large profile in the body after implantation, which can cause discomfort and complications.
Innovation Solution
A percutaneously introduced spinal implant with a detachable proximal end portion that can be removed post-implantation, featuring a threaded design with deployable anchor blades and a locking mechanism, allowing for reduction in size and profile by disconnecting the removable body portion from the main body portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional spinal implant is used, then the implant provides structural support and decompression, but the implant maintains a large profile in the body causing discomfort and complications
Solution Approach 1:
The implant body is divided into two separate portions: a main body portion that remains in the body for structural support, and a removable body portion that can be detached and removed post-implantation. This segmentation allows the implant to provide necessary support during healing while enabling profile reduction to minimize discomfort and complications.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable body portion is designed to be discarded after serving its temporary purpose of maintaining implant structure during initial healing. Once the main body portion is securely positioned and healing progresses, the removable portion is detached and removed from the patient's body, eliminating the source of discomfort and complications associated with large implant profiles.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a detachable proximal end portion is added to reduce implant size, then post-implantation discomfort is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The implant body is segmented into a main body portion and a removable body portion connected by a separable interface. This segmentation enables the removable portion to be detached for profile reduction while maintaining structural integrity during implantation, balancing complexity reduction with discomfort mitigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable body portion is extracted from the permanent implant structure, allowing it to be removed after serving its temporary structural purpose. This extraction principle reduces the permanent implant profile to minimize discomfort while the removable portion provides necessary support during the critical initial healing period.
3Duration of action of moving object
If the removable body portion is made biodegradable for absorption, then patient recovery is enhanced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The removable body portion is constructed from biodegradable or bioabsorbable materials with controlled degradation parameters. By carefully selecting and controlling material composition, density, and degradation rate, the implant provides necessary structural support during healing while gradually breaking down to enhance patient recovery without requiring excessively high manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The removable body portion utilizes composite or bioabsorbable materials that combine structural integrity with controlled degradability. These materials are engineered to maintain strength during the critical healing period while progressively breaking down into biocompatible byproducts, enhancing recovery while managing manufacturing precision requirements through material selection rather than extreme manufacturing tolerances.
Data Source
AI summary
An interspinous process implant is disclosed that includes an elongated threaded implant body defining a longitudinal axis and having a main body portion with opposed proximal and distal end portions, and a removable body portion operatively connected to the proximal end portion of the main body portion, a distal anchor assembly including two deployable anchor blades mounted for pivotal movement between a stowed position located within an interior cavity of the main body portion and a deployed position radially extending from the main body portion, and a proximal anchor assembly including an anchor collar mounted for longitudinal movement along the longitudinal axis of the implant body between a first position spaced apart from the distal anchor assembly and a second position approximated with the distal anchor assembly.