Intervertebral Support Device with Post-Operative Tension Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal implant devices lack the ability for post-operative tension adjustment, which is essential for modifying intervertebral mobility as needed, and often require additional surgery for adjustments.
Innovation Solution
An intervertebral support device with upper and lower vertebral mounting fixtures connected by a bias member and a bias adjuster that allows tension adjustment during installation and post-operatively, using mechanisms such as mechanical, magnetic, or electrical actuators for remote and minimally invasive adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If spinal implant devices are designed with fixed tension structures, then the device structure is simple and reliable, but the device cannot be adjusted post-operatively to modify intervertebral mobility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by transforming the fixed tension structure into an adjustable one. The bias member (spring) is connected to the vertebral mounting fixtures through a bias adjuster mechanism that allows the tension to be dynamically modified. This enables the device to adapt to changing patient needs post-operatively while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through the use of a single adjustable mechanism rather than multiple fixed components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by allowing the tension parameter of the bias member to be modified after implantation. The bias adjuster enables changing the force parameter applied by the spring to the vertebral fixtures, thereby adjusting intervertebral mobility. This can be achieved through mechanical adjustment during surgery or through remote adjustment mechanisms (magnetic or electrical) that modify the spring tension parameter without requiring additional surgery.
2Ease of operation
If tension adjustment requires additional surgery, then the initial implantation is simple, but the patient requires multiple surgical interventions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by incorporating the bias adjuster mechanism during the initial implantation surgery. This adjustment mechanism is pre-installed and accessible, allowing future tension adjustments to be made without requiring additional surgical procedures. The mechanism is designed to be accessible through minimally invasive percutaneous approaches, enabling easy adjustment at later visits.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical adjustment systems that require surgical exposure with alternative actuation methods. Magnetic actuators can be controlled externally through the skin, and electrical actuators can be remotely controlled, eliminating the need for mechanical access through additional surgery. This substitution of actuation methods dramatically reduces the time and complexity required for tension adjustments.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the bias member tension is fixed during installation, then the installation procedure is straightforward, but the intervertebral mobility cannot be modified as patient needs change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the nested doll principle by integrating the bias adjuster mechanism within the existing structure of the vertebral mounting fixtures. The adjustment mechanism is nested within or alongside the spring and fixture components, allowing it to be incorporated during the initial implantation without requiring a separate, complex installation procedure. This nested integration maintains installation simplicity while enabling future adaptability.
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
Enables adjustable tension to modify intervertebral mobility without additional surgery, reducing the need for further interventions and preserving spinal motion, thereby reducing stress transfer and potential for further surgery.
Implementation Method 1
a bias member (e.g., a spring) maintained in tension for urging the upper and lower vertebral mounting fixtures together
Implementation Method 2
The bias adjuster may be magnetically actuatable as well as electrically actuatable, so that adjustment may be performed externally and remotely
Implementation Method 3
The bias adjuster may be magnetically actuatable as well as electrically actuatable
Data Source
AI summary
An intervertebral support device may include upper and lower vertebral mounting fixtures to be respectively connected to an upper and a lower vertebra in a patient's spine. The device may further include a bias member for urging the upper and lower vertebral mounting fixtures together, and a bias adjuster connected to the bias member maintained in tension for adjusting the tension thereof. The bias adjuster advantageously allows a spinal surgeon installing the intervertebral support device to adjust the tension of the bias member during installation, as well as to re-adjust the tension post-operatively during follow-up visits to modify a patient's intervertebral mobility as needed.