Intra-articular Guide for Bone Lesion Access

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical methods for addressing bone lesions, such as curettage, often weaken the bone structure by removing both damaged tissue and load-bearing bone, making it difficult to access and treat lesions without damaging surrounding bone or cartilage, especially in joints like the spine, knees, and shoulders.

Innovation Solution

A system and technique using intra-articular localization to define a virtual pathway and create angled entry access points, allowing for precise targeting and access to extra-articular or intra-osseous lesions without penetrating the load-bearing bone, using a guide component with a straight and curved portion to position a localizing pin and guide a drill or punch for accurate placement of substances or instruments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If curettage is performed to remove damaged tissue, then the lesion is treated, but the load-bearing bone structure is weakened

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelesion treatment effectivenessVSAvoidbone structure strength

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The procedure is divided into two separate access paths: one for localization (intra-articular) and one for treatment (extra-articular). This segmentation allows the treatment to be delivered precisely to the lesion without requiring broad removal of bone tissue, thereby treating the lesion while preserving bone strength.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A guide component acts as an intermediary between the extra-articular entry point and the intra-osseous lesion. The guide component includes a localizing pin that defines a virtual pathway and a curved guide portion with openings that direct the treatment instrument along a selected path to the lesion, enabling precise delivery without extensive bone removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If the bone is opened to access the lesion, then the lesion becomes accessible, but the surrounding cartilage and soft tissue are damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelesion accessibilityVSAvoiddamage to cartilage and soft tissue

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of opening the bone from the intra-articular side (which would damage cartilage and soft tissue), the approach is inverted by creating an extra-articular entry point. The treatment is delivered through bone that has been accessed from outside the joint, avoiding direct damage to the cartilage and soft tissue while still reaching the lesion through the defined virtual pathway.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The approach transitions from a two-dimensional intra-articular plane to a three-dimensional extra-articular pathway. By accessing the lesion from outside the joint capsule and using a curved guide portion to navigate around anatomical structures, the treatment reaches the lesion through a different spatial dimension, avoiding damage to intra-articular cartilage and soft tissue.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Device complexity

If a straight guide path is used, then the procedure is simple, but the lesion cannot be accessed from optimal entry points

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveguide component structureVSAvoidaccess path flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The guide component incorporates a curved guide portion with multiple openings arranged along an arc. This curvature allows the guide to accommodate different entry points and angles while maintaining alignment with the defined virtual pathway. The curved structure provides adaptability for accessing lesions at various locations without requiring a completely different guide design.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

Solution Approach 2:

The guide component is designed to be adjustable rather than fixed. The curved guide portion can be positioned at different angles and the localizing pin can be placed at various locations to define different virtual pathways. This dynamic adjustability allows the same guide component to adapt to different lesion locations and patient anatomies while maintaining procedural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10716632B2System and technique for accessing extra articular lesions or abnormalities or intra osseous lesions or bone marrow lesions

Publication Date: 2020.07.21 PANDYA RAJIV D

AI summary

A system for accessing lesions or abnormalities using intra articular localization has an arm and a guide component. The arm with a localizing pin at a first end defines a virtual pathway. The guide component has a straight guide portion and a curved guide or arcuate portion. The curved guide or arcuate portion has a plurality of angularly spaced guide openings for passing a pin or drill or pin or punch along a selected path to form an entry access. The straight guide portion is for holding or coupling the arm at or in proximity to a second end of the arm. The selected path extends toward the virtual pathway to form the entry access using intra articular localization.