Lateral Disc Cutter Blade Geometry for Faster Endplate Preparation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for spinal fusion procedures are time-consuming due to the inefficient removal of intervertebral disc tissue from vertebral endplates, limiting the exposure area for bone growth promoters.
Innovation Solution
A lateral disc cutter with morcellating blades oriented parallel to the mid-plane of the intervertebral disc and configured with a convex profile to enhance contact with the endplates, along with linkages and blades that rotate to provide structural rigidity and increase the line of contact, allowing for fewer scraping passes and improved tissue preparation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional disc cutters fan radially outward from a pivot point close to a central axis, then the device structure is simple, but the cutting edge contacts the vertebral endplates along an inherently limited span requiring several passes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent repositions the pivot point from a central axis location to a lateral position at the distal end of the access tube. This dimensional relocation transforms the cutting geometry, allowing the cutting edge to contact the vertebral endplates along a significantly extended span in a single pass, thereby resolving the contradiction between productivity and contact area.
2Productivity
If multiple passes are used to prepare the intervertebral space, then complete tissue removal is achieved, but the surgical time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By relocating the pivot point to a lateral position, the patent creates an extended cutting span that covers a larger portion of the vertebral endplates in a single pass. This dimensional change reduces the number of required passes from multiple to potentially one or two, directly addressing the time loss contradiction while maintaining complete tissue removal.
3Area of stationary object
If the blade is oriented perpendicular to the mid-plane, then the cutting mechanism is simple, but the contact area with the endplate is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reorients the blade from a perpendicular position to a parallel position relative to the mid-plane of the intervertebral disc. This orientational change in a different dimension maximizes the contact area between the blade and the vertebral endplates without requiring complex adjustment mechanisms, as the parallel orientation is achieved through the lateral pivot point positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A lateral disc cutter for morcellating and decorticating tissue of an intervertebral disc from between adjacent vertebrae. The device can be arranged in a retracted configuration for insertion via an access tube, and in an extended configuration for cutting of tissue in the target region. The blades may be extended to contact the concave endplate in an orientation that is substantially parallel to a mid-plane of the intervertebral disc. Blades of the device may be configured with a convex profile that substantially conforms to the concave shape of the endplate for enhanced contact length between the blade and the endplate. In some embodiments, the blades are configured for removal and replacement without need for tools, with the blades selectively determining a maximum displacement width of the morecellator assembly.