Transcorporeal Microdecompression Plug and Guided Channel Placement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing transcorporeal microdecompression procedures face challenges with brittle ceramic plugs that are difficult to place and prone to fracture, and require improved instruments and methods for precise channel creation and implant insertion.
Innovation Solution
The development of a bone void plug with a tapered design and dedicated inserter, along with uniplanar and fixed angle drill guides, lockable depth stops, and robotics systems for precise channel creation and implant placement, ensuring stability and safety during the procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If brittle ceramic plugs are used to fill the vertebral body void, then the vertebral body strength is restored, but the plugs are easily fractured and difficult to place
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameters from brittle ceramic to more fracture-resistant materials such as PEEK (polyether ether ketone) or other biocompatible polymers that maintain structural strength while significantly improving fracture resistance and ease of placement
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite material structures combining different materials with complementary properties - such as PEEK outer shell with internal trabecular bone structure or ceramic-coated PEEK - to achieve both strength restoration and improved reliability against fracture
2Manufacturing precision
If a dedicated inserter instrument is designed for precise implant insertion, then the insertion precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inserter instrument employs a nested structure where the implant is inserted within the inserter body, and the implant itself contains a central cavity for graft material. This nested design achieves precise insertion while managing complexity through hierarchical organization of components
Solution Approach 2:
The inserter acts as an intermediary tool that temporarily holds the implant during insertion and then releases it. This mediator approach allows precise placement without requiring the final implant structure to incorporate all insertion features, thereby managing complexity
3Stability of the object's composition
If a tapered side wall design is used on the implant, then migration through the channel is prevented, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tapered side wall design changes the geometric parameters of the implant from cylindrical to conical, creating an interference fit within the vertebral body void. This geometric modification prevents migration while the taper angle is optimized to balance stability with manufacturability using standard CNC machining or 3D printing processes
4Manufacturing precision
If uniplanar drill guides with adjustable angles are used for channel creation, then the optimal angle selection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide employs dynamic adjustability where the guide tube angle can be modified during the procedure to match the optimal trajectory. This dynamic feature allows precise channel creation for different anatomical variations while the locking mechanism manages complexity by fixing the angle once selected
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for performing a transcorporeal microdecompression are described. The transcorporeal microdecompression may include a bone void plug allograft and specialized instruments for performing the procedure. This procedure may be performed under navigation and/or with robotic assistance.