Myringopexy Titanium Prosthesis for Precise Stapes Fitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing middle ear prostheses for myringopexy are often too long and heavy, with materials like Plasti-Pore causing sound conduction issues due to their porous nature, and current modifications during surgery are inadequate for precise fitting between the eardrum and stapes.
Innovation Solution
A one-piece disk-shaped titanium prosthesis with a through bore, annular head, and radially extending members for alignment and tilting, providing a malleable and lightweight solution that can be custom-fitted to the patient's anatomy, allowing for better sound conduction and visibility during implantation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing middle ear prosthesis are used for myringopexy, then the prosthesis can replace damaged bones, but the prosthesis length is too long and requires major modifications during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis is divided into distinct functional segments: a head portion for engagement with the tympanic membrane, a shaft portion for transmission, and a footplate portion for engagement with the stapes. This segmentation allows each portion to be optimized independently and facilitates easier, more precise implantation without requiring major modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis incorporates a flexible, malleable shaft portion that can be dynamically adjusted and shaped during implantation to fit the specific anatomical contours of the patient's middle ear, eliminating the need for pre-modification while ensuring precise fitting.
2Ease of manufacture
If existing prosthesis materials like Plasti-Pore are used, then the prosthesis can be easily cut and shaped, but sound conduction is dampened due to porous characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis employs a composite construction combining a flexible, malleable shaft material that can be easily shaped during surgery with a rigid, sound-conductive material for the head and footplate portions. This composite approach maintains ease of manipulation during implantation while ensuring effective sound transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the prosthesis are made from materials with different properties: the shaft is made from a soft, malleable material for ease of fitting, while the head and footplate are made from rigid, sound-conductive materials to ensure acoustic performance. This local differentiation of material properties resolves the contradiction between ease of shaping and sound conduction.
3Reliability
If hydroxylapatite prosthesis head is used, then the material closely mimics natural bone, but the weight of the material can be a concern
Solution Approach 1:
The prosthesis combines hydroxylapatite material for the head portion (providing biocompatibility and bone-like properties) with lighter, malleable materials for the shaft and footplate portions. This composite approach maintains the bone-mimicking properties where needed while reducing overall weight.
4Length of moving object
If the prosthesis shaft is cut as short as possible, then the prosthesis can fit between eardrum and stapes, but precise fitting is difficult without notches and modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The shaft portion is designed as a flexible, malleable element that can be dynamically shaped and contoured during implantation to precisely fit the unique anatomical geometry of each patient's middle ear, eliminating the need for pre-cut notches or modifications while achieving accurate fitting.
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis features localized structural variations including an enlarged head portion for tympanic membrane engagement, a flexible shaft for adaptation, and a specifically shaped footplate for stapes engagement. These local quality variations enable precise fitting without requiring extensive pre-modification of the overall prosthesis length.
Data Source
AI summary
A middle ear prosthesis comprises a one piece disk shaped prosthesis including a generally circular malleable body including a bore. The body engages a tympanic membrane and the bore receives a head of a stapes when implanted in a middle ear. More particularly, the middle ear prosthesis comprises a body comprising an annular head, a collar, and a plurality of radially extending members connecting the head to the collar. The head engages a tympanic membrane and the collar receives a head of a stapes when implanted in a middle ear.