Orthopaedic Feeder with Detachable Sight for Bone Compression

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Commercially available medical compression clamps using Nitinol require an allergenic material and constantly return to their original shape, causing uncontrolled compression and potential bone damage or loss of correction in orthopaedic anastomoses.

Innovation Solution

A feeder system with a distal part, molar part, and handle, featuring a groove for detachable sight holders with wider hole spacing than the clamp arms, ensuring proper alignment and fusion of bone fragments without excessive pressure, and an ergonomic design for comfort and visibility during bone drilling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If Nitinol compression clamps are used to provide strong compression force, then the clamp effectiveness is improved, but bone tissue damage and atrophy occur due to excessive pressure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclamp compression forceVSAvoidbone tissue damage
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from Nitinol (shape memory alloy) to stainless steel, fundamentally altering the mechanical properties. Stainless steel provides sufficient compression force without the constant shape-recovery-driven pressure that causes bone atrophy. This material substitution resolves the contradiction by maintaining necessary strength while eliminating harmful excessive pressure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The sight block serves as a template or copy that defines the correct positioning and spacing for the clamp. By using the sight block with pre-defined hole spacing during drilling, the actual clamp placement is guided to achieve proper alignment and appropriate compression force distribution, preventing both insufficient and excessive pressure on bone tissue.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Manufacturing precision

If the hole spacing of the sight block is wider than the clamp arm spacing, then proper alignment and fusion are ensured, but the clamp arms are narrower relative to the drilled holes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebone fragment alignmentVSAvoidclamp insertion fit
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The sight block performs preliminary positioning by defining the hole locations with wider spacing during the drilling phase. This preliminary action ensures proper alignment and spacing for bone fragment fusion. The clamp is then inserted into these pre-created holes, and the wider hole spacing accommodates the narrower clamp arms comfortably, eliminating fit issues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system separates the positioning function (sight block with wider hole spacing) from the compression function (clamp with narrower arm spacing). The sight block segments the task of alignment, creating optimally spaced holes, while the clamp segments the compression task, fitting comfortably within those holes. This segmentation resolves the apparent contradiction between alignment precision and insertion ease.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of manufacture

If commercial compression clamps are used, then the clamping function is provided, but allergenic nickel material is required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveclamp functionalityVSAvoidallergenic material
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material composition parameter by substituting Nitinol (which contains 20%+ nickel) with stainless steel. This material parameter change eliminates the allergenic nickel content while preserving the essential clamping functionality. Stainless steel provides the necessary mechanical properties for compression without the harmful allergic reactions associated with nickel.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4450001A1Feeder for implementation of compression clamp for orthopaedic anastomoses and the kit containing it
Publication Date: 2024.10.23 POMORSKI UNIV MEDYCZNY W SZCZECINIE
  • EP4450001A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4450001A1 patent drawingFigure 3~5
  • EP4450001A1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

The object of the invention is a feeder for implementation of compression clamps for orthopaedic anastomoses comprising a distal part, a molar part and a handle, where the distal part comprises an upper jaw movably connected by a first fixing pin to a fixed lower jaw and a second fixing pin to a closing lever, characterized in that the lower jaw (1a) is provided with a groove (10) for detachably fixing the holder (D) of the sight (11), the block (A) of which is provided with holes (B) in which guides (C) are placed, the spacing of the holes (B) of the block (A) of the sight (11) being wider than the arms spacing of the compression clamp (12) fixed in the groove (10) after removal of the sight (11). Another object of the invention is a compression clamp kit for orthopaedic anastomoses comprising a compression clamp for orthopaedic anastomoses and a feeder for implementing compression clamps, characterised in that the feeder for implementing compression clamps is a feeder according to the invention and the compression clamp (12) is detachably fixed in the groove (10) interchangeably with the sight (11).