Ossicular Prosthesis Elastic Swivel Joint for Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ossicular prostheses face challenges in providing both post-operative mobility and length variability, leading to suboptimal sound conduction and increased risk of dislodgment due to unpredictable forces during the healing phase, as they often lack flexible connections and precise length adjustment capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The ossicular prosthesis features a cylindrical cavity in the receiving part that surrounds the rotary element, allowing for length adjustment by pushing and pinching off rotary elements, combined with an elastic plastic receiving part for mobility and a rigid connection for sound conduction, ensuring defined joint movements and minimizing frictional influences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a stiff connection is used between the headstock and the shaft, then sound conduction is improved, but post-operative mobility is reduced and dislodgment risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a rotary joint with a receiving part made of elastic plastic that allows the shaft to rotate relative to the headstock. This dynamic connection provides post-operative mobility to accommodate healing forces while maintaining acoustic rigidity through the defined rotary movement path, resolving the contradiction between stiffness for sound conduction and flexibility for adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter of the receiving part from rigid to elastic plastic, enabling the joint to deform elastically under post-operative forces while maintaining a defined rotary movement path. This material parameter change allows the system to maintain both acoustic rigidity and post-operative mobility.
2Ease of manufacture
If a fixed length prosthesis is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different patient anatomies is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the shaft into multiple sections with rotary elements that can be individually positioned and secured. This segmentation allows the shaft length to be adjusted during surgery by moving rotary elements to different positions along the shaft, providing length variability while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing process for each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotary joint mechanism allows the shaft length to be dynamically adjusted during surgery by rotating the shaft relative to the headstock and securing it at different positions. This dynamic adjustability provides length variability without requiring multiple fixed-length prostheses, maintaining manufacturing simplicity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If an extensive range of prostheses of different lengths is kept in stock, then length variability is improved, but costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a universal prosthesis with a rotary joint mechanism that can be adjusted to different lengths during surgery. This single multi-functional prosthesis replaces the need for multiple fixed-length prostheses in inventory, reducing stock complexity and costs while maintaining length variability through intraoperative adjustment.
4Reliability
If the receiving part encloses the rotary element completely, then acoustic rigidity is improved, but post-operative mobility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the necessary portion of the rotary element enclosed by the receiving part, rather than completely enclosing it. The receiving part encloses the rotary element sufficiently to provide acoustic rigidity for sound conduction while leaving enough exposure to allow rotary movement for post-operative mobility, resolving the contradiction through localized application of constraint.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances post-operative mobility while maintaining acoustic rigidity, allowing for precise length adjustment during surgery and reducing the risk of dislodgment, thereby improving sound conduction and patient-specific fitting without increasing production complexity or costs.
Implementation Method 1
a rotary joint, which comprises a receiving part made of an elastic plastic, in which a rotary element... is articulated
Implementation Method 2
minimizing frictional influences
Data Source
AI summary
An ossicle prosthesis (10) that replaces or bridges component(s) or parts of a component of the ossicular chain, comprises a rotary joint between two fastening elements (11, 12) comprising a silicone or polytetrafluoroethylene receiving part (13) in which a metal rotary element (14) fixedly connected with a metal longitudinal shank (16) that connects the two fastening elements is hingedly supported. The elastic plastic receiving part is rigidly connected with first fastening element. It comprises a cavity that encloses at least half of the surface of the rotary element in its installed state. An ossicle prosthesis that replaces or bridges component(s) or parts of a component of the ossicular chain, comprises a first fastening element at one end designed as a top plate for mechanical connection with the tympanic membrane; a second fastening element at the other end for mechanical connection with a component or parts of the ossicular chain or with the inner ear; and a rotary joint between the two fastening elements comprising a silicone or polytetrafluoroethylene receiving part in which a metal rotary element fixedly connected with a metal longitudinal shank that connects the two fastening elements is hingedly supported. The receiving part is made of an elastic plastic. It is rigidly connected with the first fastening element, and comprises a cavity shaped in such a way that when in an installed state, it encloses at least half of the surface of the rotary element.