Osteotomy Guide With Nested Cutter And Reference Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical instruments lack precision and efficiency in performing surgeries near joints, particularly in passing sutures through tough tissues and guiding bone cuts that align with joint anatomy, which can compromise surgical outcomes.
Innovation Solution
The development of improved surgical instruments, including enhanced suture passers and osteotomy guides that utilize a housing with a needle and foot mechanism for precise suture placement and a guide that aligns with joint anatomy using anthropometric data to ensure accurate bone cuts, reducing the complexity of surgeries near joints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional suture passers are used to pass sutures through tough tissues near joints, then the surgical procedure can be completed, but the precision and efficiency of suture placement is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The suture passer is divided into distinct functional segments: a needle assembly for penetrating tissue, a suture retrieval mechanism with receiver and grasping members, and a housing that coordinates their movement. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function, improving both precision and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The suture is pre-loaded onto the needle before the procedure begins. The needle is advanced through the tissue with the suture already attached, eliminating the need for separate suture attachment steps during surgery. This preliminary preparation significantly improves surgical efficiency.
2Measurement precision
If conventional drill guides are used to form holes in bones adjacent to joints, then holes can be created, but the alignment with joint anatomy lacks precision
Solution Approach 1:
An intermediary guide structure is introduced that interfaces between the bone surface and the drilling operation. The guide includes a base member with reference surfaces that contact anatomical landmarks, and a tunnel guide that translates these references into precise hole placement. This intermediary mechanism simplifies the alignment process while achieving high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide system incorporates adjustable parameters including the angle of the tunnel guide relative to the bone surface and the position of reference surfaces against anatomical landmarks. By varying these parameters, the system can accommodate different anatomical configurations while maintaining precise alignment with joint anatomy.
3Manufacturing precision
If conventional osteotomy guides are used to guide bone cuts, then bone sections can be separated, but the accuracy of alignment with joint anatomy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The osteotomy guide extracts and isolates the critical alignment function into a separate cutter guide component that can be attached to an existing drill guide. This cutter guide includes a specific cutter receiving portion that ensures the osteotomy blade is positioned and oriented correctly, separating the alignment function from the general drilling guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutter guide is nested within or attached to the drill guide structure, creating a hierarchical guidance system. The drill guide provides overall positioning on the bone, while the nested cutter guide provides the final precise alignment for the osteotomy cut. This nested arrangement achieves high accuracy without requiring a completely separate complex guide system.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate surgical instruments are used for suture passing, drilling, and osteotomy, then various functions can be performed, but the overall surgical process becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical system employs multiple instruments that share common design principles and attachment mechanisms. The suture passer, drill guide, and osteotomy guide all utilize similar reference surface concepts and can be attached to the same anatomical landmarks, creating a unified surgical approach that reduces procedural complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
Improved surgical instruments are provided including improved suture passers, improved drill guides for forming holes in bones adjacent a joint at locations referenced to the joint anatomy, and improved osteotomy guides.