Pivoting Blade Dilator for Spinal Cavity Creation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical dilators face challenges in effectively creating a cavity in soft tissue adjacent to the spine for accessing spinal discs, as they often require significant manual force and may not provide adequate expansion or stability for precise surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A dilator assembly comprising a tubular member, guide needle, and a system of links and blades that pivotally connect to the tubular member, allowing the assembly to move between a contracted and expanded position, creating a radial cavity in soft tissue by translating the tubular member and links to radially expand the blades, facilitating access to spinal discs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If traditional surgical dilators are used to create a cavity in soft tissue, then the cavity can be formed, but significant manual force is required and expansion stability is inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The dilator assembly employs a dynamic expansion mechanism where the tubular member can translate along the longitudinal axis to transform the assembly from a contracted configuration to an expanded configuration. This dynamic transformation allows the blades to radially expand and create stable cavity walls, eliminating the need for continuous manual force while providing expansion stability through the mechanical locking of the expanded structure.
2Device complexity
If the dilator assembly is designed with a fixed structure, then the structure is simple, but it cannot provide adequate radial expansion for precise surgical access
Solution Approach 1:
The dilator assembly is segmented into multiple functional components: a tubular member, multiple blades, and links that connect the blades to the tubular member. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function while working together to achieve radial expansion. The segmented design enables the assembly to expand radially when the tubular member translates, providing the necessary expansion capability without requiring complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly transitions from a static contracted state to a dynamic expanded state through the translation of the tubular member along the longitudinal axis. This dynamic transformation is controlled and reversible, allowing the surgeon to expand the blades radially for precise surgical access and then return to the contracted state when needed, maintaining ease of operation while achieving adequate expansion.
3Ease of operation
If the dilator assembly uses a complex linkage mechanism, then radial expansion is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The links are configured to pivot and rotate as the tubular member translates, creating a curved or arc-like motion path for the blades during expansion. This curved motion path naturally guides the blades outward in a radial direction, achieving effective radial expansion without requiring complex angular adjustments or multiple articulation points. The rotational movement of the links simplifies the overall linkage mechanism while maintaining expansion effectiveness.
Data Source
AI summary
A dilator assembly includes a blade, a tubular member defining a passage extending along a longitudinal axis, a guide needle received within the passage, a first link having a first end pivotally coupled to the tubular member and a second end pivotally coupled to the blade, and a second link having a first end pivotally coupled to the tubular member and a second end pivotally coupled to the blade.