Porous Polymer Bone Fixation Plate Room Temperature Shaping

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current resorbable bone fixation plates require heating to be flexible and shaped, which limits customization and increases surgical time, risk of infection, and complexity, while also being prone to cracking or deformation during use.

Innovation Solution

A porous polymer foam or composite prosthesis that can be bent at room temperature without heating, allowing for customization and maintaining structural rigidity, with pores collapsing to accommodate shape changes and prevent cracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If resorbable bone fixation plates are made rigid and strong, then they can provide structural support for bone healing, but they become brittle and prone to cracking during customization

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestructural strengthVSAvoidresistance to cracking

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies porous materials by incorporating a porous polymer foam layer within the bone fixation plate structure. This porous layer acts as a stress-absorbing zone that prevents crack propagation while maintaining overall structural strength. The pores allow the material to dissipate bending stresses more effectively, preventing the brittle failure that occurs in dense resorbable materials during customization and implantation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

2Adaptability or versatility

If resorbable bone fixation plates are heated to become flexible for shaping, then they can be customized to fit patient anatomy, but surgical time increases and infection risk rises

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoidsurgical time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the material properties of the resorbable polymer through plasticization or chemical treatment to achieve the desired flexibility at room temperature. This allows the plate to be bent and customized without requiring thermal processing, thereby reducing surgical time and eliminating infection risks associated with heating while maintaining full customization capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If resorbable bone fixation plates are made flexible at room temperature, then they can be easily customized without heating, but they may lack sufficient structural rigidity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of customizationVSAvoidstructural rigidity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies composite materials by combining a flexible resorbable polymer base material with reinforcing elements such as metal mesh, ceramic particles, or fibrous reinforcements. This composite structure provides the necessary structural rigidity and strength while allowing the plate to remain flexible enough for easy customization at room temperature. The reinforcement elements distribute stresses and prevent deformation during bending.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

4Strength

If metal fixation plates are used, then strength and rigidity are sufficient for bone stabilization, but they remain permanently in the body causing long-term complications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefixation strengthVSAvoidlong-term complications

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies discarding and recovering by using resorbable polymer materials that gradually degrade and are absorbed by the body over time. The plate provides full structural strength during the critical bone healing period, then progressively breaks down into biocompatible byproducts that are metabolized or excreted. This eliminates the need for removal surgery and avoids long-term complications associated with permanent metal implants while maintaining adequate fixation strength throughout the healing process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

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

Enables quick and effective customization of bone fixation plates that are flexible over a wide temperature range, resistant to fastening device penetration, and capable of delivering biologically active agents, while maintaining structural support and reducing surgical time and infection risk.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPore collapse: Compression

Implementation Method 2

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPorosity: Porosity

Data Source

PatentUS8679163B2Compliant osteosynthesis fixation plate

Publication Date: 2014.03.25 DSM IP ASSETS BV

AI summary

A bendable polymer tissue fixation device suitable to be implanted into a living body, consisting of a highly porous body, made from a polymer, the porous body having a plurality of pores, such that the device is capable of being smoothly bent, wherein the bending collapses a portion of the pores to form a radius curve, and the polymer fixation device is rigid enough to protect a tissue from shifting. Preferably, the polymer fixation device may be capable of being gradually resorbed by said living body. In one embodiment, the polymer fixation device consists of a plurality of layers distinguishable by various characteristics, such as structural or chemical properties. In another embodiment, the polymer fixation device may feature additional materials which serve to reinforce or otherwise alter the structure or physical characteristics of the device, or alternatively the additional materials serve to deliver therapies to the living being.