Resilient Brace for Surgical Alignment Guide Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical instruments, such as external tibial alignment guides, face issues with secure attachment to patients due to ankle clamps that cause movement and are difficult to use, often requiring manual manipulation and risking glove damage.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument featuring a brace with resilient material members that encircle and hold the patient's malleoli, providing a secure and easy-to-mount attachment mechanism that resists movement, allowing for precise positioning and adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an ankle clamp is used to attach the alignment guide to the patient's lower leg, then the guide can be fixed distally, but the clamp causes free and accidental translation and rotation leading to movement and positioning inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The brace is divided into multiple independent members (first member and second member) that can separately engage with the malleoli. This segmentation allows each member to independently grip the respective malleolus, preventing translation and rotation while maintaining stable attachment. The segmented design directly addresses the instability caused by single-unit ankle clamps.
Solution Approach 2:
The first and second members are shaped asymmetrically to match the asymmetric anatomy of the malleoli. Each member has a specific curvature and contact surface designed to engage with its corresponding malleolus, creating natural mechanical interlocking that prevents movement. This asymmetric design ensures precise positioning while eliminating the translation and rotation problems of symmetric clamps.
2Ease of operation
If a traditional ankle clamp is used, then the alignment guide can be attached to the patient, but manual manipulation is required which risks glove damage and delays the operation
Solution Approach 1:
The brace members are designed to self-engage with the malleoli through their shaped contact surfaces. When the brace is positioned over the ankle, the members automatically grip the malleoli without requiring manual manipulation or adjustment. This self-service mechanism eliminates glove damage risks and operational delays associated with manual clamp operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The brace members incorporate resilient material with specific elastic properties that allow automatic engagement. The material parameters (elasticity, hardness) are optimized to enable the members to flex during positioning and then lock onto the malleoli, providing easy attachment without manual manipulation while preventing operational delays.
3Reliability
If the brace members are made of resilient material and shaped to encircle the malleoli, then the instrument can be push fitted and securely attached, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient material and shaped members provide multiple functions within a single component design: they grip the malleoli, prevent translation and rotation, and enable push-fit attachment. This multi-functionality achieves secure attachment without requiring additional complex mechanisms, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining high reliability.
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
The solution enables reliable and accurate attachment of surgical instruments to patients, reducing movement and operational delays, while being adaptable to various ankle sizes and anatomies, facilitating easier use and adjustment during procedures.
Implementation Method 1
at least a part of the brace is made of a resilient material allowing the brace to grip the patient in use
Data Source
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AI summary
A surgical instrument which can be attached to a patient is described. The instrument includes an alignment guide having a distal end and a proximal end. A brace is attached toward the proximal end of the alignment guide for attaching the instrument to a limb of a patient. The brace comprises a pair of opposed members, each member being shaped to hold a respective bony part of the patient on either side of the patient. At least a part of the brace is made of a resilient material allowing the brace to grip the patient in use.