Retractable Sleeve Spinal Implant Delivery System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spinal implants with high coefficients of friction can damage adjacent tissue and nerves during implantation due to their interaction with the spinal column, posing a challenge in effectively and safely inserting these devices between vertebrae.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system comprising a spinal implant releasably coupled to a delivery device, with a retractable sleeve having a weakened region that separates upon force application, allowing for reduced friction during implantation by using a sleeve with a lower coefficient of friction than the implant, and a mechanism to retract the sleeve and release the implant between vertebrae.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a spinal implant with high coefficient of friction is used, then the implant provides stable anchoring between vertebrae, but it causes damage to adjacent tissue and nerves during implantation
Solution Approach 1:
A delivery device acts as an intermediary between the surgeon and the implantation process. The device includes a protective sleeve that covers the high-friction implant during delivery, allowing smooth passage through tissue and nerves. The sleeve can be removed or torn at the target site, releasing the implant for stable anchoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant system is segmented into multiple components: the implant itself, a protective sleeve, and a delivery device. This segmentation allows the high-friction implant to be separated from the low-friction delivery interface, enabling stable anchoring without tissue damage during insertion.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a retractable sleeve with weakened region is used, then friction during implantation is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective sleeve is constructed as a flexible thin-walled structure that can easily deform, retract, and be torn at the weakened region. This flexible shell design reduces friction during implantation while maintaining simplicity through its passive, elastomeric nature rather than active mechanical components.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for implanting a spinal implant in a spinal column are disclosed. In one example, an illustrative system may include a delivery device including a proximal end region and a distal end region, a spinal implant releasably coupled to the distal end region of the delivery device, and a sleeve disposed about the spinal implant and at least a portion of the delivery device. In some cases, a distal portion of the sleeve may include a predetermined weakened region that may be configured to separate when a force is applied to the weakened region, which in some cases, may be applied with a pull string. In another example, a distal portion of the sleeve may be reverse folded upon itself such that the retractable sleeve rolls off of the spinal implant when the retractable sleeve is retracted.