Custom-Molded Rhinoplasty Appliance with Support Wires
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current nasal stents used after surgery for cleft lip and palate corrections are unsuitable due to aesthetic issues, discomfort, and frequent extrusion, particularly in children, as they fail to maintain the desired nostril shape and size effectively.
Innovation Solution
A custom-molded rhinoplasty appliance made from thermoplastic materials with integrated stainless steel support wires and flanges, designed to fit the patient's nostrils, providing air and drainage passages, and secured with adhesive or elastic bands to ensure long-term retention and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If soft silicone rubber stents are used to maintain nostril shape, then the aesthetic appearance is improved, but the stents easily fall out or be extruded, particularly in children
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance combines thermoplastic material for the main body with metal support wires and flanges. The thermoplastic provides custom-fit nostril contouring while the metal components provide structural strength and retention mechanisms, creating a composite structure that maintains shape while preventing extrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The appliance is divided into multiple functional components: nostril insertion portions for shaping, connecting structures for stability, flanges for securing, and support wires for structural integrity. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function while working together as a unified system.
2Reliability
If transseptal sutures are used to retain stents, then the stents are held in place, but the sutures may be uncomfortable or have complications including cutting through the columella
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes the suture component entirely and replaces it with an integrated flange and fastening system that attaches directly to the columella and surrounding structures. This extraction of the problematic suture element eliminates the associated complications while maintaining retention functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The flange acts as an intermediary structure between the stent body and the columella, providing a secure attachment point without requiring transseptal sutures. The fastening mechanism on the flange serves as an intermediary retention method that avoids direct suture placement through the columella.
3Reliability
If round tubes are used to resist nasal stenosis, then the nostril is protected from stenosis, but the round shape is unappealing aesthetically since the normal nostril shape is not truly round
Solution Approach 1:
The appliance provides different shapes and properties in different locations: the nostril insertion portions are custom-molded to the patient's actual nostril geometry for aesthetic appearance, while the connecting structures and support elements provide the necessary structural support and stenosis protection. This local differentiation allows the appliance to fulfill both aesthetic and protective functions simultaneously.
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 appliance effectively maintains the corrected nostril shape and size for extended periods, reducing the risk of stenosis and promoting comfortable, aesthetically pleasing healing in patients of all ages, from infants to adults.
Implementation Method 1
The custom-rhinoplasty appliance is made from a thermoplastic material which has been heated and molded into the desired shape
Implementation Method 2
The first and second flanges may be made of resilient material
Data Source
AI summary
A rhinoplasty appliance is provided that may be custom-molded to a patient's nasal anatomy, including the nostrils, to maintain the corrected contour of the nostrils after rhinoplastic surgery. The rhinoplasty appliance may include a support wire; a first and second wire flanges; a first and second nostril insertion portions, each having a passage and an aperture to permit flow of air and drainage; a connecting structure to maintain the position of the nostril insertion portions in relation to each other, and to provide support and protection for the columella. The first and second wire flange may help to secure the rhinoplasty appliance in position on the patient's face, and improve retention of the first and second nostril insertion portions in the patient's nostrils. The support wire may be provided as added support for the connecting structure.