Rod Inserter Tool for Adjustable Spinal Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional spinal fusion devices lack flexibility in adjustment, forcing surgeons to use specific configurations that do not accommodate individual patient physiological characteristics, limiting their effectiveness in spinal surgery.
Innovation Solution
A rod inserter tool and spinal stabilization system that includes a hollow screw extender housing and various tools for minimally invasive bone screw placement, allowing for adjustable rod insertion and screw stabilization with flexible components to accommodate patient-specific needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional spinal fusion devices are used, then the procedure is straightforward with fixed configurations, but the devices lack flexibility for patient-specific adjustments
Solution Approach 1:
The rod is designed with dynamic adjustment capabilities, allowing it to be bent and shaped after implantation. The rod inserter tool enables the rod to transition from a straight configuration during insertion to a curved configuration to match the patient's spinal anatomy, providing adaptability without requiring complex pre-bending mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod inserter tool is divided into multiple functional components: a handle for manipulation, a shaft for rod insertion, and a bending mechanism with guide rollers. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, simplifying the overall adjustment mechanism while maintaining versatility.
2Ease of operation
If minimally invasive techniques are used, then patient trauma is reduced, but precise placement and adjustment of hardware becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The rod inserter tool acts as an intermediary device that bridges the gap between the small incision and the deep spinal implantation site. The tool's shaft extends through the incision to reach the vertebrae, while the handle remains accessible at the skin surface, allowing precise manipulation and rod bending without requiring large incisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The rod inserter tool introduces a temporal dimension to the placement process, allowing the rod to be inserted in a straight configuration and then gradually bent into the desired shape after placement. This separates the insertion precision requirement from the shaping requirement, enabling minimally invasive insertion followed by precise adjustment.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 2A
AI summary
There is disclosed a rod inserter tool for use with a hollow screw extender housing configured to be coupled to a screw assembly implanted into vertebrae, the tool comprising a handle, a main housing configured to include a rod holding mechanism adjacent to a distal end of the main housing for holding a rod, wherein the handle is coupled to the main housing adjacent to a proximal end of the main housing, a secondary housing configured to be slidably disposed along the main housing and further configured to secure the rod to the distal end of the main housing, a lateral housing configured to be slidably disposed along the main housing and further configured to change orientation of the rod upon being actuated by the handle. There is also disclosed a method of of inserting a rod using a rod inserter tool in combination with a hollow screw extender housing configured to be coupled to a screw assembly.