Segmented Surgical Delivery System for Bone Graft Conformability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional bone grafts and substitutes struggle to conform to surgical sites, provide immediate mechanical support, and facilitate customized delivery, as they are often limited by shape and size, leading to issues with stress shielding and slow remodeling.
Innovation Solution
A delivery system comprising a covering with a substance, where the covering can be a single or multi-compartment structure that retains the substance until placement at a surgical site, allowing for controlled release and customization, utilizing mechanical, physical, or chemical attachment mechanisms to conform to the site.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If conventional bone grafts and substitutes are used, then they can provide bone regeneration, but they cannot conform to surgical sites due to shape and size limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The bone graft is divided into multiple compartments within the covering structure, allowing each segment to be independently positioned and shaped to conform to specific anatomical features of the surgical site, thereby improving overall conformability and customization
Solution Approach 2:
The covering structure is designed to be flexible and adaptable, allowing it to dynamically conform to the surgical site geometry during implantation while maintaining structural integrity, thus achieving both shape conformity and customization capability
2Strength
If metal implants are used to provide mechanical support, then immediate mechanical support is provided, but stress shielding occurs due to decreased bone density around the implant site
Solution Approach 1:
The covering structure incorporates porous materials that allow bone ingrowth and stress transfer, providing mechanical support while preventing stress shielding by enabling physiological load transmission to the surrounding bone tissue, thus maintaining bone density
Solution Approach 2:
The implant combines multiple materials with complementary properties - a load-bearing framework for mechanical support and a porous bone-contacting surface for stress transfer and bone integration, thereby providing both strength and preventing stress shielding simultaneously
3Stability of the object's composition
If monolithic bone grafts are used, then they provide structural integrity, but they do not allow for customization at the time of implantation
Solution Approach 1:
The bone graft is segmented into multiple compartments that can be independently filled with different bone graft materials or configurations, allowing customization at implantation while maintaining overall structural integrity through the covering framework
Solution Approach 2:
The covering structure is pre-formed to provide structural integrity, but the bone graft materials are loaded into compartments just before implantation, allowing final customization of the graft composition and configuration at the time of surgery
4Strength
If cortical bone grafts are used, then they provide mechanical support, but they remodel slowly due to limited porosity
Solution Approach 1:
The covering structure uses porous materials with controlled porosity that balance mechanical support capability with enhanced bone ingrowth and remodeling, allowing faster remodeling compared to dense cortical bone while maintaining adequate structural support
Solution Approach 2:
The implant combines cortical bone segments for mechanical strength with porous bone substitute materials that facilitate rapid bone ingrowth and remodeling, achieving both mechanical support and accelerated remodeling through material composition
Data Source
AI summary
A covering for delivering a substance or material to a surgical site is provided. The covering, with substance provided therein, may be referred to as a delivery system. Generally, the covering may be a single or multi-compartment structure capable of at least partially retaining a substance provided therein until the covering is placed at a surgical site. Upon placement, the covering may facilitate transfer of the substance or surrounding materials. For example, the substance may be released (actively or passively) to the surgical site. The covering may participate in, control, or otherwise adjust, the release of the substance.