Self-Drilling Bone Fixture for Auditory Prosthesis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional bone fixtures for implantable auditory prostheses require predrilling of holes in the recipient's bone, which is a cumbersome and potentially intimidating surgical procedure, limiting its accessibility for some patients.

Innovation Solution

A self-drilling threaded body with a bone removal mechanism that creates and enlarges the hole during insertion, eliminating the need for predrilling and simplifying the surgical process by integrating drilling and tapping functions into a single step.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If predrilling is performed before bone fixture insertion, then the bone fixture can be securely implanted, but the surgical procedure becomes more complex and intimidating

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone fixture implantation securityVSAvoidsurgical procedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the predrilling operation and bone fixture insertion into a single integrated self-drilling bone fixture that performs both functions simultaneously. The bone fixture includes cutting edges at its distal end that enable it to drill into the bone while being inserted, eliminating the need for a separate predrilling step and reducing surgical procedure complexity while maintaining implantation security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If predrilling is performed before bone fixture insertion, then the bone fixture can be securely implanted, but the number of surgical steps increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone fixture implantation securityVSAvoidsurgical procedure time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The self-drilling bone fixture merges the drilling and insertion operations into a single step. The cutting edges on the distal end of the bone fixture enable it to create its own pilot hole during insertion, eliminating the need for a separate predrilling step and reducing the total number of surgical steps and procedure time while ensuring secure implantation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Manufacturing precision

If a power drill is used for predrilling, then the hole can be created accurately, but the procedure becomes more invasive and uncomfortable for the patient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehole creation accuracyVSAvoidpatient discomfort and invasiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The bone fixture is designed to be self-drilling, with cutting edges on its distal end that enable it to create its own insertion hole without requiring an external power drill. This self-service capability eliminates the need for high-speed drilling that causes patient discomfort, while still achieving accurate hole creation through the controlled cutting action of the fixture itself during insertion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11389180B2Bone fixture for a medical prosthesis

Publication Date: 2022.07.19 COCHLEAR LIMITED

AI summary

Presented herein is a bone fixture for a medical prosthesis. The bone fixture includes a self-drilling threaded body that is configured to be inserted into a recipient's bone. The threaded body includes a bone removal mechanism configured to cut away parts of the bone that are in the path of the threaded body and to remove portions of the cut parts of the bone, sometimes referred to herein as bone fragments, from the hole. The bone fixture also comprises a coupling section that is attached to a proximal end of the threaded body. The coupling section is configured to be positioned external to the recipient's bone and includes a connector interface that is entirely/completely proximal to the threaded body.