Skull Portal Device with Removable Plug for Repeated Cranial Access
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for closing the skull after cranial surgery and providing access to the brain are inadequate, leading to complications such as human error, cumbersome procedures, and unsightly cranial defects during re-entry, as existing burr hole plugs and closure methods fail to securely fix medical devices and facilitate easy access for future procedures.
Innovation Solution
A skull portal device with a hollow shaft and removably secured plug, featuring threaded surfaces, radial protrusions, and an inflatable extension, designed to fit within burr holes and secure medical devices, allowing for cranial access and fixation while enabling easy removal for future procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current burr hole plugs are used to hold exiting devices, then device fixation is attempted, but the device may move from its precise target site in the brain
Solution Approach 1:
The skull portal device is divided into distinct segments: a hollow shaft that provides structural support and anchoring within the burr hole, and a separate plug that secures the medical device. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the shaft provides stable anchoring while the plug ensures precise device positioning without movement from the target site.
Solution Approach 2:
The hollow shaft is预先 inserted and secured within the burr hole before the medical device is placed. This preliminary anchoring action creates a stable foundation that prevents subsequent device movement, ensuring the device remains at the precise target site during and after implantation.
2Ease of operation
If burr holes are left open or covered with superficial covers, then cranial access is maintained or cosmetic appearance is improved, but future re-entry procedures become long and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The plug is designed to be removably secured within the hollow shaft, creating a dynamic system that can transition between closed and open states. This allows the burr hole to be sealed for cosmetic purposes and patient safety, while enabling quick removal of the plug for future re-entry procedures, eliminating the need for lengthy surgical interventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The plug acts as a temporary closure that can be discarded (removed) when future access is needed. This recoverable closure mechanism allows the surgical site to be sealed after initial procedure while providing easy access for subsequent procedures, significantly reducing re-entry time and complexity.
3Reliability
If bone cement or cyanoacrylate is used to fill burr holes, then closure is achieved, but the device becomes locked in place preventing future access
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static permanent fill (bone cement) to a dynamic removable plug system. The plug provides reliable closure when in place but can be removed when future access is needed, whereas bone cement permanently locks the device and prevents any future access. This dynamic design maintains both closure reliability and future adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using permanent filling materials that discard future access capability, the removable plug allows the closure to be discarded (removed) when needed. This enables the system to maintain reliable closure for cosmetic and protective purposes while preserving the ability to access the device or intracranial space for future procedures.
4Reliability
If sutures and clamping screws are used to secure devices to the skull, then device fixation is achieved, but the procedure becomes cumbersome and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The securing mechanism is segmented into the hollow shaft that anchors to the skull and the separate plug that secures the device. This eliminates the need for multiple securing steps (sutures, screws, clamps) by providing integrated anchoring and securing functions in two components that can be quickly positioned and locked together, significantly reducing procedure time while maintaining fixation reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus for providing repeated cranial access comprises a hollow shaft sized to fit within a hole extending through a skull bone, the hollow shaft having a length of at least a thickness of the skull bone, a lip extending laterally form a first end of the hollow shaft for abutting the skull bone around the hole, and, a plug sized to fit into the hollow shaft, the plug extending at least the length of the hollow shaft and configured to be removably secured within the hollow shaft.