Spacer Core With Through Openings For Prolonged Antibiotic Release

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current spacer devices for treating arthroprosthesis infections face challenges in maintaining prolonged release of pharmaceutical and therapeutic products, requiring prolonged body retention and supporting mechanical stresses, while being lightweight, strong, simple, and inexpensive to manufacture.

Innovation Solution

A core for a spacer device featuring a stem and neck covered with acrylic bone cement containing pharmaceutical products, with through openings for material accumulation, allowing extended release of substances and adaptable to surgical needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of moving object

If the spacer device remains in the body for a prolonged time period to enable continuous release of pharmaceutical products, then the release duration is improved, but the device must support mechanical stresses and loads during patient activities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverelease durationVSAvoidmechanical strength

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The core combines a metal alloy base structure with acrylic bone cement coating to create a composite device that leverages the high strength and stiffness of metal for mechanical support while the cement layer provides pharmaceutical reservoir and controlled release capabilities, resolving the contradiction between prolonged release duration and mechanical strength requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If the core structure is designed to support mechanical stresses, then the strength is improved, but the device becomes heavier

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemechanical strengthVSAvoiddevice weight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The composite construction with metal alloy core and acrylic cement coating provides high strength-to-weight ratio, maintaining mechanical strength while minimizing device weight through optimal material selection and structural design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

Solution Approach 2:

The metal alloy material is strategically positioned in the core and stem regions where mechanical strength is most critical for supporting body weight and withstand, while lighter acrylic cement is used for pharmaceutical delivery, optimizing the strength-weight balance through localized material properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Quantity of substance

If the core includes through openings for material accumulation, then the pharmaceutical release capacity is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepharmaceutical capacityVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The through openings create a porous structure within the core that increases the surface area and volume available for acrylic cement infiltration and pharmaceutical loading, enhancing the quantity of substance capacity while the openings can be formed through relatively simple manufacturing processes such as drilling or molding

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

Data Source

PatentUS10828162B2Core for a spacer

Publication Date: 2020.11.10 TECRES SPA

AI summary

Core for a spacer, including a main body that comprises a plurality of through openings, adapted to be secured in a corresponding residual bone bed of a previous implant; the main body being adapted to be covered with a layer (S) of a coating material or a material including acrylic bone cement added or that can be added with one or a plurality of pharmaceutical products or active and/or therapeutic substances.