Spinal Implant Adaptor for Modular Instrument Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal implant systems and surgical techniques face challenges in efficiently aligning and stabilizing vertebral members during surgical treatments for musculoskeletal disorders, often requiring lengthy instruments and high manufacturing costs, while also risking screw loosening and biologic agent leakage.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument adaptor system that includes a removably attachable image guide and actuator, allowing for navigation-guidewireless and robotic surgical procedures, reducing the need for extended shaft lengths and enabling quick connect/disconnect with surgical drivers, and employing a break-away adaptor to streamline implant insertion and maintain assembly with an image guide, actuator, and surgical instrument.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional spinal implant systems use lengthy instruments for alignment and stabilization, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument is divided into separate functional modules: a driver portion for actuation, an adaptor portion for connection, and an image guide portion for navigation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, reducing overall instrument length while maintaining alignment precision through modular assembly at the surgical site.
Solution Approach 2:
An adaptor component serves as an intermediary between the driver and image guide, enabling removable attachment of different surgical instruments. This intermediary interface standardizes connections and eliminates the need for lengthy integrated instruments by allowing quick exchange of specialized tooling components.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional spinal implant systems use fixed-length instruments, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but adaptability to different surgical scenarios decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The adaptor is designed with universal mating surfaces that accommodate multiple types of surgical drivers and image guides. A single adaptor can interface with various specialized instruments, allowing one standardized component to perform multiple functions across different surgical scenarios without requiring custom-manufactured tools for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument system transitions from fixed-length designs to dynamic, reconfigurable assemblies where components can be quickly attached and detached. The removable connection mechanism enables real-time adaptation during surgery, allowing the surgical team to exchange instruments based on specific procedural needs while maintaining manufacturing efficiency through standardized interfaces.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional spinal implant systems use lengthy instruments, then alignment capability is improved, but surgical time increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the instrument into detachable modules that can be pre-assembled or quickly connected at the surgical site, the system eliminates time-consuming instrument changes during procedures. The modular design allows alignment capabilities to be maintained through specialized components while reducing overall surgical time through faster instrument exchange and setup.
Solution Approach 2:
The adaptor and image guide can be pre-positioned or pre-assembled before the actual surgical procedure, allowing the surgical team to have ready-to-use alignment tools without lengthy intraoperative assembly. This preliminary preparation reduces surgical time while maintaining precise alignment capabilities through pre-configured modular components.
4Reliability
If traditional spinal implant systems use secure attachment mechanisms, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment mechanism is extracted as a separate, specialized interface system rather than being integrated into the entire instrument. The adaptor includes dedicated mating surfaces that connect to standardized drivers and image guides, isolating the attachment complexity to a specific component while maintaining reliable connections through engineered interfaces that can be quickly engaged and disengaged.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances surgical efficiency by reducing manufacturing costs, minimizing screw loosening, and facilitating precise alignment and stabilization of vertebral members, while allowing for quick and secure attachment of surgical instruments, thus improving the treatment of spinal disorders such as degenerative disc disease and osteoporosis.
Implementation Method 1
An image guide is attachable with the member and oriented relative to a sensor to communicate a signal representative of a position of the surgical instrument
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument adaptor comprises a member including a first mating surface that is removably attachable with a surgical instrument and a second mating surface that is connectable with an actuator. An image guide is attachable with the member and oriented relative to a sensor to communicate a signal representative of a position of the surgical instrument. Systems, surgical instruments, spinal implants and methods are disclosed.