Adjustable Spinal Fusion Cage Holder for Stable Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal fusion cages lack stability during insertion between vertebral bodies and fail to accurately adjust to the specific spacing of individual patients, leading to inefficiencies in production and surgery, and there is a need for a reliable method to separate the cage from the holder post-surgery.
Innovation Solution
A cage holder with a main body, a holding body that moves relative to the main body, and end effectors that adjust in length via a guide unit and fastener system, allowing visual indication of height changes, ensuring stable insertion and separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional fixed-height spinal fusion cages are used, then production and inventory management become complex due to multiple size variations, but surgical precision and patient-specific fit are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The cage holder employs a dynamic height adjustment mechanism where the holding body can move relative to the main body along the longitudinal axis. This allows the cage height to be adjusted intraoperatively to match patient-specific vertebral spacing, eliminating the need for multiple fixed-size cages and simplifying production while maintaining adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The cage holder is divided into separable components including a main body, a movable holding body, and detachable end effectors. This segmentation enables flexible configuration and easy sterilization while allowing the system to adapt to different surgical requirements without requiring multiple complete assemblies.
2Reliability
If the cage is tightly secured in the holder for stable insertion, then insertion stability is improved, but post-surgery separation becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fastening mechanism transitions from a locked state during insertion to a releasable state post-surgery. The fastener engages the holding body securely during insertion to prevent movement, but can be easily released using a retrieval tool, enabling both stable insertion and convenient separation without compromising either function.
Solution Approach 2:
A retrieval tool serves as an intermediary mechanism to facilitate separation. The retrieval tool engages with the fastener system from the outside, allowing surgical staff to release the cage from the holder after insertion without directly manipulating the locked components, thus maintaining both secure fixation and easy release.
3Ease of manufacture
If the cage holder structure is simplified for ease of manufacture, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but visual indication of height adjustment becomes inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The cage holder incorporates visual indicators such as colored markings or transparent sections that change position or color as the holding body moves relative to the main body. These indicators provide clear visual feedback on height adjustment without adding complex mechanical measurement systems, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while ensuring measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system includes visual feedback mechanisms where the position of the holding body relative to the main body is indicated through markings, windows, or color-coded zones. This allows surgical staff to accurately determine the cage height setting without complex instrumentation, providing precise measurement feedback through simple visual cues.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention provides a cage holder for a spinal fusion cage which is mounted on the spinal fusion cage, thereby allowing the spinal fusion cage to be stably inserted between vertebral bodies. The cage holder may be engaged with the spinal fusion cage to insert the spinal fusion cage between the vertebral bodies at the lowest height, and may be reliably separated from the spinal fusion cage after the surgery. In addition, when mounting the cage holder on a height adjustable spinal fusion cage, the cage holder may visually indicate an amount of change in the height of the spinal fusion cage.