Spinal Cage Insertion Guide Asymmetric Profile
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lumbar interbody fusion systems face challenges in accurately placing and orienting intervertebral cages during spinal fusion surgery, which can lead to suboptimal support and bone growth stimulation.
Innovation Solution
An insertion guide system comprising an elongate insertion member and a Kirschner wire, allowing for precise placement and orientation of intervertebral cages within the intervertebral space, with a bore and cross-sectional profiles that enable slidable coupling and prevent rotation, facilitating minimally invasive procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional manual placement methods are used for intervertebral cages, then the procedure is simpler, but the placement accuracy and orientation precision are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an insertion guide as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the intervertebral cage. This guide includes a guide wire and guide canal structure that mediates the placement process, allowing precise transmission of positioning information to the cage while maintaining surgical simplicity. The guide acts as a mediator that converts manual surgical motion into precise automated placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion guide system performs preliminary actions by first establishing the guide wire and guide canal structure before cage insertion. The guide wire is pre-positioned in the desired location, and the guide canal is pre-formed to match the cage geometry. This preliminary setup enables accurate cage placement without requiring complex real-time adjustments during the actual insertion.
2Reliability
If the insertion member cross-sectional profile matches the guide wire, then the coupling is secure and rotation is prevented, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs asymmetric cross-sectional profiles for both the guide wire and insertion member. The guide wire features a specific asymmetric profile that matches the corresponding asymmetric profile of the insertion member's guide canal. This asymmetric design creates a positive mechanical fit that prevents rotation and ensures stable coupling, while the asymmetry itself serves as a built-in alignment guide during insertion.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion guide system is segmented into distinct functional components: the guide wire with its specific cross-sectional profile, the insertion member with the matching guide canal, and the intervertebral cage. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently for its specific function while maintaining precise interfacing between them through the matched asymmetric profiles.
Data Source
AI summary
An insertion guide to aid in placing a cage into an intervertebral space is presented. The insertion guide has an elongate insertion member having a cross-sectional shape configured to engage a portion of the cage. An end of the insertion member is positioned in a desired location in the intervertebral space and the cage slides along the length of the insertion member to the desired location.