Spinal Dilator With Grooves For Ligament Splitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spinal surgery methods, particularly those involving minimally invasive procedures, face challenges in accessing the surgical site through strong and slippery ligamentous tissues like the supraspinous and interspinous ligaments, which require effective tools to minimize tissue damage and facilitate faster recovery.
Innovation Solution
A dilator system comprising a proximal and distal portion with an elongated body, featuring oppositely located channels and a decreasing cross-sectional area, designed to gradually dilate tissues and provide access through ligaments without the need for large incisions, allowing for minimally invasive procedures with reduced trauma.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a large incision is made to access the surgical site, then visual and instrument access is improved, but muscle tissue damage and patient trauma increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dilator system is segmented into multiple progressively larger dilators that are inserted sequentially through the tissue. Each dilator prepares the path for the next larger one, allowing the final surgical instrument to access the site through a minimal initial incision without requiring a large opening from the start.
Solution Approach 2:
The dilators perform preliminary action by progressively enlarging the tissue opening before the actual surgical procedure. The sequential dilation process prepares the tissue pathway in advance, allowing the final surgical instrument to pass through a small incision without causing the muscle damage that would result from making a large incision directly.
2Loss of time
If sequential dilation is used to minimize tissue damage, then patient recovery time is improved, but the complexity of the procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each dilator in the sequence is designed with universal features including a tapered distal end for tissue splitting, longitudinal channels for instrument passage, and a standardized connection interface. This multi-functionality allows each dilator to serve multiple purposes: creating the pathway, guiding subsequent dilators, and facilitating instrument delivery, thereby simplifying the overall procedure despite the sequential nature.
Solution Approach 2:
The dilators are designed to be nested within each other during the sequential insertion process. Each smaller dilator can be removed and replaced by the next larger one through the same pathway, with each dilator fitting through the previously created opening. This nesting approach organizes the complexity into a systematic sequence rather than requiring multiple separate access points or complex repositioning maneuvers.
3Ease of operation
If the distal portion has a decreasing cross-sectional area, then tissue splitting capability is improved, but structural strength decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The dilator exhibits local quality by having different cross-sectional areas at different locations along its length. The distal portion has a decreasing cross-sectional area to facilitate tissue splitting and penetration, while the proximal portion maintains a larger cross-sectional area to provide structural strength, rigidity for precise positioning, and sufficient material for longitudinal channels and connection features.
Data Source
AI summary
A dilator that facilitates implantation of an interspinous spacer is provided. The dilator includes a proximal portion and a tapered distal portion interconnected by an elongated body portion. The tapered distal portion is ideally suited for splitting ligamentous tissue for creating a posterior midline pathway through the supraspinous ligament as well as for distracting the adjacent spinous processes. Two oppositely located and longitudinally extending channels or grooves are formed in the outer surface of the dilator for stabilizing the dilator with respect to the spinous processes. An accompanying cannula together with the dilator form a system for the distraction of the adjacent spinous processes, stabilization of the spinous processes with respect to the system and creation of a working channel for the implantation of an interspinous spacer.