Spinal Guide Device with Curved Contact Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current guide devices for spinal surgery often slip on the vertebrae due to a slippery surface, leading to suboptimal drilling and potential complications during pedicle screw or bone resection procedures, as they require extensive tissue removal and can deviate from the pre-planned optimal drilling direction.
Innovation Solution
A disposable guide device with two guide sleeves and auxiliary sleeves that diverge from the main axis, forming specific angles to provide stable contact with the vertebra, along with a junction element and patient-specific support elements to maintain precise positioning, allowing for better adherence to the vertebra's surface and minimizing slipping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the guide device is placed on the vertebra to define drilling direction, then the drilling precision is improved, but the device slips on the slippery vertebra surface causing positioning deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device incorporates a curved adaptation element that conforms to the natural curvature of the vertebra surface. This curved geometry provides increased surface area contact and mechanical interlocking, preventing slippage while maintaining precise drilling direction definition. The curvature allows the device to nestle into the anatomical contours of the vertebra, creating a stable positioning mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces additional contact points or support elements that extend in dimensions perpendicular to the primary drilling axis. These additional dimensional elements provide multi-point contact with the vertebra surface, creating a stable tripod-like configuration that prevents slippage in multiple directions while maintaining the precise drilling trajectory.
2Manufacturing precision
If extensive tissue is removed to wash away surrounding tissue and cut ligaments for optimal guide positioning, then the guide positioning accuracy is improved, but the surgical time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device is designed with pre-configured contact surfaces and adaptation elements that are prepared in advance to match the natural anatomy of the vertebra. This preliminary design allows the device to achieve optimal positioning directly upon placement, without requiring extensive preoperative tissue removal or ligament cutting. The pre-adapted geometry enables immediate stable contact with the bone surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device incorporates a simplified model or replica of the vertebra's surface features as contact elements. These copied anatomical features allow the device to interface with the actual vertebra without requiring extensive preparation of the surgical site. The copied geometry provides immediate recognition and stable positioning on the target bone surface.
3Manufacturing precision
If the surgical tool reaches the vertebra surface with strong inclination for optimal drilling direction, then the drilling accuracy is improved, but the tool displacement increases due to slippery surface
Solution Approach 1:
The guide device acts as an intermediary between the surgical tool and the vertebra surface. It provides a stable intermediate platform with increased friction and mechanical interlocking, allowing the surgeon to apply drilling force at the optimal inclination angle without direct tool-slippage interaction. The intermediary guide sleeve transfers the drilling force from the tool through the adapted contact points to the vertebra, preventing displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The guide device uses curved surfaces that match the vertebra anatomy to create stable contact during inclined drilling. The curvature distributes the drilling forces across a larger contact area, reducing point-load slippage and maintaining tool stability even at strong inclination angles required for optimal pedicle screw placement.
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations relate to a guide device for spinal surgery, comprising: two guide sleeves extending between a proximal end and a distal end for guiding a surgical intervention on a vertebra of a patient; a plurality of support elements, wherein each support element defines a contact area specifically configured for abutting against a portion of a virtual surface reproducing the vertebra of the patient, in a coupling configuration; and at least one junction element joining the two guide sleeves together. Each guide sleeve comprises a respective auxiliary sleeve extending between a proximal end and a distal end, and the proximal end of the auxiliary sleeve is located in proximity to the proximal end of the respective guide sleeve.