Spinal Implant Build Plate Inserts for Additive Screw Shaft Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional manufacturing methods for spinal implants, such as bone fasteners, are inefficient and pose safety risks due to the need for extensive machining and handling, which can lead to increased costs and operator risks during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
The use of an additive manufacturing technique with a build plate system that includes inserts, allowing for the formation of screw shafts and other spinal implants with complex geometries, reducing the need for direct connection to the build plate and enabling efficient and safe production by layer-by-layer material addition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional medical machining techniques are used to manufacture bone fasteners, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but productivity is reduced and operator safety risks increase due to extensive machining and handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical machining processes with additive manufacturing technology. The build plate system with cavity and insert allows the screw shaft to be formed by adding material layer-by-layer rather than removing material through machining, thereby improving productivity while maintaining manufacturing precision through controlled material deposition
Solution Approach 2:
The insert acts as an intermediary element that fits within the cavity of the build plate. This intermediary component enables the additive manufacturing process to form the screw shaft with proper orientation and geometry without requiring direct complex fixturing, thus improving both productivity and precision
2Manufacturing precision
If traditional medical machining techniques are used to manufacture bone fasteners, then manufacturing precision can be achieved, but device complexity increases due to extensive machining requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical machining operations with a simpler additive manufacturing system consisting of a build plate with cavity and an insert. This substitution reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for extensive machining equipment while maintaining manufacturing precision through the controlled layer-by-layer material addition process
3Productivity
If additive manufacturing technique is used to form screw shaft, then productivity is improved and operator safety is enhanced, but manufacturing precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The insert serves as a precision intermediary that fits within the cavity to define the exact geometry and orientation of the screw shaft during additive manufacturing. This intermediary component ensures that the layer-by-layer material deposition achieves the required manufacturing precision while maintaining the productivity benefits of additive manufacturing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls manufacturing precision by carefully managing parameters of the additive manufacturing process, including the geometry of the cavity and insert, the layer-by-layer material addition rate, and the selective laser melting parameters. These parameter changes enable high precision production without compromising productivity
4Device complexity
If additive manufacturing technique is used with build plate system, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing cost may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The insert as an intermediary component simplifies the additive manufacturing process by pre-defining the screw shaft geometry within the cavity. This reduces device complexity and improves ease of manufacture, as the insert can be reused across multiple build plates and manufacturing cycles, offsetting the initial cost through repeated use
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 approach enhances the efficiency and safety of spinal implant manufacturing, reduces resurfacing costs, and allows for the creation of implants with improved stability and tissue integration features, such as porous structures for bony fixation, while minimizing operator risk and enabling hybrid configurations combining traditional and additive manufacturing methods.
Implementation Method 1
forming at least a portion of the screw shaft by adding material in a layer by layer manner... by selective laser melting of a material onto the insert
Data Source
AI summary
A build plate system includes a body defining at least one cavity. An insert is sized and shaped to fit within the at least one cavity such that the at least one cavity orients the insert for forming at least a portion of a screw shaft thereon by a manufacturing method using an additive manufacturing apparatus. In some embodiments, systems, spinal constructs, surgical instruments and methods are disclosed.