Spinal Implant Trajectory Control With an Annular Anchor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal treatment procedures, such as vertebral body tethering, often displace or damage significant amounts of soft tissue due to large incisions and suboptimal placement of pedicle screws, hindering patient recovery and outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a removably coupleable delivery device with an annular anchor to control the trajectory of implants like pedicle screws, allowing minimally invasive implantation and repositioning for optimal placement, minimizing tissue displacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid rod is used to connect two pedicle screws for stabilization, then structural strength is improved, but the system loses flexibility and cannot accommodate physiological motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by replacing the static rigid rod with a dynamic linkage system consisting of two arms connected by a pivot joint. This allows the connection to adapt its configuration dynamically, maintaining structural strength while accommodating physiological motion between vertebrae. The pivot joint enables the linkage to flex and adjust to varying distances and angles between pedicle screws.
2Reliability
If pedicle screws are placed far apart to maximize leverage, then stabilization effectiveness is improved, but the risk of damaging neural elements increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic linkage system allows the arms to pivot and adjust their positions, enabling the surgeon to optimize the distance between pedicle screws for maximum leverage while maintaining safety margins from neural elements. The flexibility of the pivot connection compensates for suboptimal screw placement distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows for adjustment of the linkage parameters (arm lengths, pivot position) to optimize the balance between stabilization effectiveness and safety. By changing these geometric parameters, the system can achieve effective leverage while maintaining safe distances from neural structures.
3Manufacturing precision
If a complex delivery system is used to place implants precisely, then implantation precision is improved, but the procedure time and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery system employs a nested structure where the pedicle screws, linkage components, and delivery instruments are integrated within a single modular system. The pins and connectors are designed to nest within each other during delivery, allowing precise placement of multiple components through a coordinated sequence that reduces overall procedure time despite the complexity of achieving precise implantation.
Data Source
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AI summary
Implementations described herein include a system that may include a delivery device, an annular anchor and a spinal implant, used for dynamic stablization techniques, such as a pedicle screw. The delivery device includes a distal end, a proximal end, and a lumen extending from the distal end to the proximal end. The annular anchor is removably coupleable to the distal end of the delivery device. The annular anchor is implantable at a target site, such as a vertebral body in a patient via manipulation of the delivery device. The delivery device is extendable outside the patient when the anchor is implanted at the target site. The implant is deliverable through the delivery device to the target delivery site and implantable through the annular anchor. The delivery device is coupled to the annular anchor to control a trajectory of the implant to the target site.