Spinal Implants for Pain-Free Vertebral Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating spinal abnormalities rely on surgeons' intuition and radiographic tools, which are uncertain and often result in varying patient outcomes, as they do not account for the specific positions causing pain or comfort, leading to ineffective implant placement.
Innovation Solution
A system and procedure that measure the spatial change in vertebrae position from a position of greatest pain to one of least pain, using radiographic tools to select spinal implants that urge the affected spine toward the comfortable position, either through inflatable balloons or other implant devices, to maintain the patient's comfort by avoiding painful positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If surgeons use radiographic tools and intuition to evaluate spine configuration, then the evaluation process is simple and quick, but the outcomes vary widely and are uncertain
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having the patient assume specific positions (painful and comfortable) before scanning, and by pre-quantifying the spatial difference between these positions. This preliminary measurement of the pain-free configuration allows the implant to be designed and placed to maintain this specific configuration, thereby improving outcome reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses patient feedback (reports of painful vs. comfortable positions) to guide the evaluation process. The patient's subjective experience is converted into objective spatial measurements that directly inform implant selection and placement, creating a feedback loop that improves outcome consistency while keeping the system relatively simple.
2Manufacturing precision
If the patient assumes multiple positions during scanning to identify pain-free configuration, then the implant placement becomes more personalized and effective, but the scanning and evaluation time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs the position-assuming and scanning actions in advance, before implant placement. The spatial difference between painful and comfortable positions is quantified beforehand, creating a target configuration for the implant. This preliminary work enables precise, personalized implant placement without extending the actual surgery time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a spatial copy or model of the patient's pain-free configuration by measuring the vertebral positions in the comfortable posture. This copied spatial relationship is then used as the target for implant placement, allowing precise reproduction of the pain-free configuration without requiring the patient to maintain that posture during surgery.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If traditional methods only evaluate normal spinal range of motion, then the evaluation is straightforward, but it fails to detect static positions that cause pain
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of only evaluating normal range of motion from a neutral position, the system inverts the approach by having the patient assume extreme positions (maximally painful and maximally comfortable) and then measuring the difference. This inverted approach directly detects pain-causing static positions that traditional methods would miss.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates direct patient feedback about painful and comfortable positions to guide the evaluation. This feedback-driven approach enables detection of pain positions without requiring complex diagnostic procedures, as the patient's own experience becomes the primary indicator.
Data Source
AI summary
A procedure and system for determining and placing spinal implants or prostheses includes measuring a change in position of vertebrae at an affected level of a patient's spine from a first position where the patient reports greatest pain at the affected level, to a second position where the patient reports least pain at the affected level. Spinal implants or prostheses are selected so as to urge the affected level of the spine toward the second position and away from the first position when the implants are placed at the affected level. In one embodiment, an implant device is formed by one or more inflatable balloons that are placed at determined locations inside a disc space at the affected level. When the balloons are inflated, vertebrae above and below the balloons are urged toward the second position and away from the first position at the affected level.