Spinal Implant Insertion Tool Simultaneous Plate and Cage Attachment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal implant insertion tools can only hold one implant at a time, requiring repeated insertion and removal, which poses a risk of injury to the patient during multiple implant procedures.
Innovation Solution
A spinal implant insertion tool with a handle and attachment portion that can secure both a spinal plate and a spinal cage simultaneously, allowing for simultaneous implantation without removing the tool from the body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a spinal implant insertion tool is designed to hold only one implant at a time, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity decreases due to repeated insertion and removal
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment portion is divided into multiple attachment sections (first attachment section for spinal plate, second attachment section for spinal cage), each capable of securing a different implant type. This segmentation allows the tool to hold multiple implants simultaneously while maintaining manageable structural complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The insertion tool is designed with multi-functional attachment sections that can secure different types of spinal implants (plates and cages). The tool serves multiple functions by accommodating various implant configurations, enabling a single tool to perform multiple implantation tasks without requiring repeated tool exchanges.
2Reliability
If the tool is removed and reinserted to implant multiple spinal implants, then the device complexity remains simple, but the reliability decreases due to injury risk during removal and reinsertion
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment portion is segmented into multiple independent attachment sections, each capable of securing a different implant. This allows the tool to maintain implants securely during the procedure, eliminating the need for tool removal and reinsertion, thereby improving patient safety while managing complexity through modular architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple attachment sections are combined into a single tool assembly, allowing simultaneous holding of multiple implants. This merging eliminates the need for repeated tool insertion and removal, improving reliability and patient safety while the integrated design manages complexity through unified structural principles.
3Productivity
If multiple attachment sections are added to the tool, then the productivity improves by allowing simultaneous implantation, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment portion is divided into distinct attachment sections (first for spinal plate, second for spinal cage), each with specific securing mechanisms. This segmentation enables simultaneous implantation of multiple implants, improving productivity while the modular nature keeps complexity manageable through standardized interface designs.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple attachment sections are arranged in different spatial positions along the attachment portion, utilizing dimensional arrangement to accommodate multiple implants simultaneously. This spatial organization improves procedural efficiency while managing complexity through optimized geometric configuration rather than overlapping components.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the second attachment section is sized to pass through the opening in the spinal plate, then the adaptability improves for sequential attachment, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second attachment section is designed to pass through the spinal plate opening and become nested within or behind the first attachment section. This nesting capability allows sequential attachment of different implant types to the same tool, improving adaptability while the nested configuration manages complexity by utilizing existing structural space rather than adding independent external components.
Data Source
AI summary
A spinal implant insertion tool includes a handle portion and an attachment portion extending distally from the handle portion. A first attachment section on the attachment portion is adapted to secure a surgically sterile spinal plate to the spinal implant insertion tool. A second attachment section on the attachment portion is adapted to secure a surgically sterile spinal cage, so that the spinal plate and the spinal cage may be attached to the spinal implant insertion tool simultaneously. The second attachment section is sized to allow the spinal plate to pass over the second attachment section before the spinal plate is secured to the first attachment section.