Expandable Spinal Jack with Geared Mechanism for Vertebral Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal jack designs lack the ability to adjust and secure positioning between vertebrae effectively, particularly in a minimally invasive manner, to compensate for downstream vertebral complications post-implantation.
Innovation Solution
An adjustable spinal jack with inter-expandable jack halves and a geared mechanism, featuring gripping portions and expandable components, allows for lateral and outward expansion to securely engage vertebral processes, enabling adjustment and stabilization between vertebrae through a bevel gear or worm gear system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing spinal jack designs are used, then the device can provide basic inter-vertebral support, but the ability to adjust and secure positioning between vertebrae is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The spinal jack employs a geared mechanism with rotatable drivers (hex key driver, worm gear) that enable dynamic adjustment of the jack halves between expanded and retracted positions. The gears provide controlled motion transmission allowing the device to adapt to different vertebral spacing requirements while maintaining secure positioning through mechanical engagement of the gear teeth
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the physical parameter of jack half separation distance through the geared mechanism. The expansion and retraction of jack halves alters the inter-vertebral support distance, allowing adjustment to compensate for downstream vertebral complications while maintaining reliable support through the mechanical advantage of the gear system
2Reliability
If the spinal jack is expanded to securely engage vertebral processes, then positioning security is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The spinal jack is divided into two expandable jack halves that can be independently positioned and expanded. Each half includes gripping portions for engaging vertebral processes, and the segmented design allows the complex geared mechanism to be distributed across multiple components (drive gear, slave gears, support stems) rather than concentrated in a single complex assembly
Solution Approach 2:
The geared mechanism acts as an intermediary between the rotatable driver and the jack halves. The gears transmit and control the expansion motion, providing a mechanical advantage that simplifies the operation of expanding the jack halves while maintaining secure engagement. The bevel gears and worm gear serve as intermediate elements that convert rotational motion into controlled linear expansion
3Adaptability or versatility
If the spinal jack allows re-adjustment post-implantation, then adaptability is improved, but the ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The geared mechanism is designed to be self-locking through the engagement of gear teeth, which maintain the expanded position without requiring continuous active force. The worm gear in particular provides self-locking capability where the gear teeth prevent back-driving, allowing the jack to maintain its adjusted position automatically once expanded, reducing the need for continuous operational intervention
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
The adjustable spinal jack provides stable and secure inter-vertebral support, allowing for re-adjustment post-implantation without invasive procedures, effectively compensating for vertebral changes and maintaining proper orientation.
Implementation Method 1
a bevel gear arrangement, a pair of laterally expandable slave gears supported upon a stationary shaft
Implementation Method 2
a rotatable worm gear which in turn actuates a disk gear having both outer and inner coaxial arranged threads
Implementation Method 3
These in turn mesh with threads configured in support stems associated with each of the jack halves
Implementation Method 4
inwardly stepped ratchet locations which abut the opposite outward faces of the slave gears
Implementation Method 5
gripping portions adapted for engaging the vertebral processes
Data Source
AI summary
A spinal jack adapted for installation between first and second vertebral processes, including first and second inter-expandable jack halves arranged between retracted and expanded positions. Each of the jack halves further includes gripping portions adapted for engaging the vertebral processes. A geared mechanism provides for expanding or retracting the jack halves in order to establish a corrected adjusted orientation between the processes.