Expandable Spinal Jack With Worm Gear and Bone-Gripping Teeth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spinal jack designs lack the ability to provide secure and adjustable positioning between vertebral processes, often leading to detachment and requiring additional locking mechanisms to prevent reverse adjustment.
Innovation Solution
An expandable worm screw jack with a three-dimensional ergonomic body and worm gear mechanism, featuring gripping portions with teethed surfaces and a central worm gear that allows for secure engagement and incremental adjustment between vertebral processes, utilizing medical-grade materials and additive printing for enhanced bone integration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing spinal jack designs are used, then the device can provide basic inter-vertebral support, but the positioning is insecure and detachment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The jack body is divided into upper and lower separable halves that can be independently positioned and secured to vertebral processes. Each half includes gripping portions with teethed surfaces that engage separately with the bone surfaces, providing distributed secure attachment points that prevent detachment while maintaining basic support function.
Solution Approach 2:
The gripping portions feature asymmetric teethed surfaces with interlocking tooth geometries that provide unidirectional engagement. The teeth are configured with specific profiles that allow secure attachment in the intended direction while preventing reverse movement or detachment, enhancing reliability without compromising the fundamental support capability.
2Ease of operation
If existing spinal jack designs are used, then the device can provide initial support, but adjustment is not secure and reverse adjustment occurs
Solution Approach 1:
A worm gear mechanism serves as an intermediary between the adjustment input and the jack body positioning. The worm gear provides incremental adjustment capability while its self-locking特性 prevents reverse adjustment, securing the positioned orientation without requiring additional locking mechanisms. This mediator enables both ease of adjustment and reliability of the locked position.
3Reliability
If additional locking mechanisms are added to prevent detachment, then security improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping portions with teethed surfaces provide self-locking engagement with the vertebral processes. The interlocking tooth geometry automatically prevents detachment without requiring separate locking mechanisms, while the worm gear mechanism provides self-locking adjustment that secures the positioned orientation. These self-service features achieve reliable detachment prevention and secure adjustment without adding device complexity.
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 solution provides secure, adjustable, and minimally invasive spinal support, preventing detachment and allowing for fine adjustments to compensate for vertebral complications, with enhanced bone integration through latticed surface layers promoting in-growth.
Implementation Method 1
A worm gear mechanism is provided for expanding or retracting the jack halves in order to establish a corrected adjusted orientation between the processes. The worm gear mechanism further includes a central horizontally arrayed and rotatable worm gear
Implementation Method 2
Bottom extending portions of the stems each further incorporate additional threads, which rotatably engage inner spiraling threads configured in the outer gears
Implementation Method 3
reducing a surface material distribution through such as a 'latticing' technique which envisions gaps in the printing of the surface layers, such as which can include the gripping portions and spinal process receiving pockets. In this fashion, in-growth of bone into the latticed areas is promoted which enhances the engagement of the implant
Data Source
AI summary
A spinal jack adapted for installation between first and second vertebral processes, including a three dimensional and arcuate ergonomic main body constructed from first lower and second upper subset body portions, from which is displaceable an upper body between retracted and expanded positions. Each of the jack halves further includes gripping portions adapted for engaging the vertebral processes and preventing detachment following implantation. A worm gear mechanism is provided for expanding or retracting the jack halves in order to establish a corrected adjusted orientation between the processes.