Surgical Instrument Flat Wedge End for Spinal Muscle Separation
Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical techniques for exposing the spinal column for implanting prostheses or screws are highly invasive due to significant bleeding caused by parting muscles from the spinal column, requiring the use of a scalpel and periosteal elevator.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument with a handle and a flat, wedge-like end for inserting and pushing a tamponing gauze to separate muscles from the spinal column, minimizing the need for the periosteal elevator and reducing bleeding through mechanical action and hemostasis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a scalpel and periosteal elevator are used to part muscles from the spinal column, then the muscles can be separated from the bone, but considerable bleeding occurs making the procedure highly invasive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a periosteal elevator with a specific geometric shape (two planar portions meeting at an acute angle) as an intermediary tool between the scalpel and the muscle-bone interface. This intermediary tool allows for controlled separation of muscles from the spinal column with minimal trauma to blood vessels, significantly reducing bleeding compared to direct scalpel dissection
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the parameter of the separating tool from a sharp cutting edge (scalpel) to a blunt mechanical lever (periosteal elevator with acute angle geometry). This parameter change in the tool's physical characteristics enables muscle separation through controlled lifting and sliding motion rather than cutting, thereby reducing vascular damage and bleeding
2Ease of operation
If a periosteal elevator is used to separate muscles from the spinal column, then muscle exposure is achieved, but the procedure requires multiple tools and steps increasing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of muscle cutting (initially performed by scalpel) and muscle separation (performed by periosteal elevator) into a single integrated instrument. The combined tool allows the surgeon to perform both cutting and elevating actions sequentially without changing tools, thereby reducing procedural complexity while achieving complete muscle exposure
Solution Approach 2:
The periosteal elevator is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a cutting aid (when used with scalpel in initial step) and as a primary separation tool. This universal tool can be used for different phases of the muscle separation procedure, eliminating the need for multiple specialized instruments and simplifying the surgical workflow
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 5
AI summary
A surgical instrument (1) for operations on the spinal column, comprising a handle body (2) which ends, at one end, with a substantially flat portion (5) which blends with the body of the instrument (1), the substantially flat portion (5) being adapted to push on a gauze (7) for tamponing a wound.