Spinous Process Band Coupling Instrument
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vertebral implants face challenges such as instability between spinous processes, lengthy operation times, high production costs, and complexity, requiring skilled procedures and prolonged recovery due to their design and inability to accommodate varying patient anatomy.
Innovation Solution
A band coupling device comprising a needle unit and a band unit with specific tension, allowing for adjustable fixation between spinous processes, enabling minimal invasive surgery and accommodating various body types, with a simple and cost-effective configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional vertebral implant is used to fix spinous processes, then the spinous processes are fixed, but the implant escapes between spinous processes due to lack of fusion and separate movement
Solution Approach 1:
The band coupling device uses an elastic band that can dynamically adjust to the movement and thickness variations of spinous processes, maintaining stable coupling without requiring rigid fusion. The elastic nature allows the band to accommodate physiological movements while preventing implant escape.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates an adjustable wing portion that can be modified according to the thickness of spinous processes. This parameter adjustment ensures proper fit and stable coupling for different patient anatomies, preventing implant displacement while maintaining fixation reliability.
2Ease of operation
If a ligament is cut and a vertebral implant is inserted between spinous processes, then the implant can be positioned, but the operation time and patient recovery time are prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The device extracts the time-consuming steps of ligament cutting and complex implant insertion by using a percutaneous needle-based delivery system. The band coupling device is inserted through a needle between spinous processes without requiring ligament detachment, significantly reducing operation time and trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
A needle unit serves as an intermediary delivery mechanism that transports the band coupling device to the target location between spinous processes. This intermediary system enables minimally invasive insertion without direct surgical exposure and ligament cutting.
3Device complexity
If a vertebral implant with a fixed wing portion is used, then the implant structure is simple, but it cannot be adjusted according to spinous process thickness resulting in imperfect coupling
Solution Approach 1:
The wing portion is designed with adjustable characteristics that allow it to adapt to different spinous process thicknesses. This dynamic adjustability maintains coupling effectiveness across various patient anatomies without requiring completely different implant designs.
4Reliability
If a conventional vertebral implant with complicated structure is used, then the implant can provide fixation, but the production cost is high and the implant is economically inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The device is segmented into simple functional components (band, wing portion, needle unit) that can be manufactured separately using cost-effective methods and assembled. This segmentation reduces production complexity and cost while maintaining the essential fixation function.
Solution Approach 2:
The band coupling device is designed as a disposable, single-use implant that eliminates the need for expensive, complex reusable systems. The simplified structure enables cost-effective manufacturing while providing reliable fixation for the required duration.
5Ease of operation
If a conventional vertebral implant is used, then the implant can be inserted, but a high skill level is required for the procedure due to the complicated structure
Solution Approach 1:
The device extracts the complexity from the implant structure and replaces it with a simple, intuitive needle-based delivery system. The percutaneous insertion method removes the need for complex surgical exposure and implantation techniques, making the procedure accessible to practitioners with varying skill levels.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an instrument for band coupling between spinous processes that comprises: a needle unit that is inserted through a cutaway insertion portion of a patient's abdomen and is discharged through a cutaway discharge portion of the abdomen while passing between a spinous process protruding from the spine and a neighboring spinous process; and a band unit that is detachably coupled to an end portion of the needle unit and has a predetermined level of tension, the band unit being disposed between the spinous process and the neighboring spinous process, outside the spinous process, and outside the neighboring spinous process to secure the spinous process and the neighboring spinous process together. Thanks to the relatively cheap and simple configuration, it is possible to effectively conduct a procedure irrespective of proficiency, acquire an optimal procedure result, and cope with various patients' body types. In addition, the instrument can be maintained to be firmly secured after a procedure and can allow a micro-motion, thereby providing a state similar to the original spine to a patient.