Split Cannula Access for Precise Endoscopic Spine Implant Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical techniques for treating spinal issues such as nerve compression and vertebral damage cause significant trauma and recovery time due to difficulty in implanting interbody spacers and inadequate visualization of internal tissue, leading to potential nerve injury.
Innovation Solution
A multi-portal surgical system using split cannulas and endoscopic visualization instruments allows precise positioning of instruments and implants through multiple access points, providing intraoperative visualization and minimizing tissue trauma by allowing lateral movement of instruments and implants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional surgical techniques are used to implant interbody spacers, then the implantation can be performed, but significant trauma and nerve injury occur due to difficulty in positioning and inadequate visualization
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula is divided into multiple segments including a main body, a movable section, and a distal section. This segmentation allows independent manipulation of each segment to achieve precise positioning while minimizing trauma to surrounding tissues. The movable section can be adjusted relative to the main body to navigate complex anatomical pathways accurately.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula incorporates lateral movement capability in addition to axial movement. This multi-dimensional positioning ability allows the distal end to reach difficult-to-access implantation sites by moving not only forward and backward but also laterally, improving placement accuracy without requiring larger incisions or more aggressive tissue disruption.
2Loss of information
If conventional single-portal techniques are used, then surgical procedure can be performed, but visualization of internal tissue is inadequate leading to potential nerve injury
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula system serves multiple functions: it provides a access pathway for instruments, supports endoscopic visualization, enables lateral movement for positioning, and maintains a sealed portal. This multi-functionality integrates visualization and intervention capabilities in a single system, eliminating the need for separate visualization portals and reducing overall surgical trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The cannula acts as an intermediary structure that facilitates both visualization and intervention. It provides a stable portal through which endoscopes and surgical instruments can pass, allowing real-time visualization of internal tissues while maintaining controlled access for surgical manipulation, thereby preventing nerve injury through improved visual guidance.
3Ease of operation
If fixed dimension cages are used as interbody spacers, then implantation can be performed, but it is difficult to position at the intended site due to lack of adjustability
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula system transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic, adjustable structure. The movable section can be repositioned relative to the main body during the procedure, allowing the surgeon to adjust the angle and position of the distal end to precisely reach the intended implantation site. This dynamic adjustability significantly improves positioning accuracy compared to fixed dimension cages.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows change in geometric parameters of the access pathway by adjusting the relative position of the movable section. This enables modification of the insertion angle, depth, and lateral position to match the specific anatomical requirements of each patient, achieving precise implantation at the intended site rather than being constrained by fixed dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-portal method for treating a subject's spine includes distracting adjacent vertebrae using a distraction instrument positioned at a first entrance along the subject to enlarge an intervertebral space between the adjacent vertebrae. An interbody fusion implant can be delivered into the enlarged intervertebral space. The interbody fusion implant can be positioned directly between vertebral bodies of the adjacent vertebrae while endoscopically viewing the interbody fusion implant using an endoscopic instrument. The patient's spine can be visualized using endoscopic techniques to view, for example, the spine, tissue, instruments and implants before, during, and after implantation, or the like. The visualization can help a physician throughout the surgical procedure to improve patient outcome.