Split Insertion Intervertebral Cage Design

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for inserting a cage between vertebrae pose risks of injuring organs, muscles, and nerves due to anatomical constraints, requiring skilled surgeons and complex procedures.

Innovation Solution

A split-form cage design with a leading insertion portion and a following insertion portion, featuring curved surfaces and growth space portions for stable fixation, facilitating safer and more straightforward insertion and positioning between vertebrae.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a cage is inserted through the front of the vertebrae, then the insertion path is direct, but organs and blood vessels are at risk of injury

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinsertion path directnessVSAvoidorgan and blood vessel injury risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cage is divided into a leading insertion portion and a following insertion portion that are inserted separately through different paths. The leading portion is inserted from the front while the following portion is inserted from the rear, allowing each portion to follow a safer insertion path without compromising the directness of the overall insertion process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Object-affected harmful factors

If a cage is inserted through the rear of the vertebrae, then organs are avoided, but muscles and nerves are at risk of injury and vertebra removal is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorgan injury riskVSAvoidsurgical procedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cage is segmented into two portions inserted from opposite directions. The leading insertion portion is inserted from the front through a less invasive path, while the following insertion portion is inserted from the rear to complete the positioning, avoiding the need for vertebra removal and reducing muscle and nerve injury risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of inserting the entire cage from one direction (which would require vertebra removal from the rear), the invention reverses the approach by inserting the first portion from the front and the second portion from the rear, meeting in the middle to achieve cage placement without invasive vertebra removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of operation

If a cage is inserted from the side, then vertebrae are accessible, but psoas muscles and leg nerves are at risk of damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevertebra accessibilityVSAvoidmuscle and nerve damage risk

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cage is divided into leading and following insertion portions that are inserted from the front and rear respectively, avoiding the need to access the vertebrae from the side. This segmentation allows the surgeon to avoid separating the psoas muscles and protects the leg nerves while still achieving proper cage placement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

4Object-affected harmful factors

If a skilled medical specialist performs the surgery, then organ and vessel safety is improved, but surgery complexity and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveorgan and vessel injury riskVSAvoidsurgery time

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The cage is segmented into two portions that can be inserted independently through safer paths. The leading insertion portion is inserted first from the front, followed by the following insertion portion from the rear. This segmentation allows for a more straightforward surgical procedure that reduces the need for highly complex maneuvers, thereby reducing surgery time while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12178714B2Split insertion-type intervertebral cage

Publication Date: 2024.12.31 LEE SANG HO

AI summary

Provided is a cage to be inserted into vertebrae. The cage configured to reduce a risk of organs, muscles, and nerves being injured during an insertion surgery process and to allow the insertion surgery process to be easily performed. To this end, the present invention provides a cage including a leading insertion portion which is inserted from the front of vertebrae to be in position between the vertebrae and a following insertion portion which is coupled to one surface of the leading insertion portion to be in position between the vertebrae. According to the present invention, there are effects of reducing a risk of organs, muscles, and nerves being injured during a surgery process of inserting the cage, facilitating the surgery process of inserting the cage, reducing post-surgery side effects by stably fixing the cage, and reducing a surgery time to reduce a burden to a patient.