Staggered Path Spinal Implant Insertion Instrument
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insertion instruments for spinal implants are difficult to clean and reassemble, which can lead to damage and affect their reuse, especially when used for deploying interspinous process implants in minimally invasive surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
The insertion instrument features an elongated main body with a proximal handle and distal portion that selectively couples to the implant, using a plunger and hex nut driver system with a staggered path mechanism for locking and deploying the implant, allowing for easy disassembly and reassembly, and includes a PVD coating for indicating position changes during operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the insertion instrument uses multiple moving parts for deploying the implant, then the functionality and reliability of implant deployment is improved, but the ease of cleaning and reassembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The insertion instrument is divided into multiple separable components including the handle assembly, plunger assembly, and implant holder assembly. This segmentation allows each component to be independently cleaned and reassembled, addressing the cleaning difficulty while maintaining the functional integrity of the multi-part system.
Solution Approach 2:
The plunger and implant holder can be extracted and removed from the handle assembly for separate cleaning. This extraction capability enables thorough cleaning of moving parts without requiring disassembly of the entire instrument, resolving the contradiction between maintaining functional complexity and enabling easy cleaning.
2Ease of operation
If the insertion instrument is designed with a low profile for minimally invasive surgery, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases due to space constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The plunger is nested within the handle assembly, and the implant holder is nested within the plunger assembly. This nested configuration allows multiple functional components to be housed within a compact low-profile structure, maintaining ease of operation while managing device complexity through space-efficient design.
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument incorporates dynamic elements including a rotatable dial mechanism and movable plunger that enable compact storage of functional components. These dynamic features allow the device to maintain a low profile when not in use while providing full functionality during operation.
3Reliability
If the insertion instrument uses a complex locking mechanism with multiple positions, then the reliability of implant securing is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism incorporates a self-locking feature where the plunger automatically engages with the implant holder at predetermined positions through spring-loaded detents. This self-service locking reduces the need for complex manual locking operations while maintaining reliable multi-position securing of the implant.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism replaces complex multi-component mechanical locks with a simplified cam-and-detent system that provides reliable locking through geometric constraints and elastic elements, reducing device complexity while maintaining securing reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
An insertion instrument for inserting an implant includes an elongated main body having a proximal handle and a distal portion that selectively couples to the implant. A plunger is slidably engaged in a central passage of the elongated main body configured to fix the implant to the elongated main body by selectively filling the central passage within the distal portion. A hex nut driver is concentrically located about the plunger and elongated main body to deploy an actuation plunger of the implant. The proximal handle portion of the main body includes a staggered path therethrough for accepting a tab of the plunger therein. Advancement and retraction of the plunger tab within the staggered path alternates the insertion instrument between an unlocked position configured to mount the implant on the distal portion of the elongated main body, a locked position configured to lock the implant on the distal portion, and a deployed position configured to secure the implant.