Sternal Fixation Plate Bands for Consistent Tension and Fluid Drainage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for stabilizing separated sternum halves after sternotomy surgeries cause patient discomfort due to wire irritation and inconsistent positioning, and excess fluid accumulation can lead to infection and hinder recovery.
Innovation Solution
A fixation plate with bands that form loops around the sternum, tensioned by a tensioning gun to ensure consistent tension, combined with a surgical drain assembly to collect and remove excess fluid, facilitating healing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If wire is used to constrain the separated sternum halves, then the sternum can be stabilized, but the wire causes irritation to the sternum and surrounding areas, causing additional pain and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the harmful wire material from the stabilization system and replaces it with a plate assembly that provides stabilization through mechanical compression and friction, eliminating wire irritation and patient discomfort while maintaining sternum stability
Solution Approach 2:
The plate assembly is designed as a disposable device that provides effective stabilization without the long-term irritation issues of wire, allowing for reliable sternum fixation during healing while avoiding chronic discomfort
2Stability of the object's composition
If manual tensioning and twisting of wire is used, then the sternum can be constrained, but there are inherent inconsistencies from surgeon to surgeon as to the positioning of the wire, the tightness of the tensioning, and the manner of twisting
Solution Approach 1:
The plate assembly with bands is designed to be self-tensioning through the winding mechanism, where the bands automatically achieve consistent tension and positioning when installed, eliminating surgeon variability in manual wire tensioning and twisting techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the stabilization mechanism from manual wire tensioning to a controlled band winding system that provides consistent tension through mechanical means, ensuring uniform positioning and force application across different procedures and surgeons
3Reliability
If excess fluid is not removed from the surgical site, then the surgical site may become infectious, posing serious risk to the health of the patient and retarding or preventing recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The drainage system is merged with the plate assembly, allowing fluid removal functionality to be integrated into the existing stabilization device, providing infection prevention capabilities without requiring separate complex drainage equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage system acts as an intermediary between the surgical site and external environment, collecting and removing excess fluid through a controlled pathway that prevents infection while maintaining the primary function of the plate assembly
Data Source
AI summary
A band for use in conjunction with a fixation plate for stabilizing a bone is provided, with the fixation plate having rails forming a window. The band comprises a tail and a head. The head comprises a top portion and a bottom lock and defines an internal cavity configured to receive at least a portion of the tail. The head is configured to be attached to the fixation plate, with a portion of the head configured to be received between the rails within the window. The tail is configured to be wrapped around the fixation plate and the bone, the internal cavity of the head is configured to receive an end of the tail to form a loop around the fixation plate and the bone, and the tail is configured to receive a tension force to tighten the loop formed by the band.