Handheld Surgical Device Nerve Detection Depth Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone implant fixation procedures face challenges in accurately forming holes in bones without damaging surrounding tissues or nerves, and in selecting the appropriate screw length, due to limitations in existing depth gauges that are difficult to read and require precise alignment, leading to potential complications such as pain, paralysis, or irreparable damage.
Innovation Solution
A handheld device that integrates neuromonitoring and neurostimulation capabilities to detect nearby nerves during hole formation, providing real-time feedback, and includes a depth measurement system for precise screw length selection, allowing for accurate hole formation and screw placement through a combination of digital displays and sensors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional depth gauges are used to measure hole depth, then the device is simple and inexpensive, but the measurement precision is poor due to difficulty in reading and requiring precise alignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical depth gauges with a digital measurement system that uses sensors (optical, capacitive, or inductive) to measure hole depth electronically. This substitution eliminates the need for manual reading and alignment, providing precise digital measurements while reducing operator dependency and improving consistency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time feedback through digital display of measured depth during the drilling process. The sensor continuously monitors the drill bit position and provides immediate digital feedback to the surgeon, enabling precise screw length selection without requiring post-drilling measurements or complex alignment procedures.
2Reliability
If surgeons rely solely on anatomical knowledge and experience for screw placement, then the procedure is simpler and faster, but the reliability is reduced due to risk of nerve damage and misplaced screws
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates neuromonitoring capabilities that provide real-time feedback about nerve proximity during screw placement. Electrical or mechanical sensors detect nerve presence and alert the surgeon immediately, enabling reliable nerve avoidance while maintaining surgical efficiency. This feedback mechanism transforms subjective anatomical knowledge into objective, real-time guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary monitoring layer between the surgical instrument and the target anatomy. Neuromonitoring devices act as mediators that detect nerve presence and provide warnings, creating a safety buffer that prevents direct nerve injury without requiring the surgeon to directly manipulate or visually identify nerves throughout the procedure.
3Ease of operation
If larger incisions are used for surgical access, then the ease of operation is improved, but the object-affected harmful factors increase due to collateral damage to normal soft tissues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses real-time digital depth feedback and neuromonitoring to enable precise screw placement through smaller incisions. The electronic guidance system compensates for the reduced visual and tactile feedback available through small openings, allowing surgeons to achieve accurate placement with minimal tissue disruption while maintaining operational ease.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and device for use in open or minimally invasive surgical procedures, such as a bone implant fixation procedure. The device is configured to perform various functions during a bone implant fixation procedure, including performing at least one of: penetration of a bone to form a hole or opening for receipt of a screw; neuromonitoring, in cooperation with a neuromonitoring device, of the hole during, or post-, formation of the hole so as to sense any nearby nerves adjacent to the hole that may be in the path of a screw, or otherwise affected, when a screw is placed within the hole; neurostimulation, in cooperation with a neuromonitoring device, of nerves adjacent to the hole during, or post-, formation of the hole; and measuring of a depth of the hole and providing a digital measurement of the depth to assist the surgeon in selecting the appropriate length of screw.