Surgical Guide Instrument with Pivoting Tool for Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical guiding instruments are not suitable for minimally invasive spinal surgeries due to their design and size, which limits the view of the surgical field and poses a risk of injuring nerve tracts, and they do not allow for efficient guidance of machining tools without operator intervention.

Innovation Solution

A surgical guiding instrument with a first guide element defining a pivot axis, enabling the machining tool to be displaced and pivoted relative to the guide element, combined with a holder and clamping device for secure tool attachment, allowing for a superimposed translational-pivoting movement and improved visibility during procedures.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a traditional surgical guiding instrument is used, then the machining tool can be guided along a fixed trajectory, but the view of the surgical field is severely limited and the instrument is not suitable for minimally invasive interventions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance reliabilityVSAvoidsurgical field visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The guide device is designed to enable dynamic adjustment of the machining tool's position and orientation. The tool can be pivoted about a pivot axis and displaced relative to the guide device, allowing real-time adaptation to different surgical angles and trajectories without changing the guide device itself, thereby maintaining guidance reliability while improving surgical field visibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention adds an additional degree of freedom by allowing the machining tool to pivot about a pivot axis that is different from the main longitudinal axis of the instrument body. This creates a two-dimensional adjustment capability (translation along the axis plus rotation about the pivot axis), enabling the tool to be positioned out of the direct line of sight while maintaining precise guidance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Manufacturing precision

If the machining tool is guided along a fixed trajectory, then precise machining can be achieved, but the operator cannot easily adjust the tool position for different surgical requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemachining precisionVSAvoidtool position flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The guide device incorporates dynamic adjustment mechanisms that allow the machining tool to be pivoted about a pivot axis and displaced relative to the guide device during the surgical procedure. This enables precise machining along defined trajectories while providing real-time adaptability to adjust tool position for different surgical requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The guide device is segmented into functional components: a fixed guide structure defining the main trajectory and a movable tool assembly that can pivot and displace relative to the guide. This segmentation allows the fixed guide to maintain machining precision while the movable tool assembly provides position flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Stability of the object's composition

If the instrument body is made larger to provide stable guidance, then guidance stability is improved, but the instrument becomes unsuitable for minimally invasive spinal surgeries

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveguidance stabilityVSAvoidinstrument size
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The guide device achieves stability through dynamic adjustment capabilities rather than sheer size. The pivot axis and displacement mechanisms allow the tool to be precisely positioned and adjusted during the procedure, providing guidance stability equivalent to larger instruments while maintaining a compact size suitable for minimally invasive spinal surgery

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP1954203B1Surgical guide instrument
Publication Date: 2013.10.02 AESCULAP AG
  • EP1954203B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1954203B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1954203B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention relates to a surgical guide instrument for a surgical working tool that is designed to work vertebral bodies and has a distal tool end, the guide instrument having a substantially elongate instrument body which has a proximal end and a distal end, defines a longitudinal axis and supports a guide device for the working tool. In order to improve the surgical guide instrument in such a way that it can be used in particular in minimally invasive surgery, it is proposed that the guide device be arranged and designed in such a way that the working tool can be guided by it along a movement trajectory defined by the guide device and that the movement trajectory corresponds to a superposed translating/pivoting movement.