Surgical Impactor Deformation Sensor for Bone Contact Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical implant insertion devices face challenges in reliably assessing the optimal bone-implant contact and primary stability during impaction, as practitioners struggle to determine the correct number of impacts without risking bone damage, and existing force sensors are costly and limited by mechanical strength and high-temperature sterilization requirements.
Innovation Solution
A device with deformation sensors associated with the impactor, which measures and analyzes the temporal variation of deformation to provide an indicator of bone-implant contact, allowing real-time feedback without the need for high-strength mechanical sensors, and includes a processing unit to calculate this indicator, potentially with a low-pass filter to improve signal quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a force sensor is used to measure impact force during impaction, then real-time feedback on bone-implant contact is achieved, but the sensor must withstand high mechanical stresses and high-temperature sterilization which limits sensor choice and increases cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an ancillary tool as an intermediary between the impactor and the implant. The force sensor is mounted on this ancillary tool rather than directly on the implant or impactor, allowing the sensor to measure impact forces indirectly while being protected from the most extreme mechanical stresses and high-temperature sterilization conditions that would otherwise limit sensor selection and increase costs.
2Reliability
If the number of impacts is increased to improve bone-implant contact, then the BIC ratio increases, but the risk of inducing fractures or microcracks in the receiving bone increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where a force sensor measures the impact force during each impaction, and this information is processed to provide real-time feedback to the practitioner. The system monitors the evolution of impact forces across multiple impacts and can signal when optimal bone-implant contact has been achieved, allowing the practitioner to stop impacting before bone damage occurs. This feedback mechanism enables precise control over the impaction process, maximizing the BIC ratio while minimizing the risk of fractures or microcracks.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device provides reliable real-time feedback on bone-implant contact, reducing the risk of bone damage and allowing practitioners to stop impacting at the optimal level, while being cost-effective and easy to use, with indicators that stabilize as contact reaches a sufficient level, alerting the practitioner to cease impacts.
Implementation Method 1
at least one sensor adapted for measuring the temporal variation of the deformation of the impactor
Data Source
AI summary
A device for forcibly inserting a surgical implant into a receiving bone (4), by impaction, comprising an impactor (10) which exerts an impact force on the implant and is associated with at least one sensor (12). The sensor (12) measures the deformation of the impactor (10), and provides a measurement signal representing the temporal variation of the deformation during an impact. The sensor (12) is connected to a processing unit (30) configured to calculate, on the basis of the temporal variation of the deformation of the impactor (10) during the impact, an indicator representative of the level of contact between the implant and the receiving bone (4).