Surgical Tool Threaded Engagement and Depth Stop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Surgeons face challenges in manipulating and rotating bones within tight anatomical spaces during minimally invasive surgeries, particularly in procedures like bunion correction, where precise linear and rotational movements across defined planes are required, due to the tight packing of anatomical structures.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tool with a threaded end and tool stop is designed to engage and manipulate bones, allowing for rotation and movement by boring into the bone with threaded engagement and preventing further penetration once the stop contacts the bone, facilitating precise bone repositioning across various anatomical planes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If surgeons use traditional surgical tools to manipulate bones in minimally invasive surgeries, then the incisions can be kept small, but the surgeon cannot exert sufficient linear or rotational forces against the bone to move, adjust, or rotate the bone during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical tool employs a nested structure where a inner shaft with threaded engagement features is contained within an outer shaft. The inner shaft can rotate independently within the outer shaft, allowing the surgeon to apply rotational forces to the bone through the threaded engagement while maintaining a compact tool profile that can be inserted through small incisions. The handles extend from the outer shaft providing leverage for force application.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool transitions from simple linear insertion to multi-dimensional manipulation by incorporating threaded engagement features that convert rotational motion into linear advancement and positioning. The inner shaft's ability to rotate within the outer shaft adds a rotational degree of freedom, enabling the surgeon to apply both linear and rotational forces to the bone through the threaded engagement mechanism.
2Reliability
If the surgical tool is designed with threaded engagement to bore into bone, then secure engagement is achieved, but the tool may bore too deeply into the bone without proper stopping mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The tool incorporates a stop feature that is pre-positioned on the inner shaft before the surgical procedure begins. This stop feature engages with a corresponding surface on the outer shaft or bone to prevent the inner shaft from rotating too far, thereby controlling the boring depth in advance before the problem of over-boring can occur.
Solution Approach 2:
The threaded engagement mechanism provides tactile and mechanical feedback to the surgeon as the inner shaft advances into the bone. The resistance encountered during rotation and the engagement of the stop feature with the outer shaft provide real-time feedback that allows the surgeon to control the boring depth and prevent over-penetration.
3Ease of operation
If the surgical tool allows rotation around the main body axis for bone manipulation, then bone repositioning is enabled, but the tool may rotate uncontrollably without a stopping mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The stop feature is pre-configured on the inner shaft to engage with the outer shaft at a predetermined rotation point. This preliminary positioning of the stop mechanism ensures that the inner shaft can rotate freely for bone manipulation but will automatically stop at the correct position, preventing uncontrolled rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The tool allows dynamic rotation of the inner shaft within the outer shaft for bone manipulation, but the stop feature introduces a static constraint that limits the rotation to a safe range. This combination of dynamic freedom and static limitation enables controlled rotation for effective bone repositioning while preventing uncontrolled rotation.
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 tool enables effective manipulation, movement, and rotation of bones, ensuring secure engagement and preventing over-boring, thus aiding in corrective surgeries like bunion correction by allowing for precise alignment and repositioning of bones within tight anatomical spaces.
Implementation Method 1
a threaded end (36a) having threads (40a) and a tool stop (44a). The threads (40a) are positioned to allow the surgical tool to bore into and engage the bone when the tool body is rotated in a boring direction around the main body axis, the threads allowing for tightened engagement with the bone as the tool body is rotated
Implementation Method 2
the threads (40a) allowing for tightened engagement with the bone as the tool body is rotated in the boring direction around the main body axis
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical tool and method for engaging and manipulating a bone includes a tool body having a main body axis, a threaded end, and a handling end, the threaded end having threads and a tool stop. The handling end is positioned to allow a user to grasp, manipulate, and rotate the tool body around the main body axis. The threads are positioned to allow the surgical tool to bore into and engage the bone when the tool body is rotated in a boring direction around the main body axis, the threads allowing for tightening engagement with the bone as the tool body is rotated in the boring direction around the main body axis. The tool stop is positioned to prevent the tool from being further rotated around the main body axis to prevent further boring into the bone when the tool stop contacts the bone.