Telescopic Connecting Rod for External Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing external fixation devices face challenges in efficiently and accurately connecting non-parallel rings for bone realignment and stabilization, particularly in procedures like fracture reduction and non-union treatment, where rapid and gradual adjustments are necessary to ensure proper bone alignment and immobilization.
Innovation Solution
A connecting rod with a telescopic housing and adjustable sleeves, featuring a rotating adjustment mechanism and threaded elongated members, allows for rapid length adjustments and secure attachment to non-parallel external fixator rings, enabling precise angular and rotational alignment and stabilization of bone segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If threaded or telescopic rods with hinges are used to connect non-parallel rings, then the device can accommodate non-parallel ring orientations, but the adjustment process becomes time-consuming and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The connecting rod incorporates a telescopic mechanism with a sleeve that can slide longitudinally within the housing, allowing dynamic adjustment of the rod length. This enables rapid adaptation to different ring orientations and distances without time-consuming threaded adjustments, directly resolving the contradiction between adaptability and adjustment time.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting rod is divided into separable components including a housing, a telescopic sleeve, and connection interfaces. This segmentation allows the sleeve to be independently adjusted and positioned, enabling quick adaptation to non-parallel ring configurations while maintaining structural integrity, thus reducing adjustment time without sacrificing versatility.
2Reliability
If threaded rods are used for connecting rings, then the connection can be securely fixed, but the length adjustment is slow and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic sleeve can be rapidly extended or retracted within the housing to adjust the connecting rod length, providing high adjustment speed. Once positioned, the sleeve is secured to maintain stable connection, thus achieving both high productivity during adjustment and reliability during fixation without relying on slow threaded mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional threaded adjustment mechanism with a telescopic sliding mechanism. This substitution eliminates the need for threading operations, dramatically increasing adjustment speed while maintaining connection stability through the secure fit of the telescopic components, thereby resolving the contradiction between reliability and productivity.
3Measurement precision
If multiple adjustment mechanisms are added to achieve precise alignment, then the alignment precision improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The telescopic sleeve provides continuous length adjustment capability, allowing precise alignment to be achieved by simply sliding the sleeve to the required position. This single dynamic mechanism replaces the need for multiple adjustment components, maintaining high alignment precision while minimizing device complexity.
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 solution enables efficient and precise alignment and stabilization of bone segments, facilitating rapid and gradual adjustments to accommodate changing bone positions, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of external fixation procedures.
Implementation Method 1
an elongated member threadably coupled to the adjustment mechanism such that rotating the adjustment mechanism causes the elongated member to translate along the first axis of the first axial bore
Implementation Method 2
first and second sleeves slidably disposed within the first and second axial bores, respectively
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
The invention relates to a connecting rod (10) for an external fixation device comprising: a telescopic housing (300) having a housing body, wherein a first portion of the housing body comprises a first axial bore defined therethrough, and a second portion of the housing body comprises a second axial bore defined therethrough, the first and second axial bores having first and second longitudinal axes, respectively, and further wherein the first and second longitudinal axes are parallel and coplanar; first and second sleeves (302, 304) slidably disposed within the first and second axial bores, respectively, the first sleeve (302) having an adjustment mechanism (314) rotatably disposed on an end portion of the first sleeve (302); and an elongated member (318) threadably coupled to the adjustment mechanism (314), wherein rotating the adjustment mechanism (314) causes the elongated member (318) to translate along the first axis of the first axial bore; wherein the housing body comprises first and second apertures (310) defined in the walls of the first and second portions of the housing body, respectively, the first and second apertures (310) being aligned along the first and second axes, respectively; and wherein a first fastener (306) is disposed through the first aperture (310) of the housing body and received in a fastener aperture defined in the first sleeve (302), and a second fastener (306) is disposed through the second aperture (310) of the housing body and received in a fastener aperture defined in the second sleeve (304), the first and second fasteners (306) being operable to releasably couple the first (302) and second (304) sleeves to the housing body, respectively.