U-Shaped Orthopedic Screw Extender With Folded Metal Thread
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic screw extenders are bulky, expensive to manufacture, and inefficiently recyclable, requiring significant material and being often made from single tubular pieces of metal or plastic, which makes them costly and wasteful, especially for one-time use in surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A screw extender design featuring two side walls connected by a central element with internal threading formed by bending and folding a metal strip, reducing material usage and allowing for a U-shaped structure that minimizes diameter and maximizes recyclability, using a method that involves cutting, bending, and forming tabs to create an internal thread without the need for extensive machining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If screw extenders are made from single tubular pieces of metal or plastic, then structural strength and rigidity are ensured, but material usage increases and manufacturing cost rises
Solution Approach 1:
The screw extender is divided into two separate side walls instead of being made from a single tubular piece. Each side wall can be manufactured independently using less material, and then joined together to form the complete extender structure, resolving the contradiction between structural strength and material usage
Solution Approach 2:
The screw extender is constructed as a composite structure made from two separate side walls joined together. This composite approach allows each component to be optimized independently and joined to achieve the required structural strength while using less total material than a single tubular design
2Reliability
If screw extenders are made from thicker metal to ensure durability, then strength and reliability improve, but weight increases and recyclability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Dividing the extender into two thinner side walls that are joined together allows the structure to achieve required durability through the joint connection while using less material overall, reducing weight and improving recyclability compared to a single thick-walled design
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional machining methods are used to create internal threading, then threading precision is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The internal threading is formed by bending and shaping metal tabs before the final assembly of the side walls. This preliminary formation of threads through bending operations rather than post-manufacturing machining reduces manufacturing complexity while maintaining adequate threading precision for the application
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 reduces material usage, lowers production costs, and enables a more efficient and cost-effective manufacturing process while providing a lightweight and recyclable screw extender that can be made from thinner metal, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing waste.
Implementation Method 1
A screw extender design featuring two side walls connected by a central element with internal threading formed by bending and folding a metal strip
Data Source
Figure 1A~1D
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~2D
AI summary
A screw extender (100) for an orthopedic implant kit having a distal side for holding a screw and a proximal side, the screw extender including two side walls (10, 20) facing each other, the two side walls connected to each other at the proximal side by a connection element (30), wherein inner sides of portions of the two side walls that face each other include a threading (16, 26), and wherein the threading includes a plurality of flanks, each flank including a tab (168) that is bent inwardly towards the other side wall and a wall-traversing opening in the corresponding side wall delineating the flank.