Unibody Orthopedic Surgical Instrument With Universal Latching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic surgical instruments for knee arthroplasty are cumbersome, requiring multiple separate devices due to large, individually handled trials and sizers, leading to inefficiency, increased costs, and difficulty in sterilization, and lack integration of essential tools like stem wrenches.
Innovation Solution
A unibody orthopedic surgical instrument with a body-integrated actuator that opens a latching interface for selective engagement with orthopedic components, incorporating a handle, alignment rod aperture, and tibial stem wrench, combining multiple surgical tools into one.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If multiple separate surgical instruments with integrated handles are used for knee arthroplasty, then each instrument can be independently designed and manufactured, but the number of devices increases, surgical trays become unnecessarily large, and sterilization complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate surgical instruments (tibial tray trials, insert trials, sizers, and stem wrenches) into a single integrated unibody instrument. The handle assembly integrates a common handle structure with multiple functional components including a latching interface for securing trials and sizers, a stem wrench for adjusting the tibial baseplate stem, and an alignment rod aperture. This merging eliminates the need for multiple separate devices with individual handles, reducing the number of instruments that must be delivered to the operating room.
Solution Approach 2:
The handle assembly is designed as a universal interface that can accommodate multiple different orthopedic components including tibial tray trials, insert trials, and sizers of various sizes. The latching interface with the spring-biased lever arm provides a standardized coupling mechanism that works with all these different components, allowing a single handle assembly to perform multiple functions that previously required separate dedicated instruments.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate surgical instruments are delivered to the operating room, then each instrument can be optimized for its specific function, but the surgical trays become unnecessarily large and burden some the already crowded operating room
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates multiple function-specific instruments into a single unibody device. The handle assembly maintains the ability to accommodate different sized trials and sizers through the universal latching interface, while eliminating the need for multiple separate handle assemblies. This significantly reduces the total volume and area occupied by surgical instruments in the operating room.
3Reliability
If multiple separate surgical instruments are used, then each can be independently sterilized, but the cost and time for sterilizing multiple devices increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sterilizable components into a single sterilizable unit. The unibody handle assembly with its integrated components (latching interface, spring-biased lever arm, stem wrench, alignment rod aperture) can be sterilized as one complete assembly, eliminating the need to separately sterilize multiple separate instruments. This reduces both the time and cost associated with the sterilization process while maintaining the reliability of sterilization through the unibody construction that prevents debris accumulation in complex mechanisms.
4Ease of operation
If complicated mechanisms with springs, sliding components, and multi-piece assemblies are used, then the latching interface can be actuated, but the device becomes more susceptible to wear and has more potential failure points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the spring component from the latching mechanism and relocates it to an external position on the handle assembly. The spring is housed in a spring biasing mechanism that is externally accessible, allowing it to be replaced or maintained without disassembling the main latching structure. This reduces the number of internal moving parts and potential failure points within the latching interface itself, while maintaining the ease of operation through the external spring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the latching mechanism into distinct modular components: the latching interface with prongs, the hinge mechanism, the spring-biased lever arm, and the stem wrench. This segmentation allows each component to be independently optimized and maintained, reducing wear on any single component while maintaining overall system reliability. The unibody construction integrates these segmented components into a single durable assembly.
5Ease of operation
If complicated mechanisms with springs and sliding components are used, then the latching function is achieved, but manufacturing and assembly costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the latching interface, hinge, and lever arm into a unibody construction that is manufactured as a single integrated piece using additive manufacturing or other monolithic fabrication processes. This eliminates the need for separate manufacturing and assembly of multiple components, significantly reducing manufacturing and assembly costs while maintaining the latching function. The spring is the only separate component, housed externally to minimize assembly complexity.
6Ease of operation
If multi-piece assemblies with springs and sliding components are used, then the latching mechanism functions, but cleaning and resterilization becomes more difficult due to debris accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the latching interface, hinge, and lever arm into a unibody construction with smooth continuous surfaces that have no internal crevices, gaps, or complex joints where debris can accumulate. The external spring housing provides easy access for cleaning. This unibody design dramatically simplifies the cleaning and resterilization process compared to multi-piece assemblies with internal moving parts, while maintaining full latching functionality.
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
Simplifies the surgical process by reducing the number of devices needed, enhancing ease of use, and reducing sterilization complexity while maintaining functionality, thus improving operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-biased lever arm integrated with a hinge operable by the spring-biased lever arm about a pivot
Data Source
AI summary
The unibody orthopedic instrument includes an elongated handle, a latching interface outwardly extending relative to the elongated handle and selectively couplable to an orthopedic component, and a hand accessible spring-biased lever arm operable with a hinge coupled to the elongated handle about a pivot. The hinge normally positions the latching interface in a first latched position for locking engagement with the orthopedic component and is otherwise operable by the spring-biased lever arm about the pivot to reposition the latching interface from the normally latched position to an unlatched position for disengagement from the orthopedic component.