Variable Angle Blade Augment for Acetabular Shell Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic medical devices for revision acetabular surgeries face challenges in aligning with patient anatomy due to fixed angle buttress surfaces, leading to increased complexity and cost in surgical procedures and reduced time for optimal positioning.
Innovation Solution
A variable angle blade augment with a mechanically adjustable design, featuring a socket capture mechanism and pivotally displaced connectors, allows for optimal positioning of the augment against both the acetabular shell and host bone, eliminating the need for left, right, and center designs, and facilitating either hand configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If fixed angle buttress surfaces are used in augment devices, then structural simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to different patient anatomies deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The augment device incorporates a dynamic adjustment mechanism that allows the blade angle to be changed relative to the acetabular shell. This enables the device to adapt to different patient anatomies by adjusting the blade angle, while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through modular design elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the angular parameter of the blade relative to the acetabular shell, allowing adjustment of the blade angle to match different patient anatomies. This parameter change enables versatility without requiring completely different device designs for each anatomical variation.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple discrete hand configurations are provided, then coverage of different patient anatomies is improved, but surgical procedure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The augment device is designed with universal applicability through an adjustable blade angle mechanism that can accommodate both left and right hand configurations, as well as various acetabular deficiencies. This eliminates the need for multiple discrete hand-specific devices and simplifies the surgical selection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The dynamic adjustment capability allows a single device to perform multiple functions (left hand, right hand, various angles), replacing the need for multiple static hand-configured devices. This reduces surgical complexity by eliminating the need to select from multiple hand-specific options.
3Productivity
If fixed angle designs are used, then manufacturing and inventory management are simplified, but surgical time for optimal positioning increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable blade angle mechanism allows the surgeon to quickly optimize the positioning of the augment device during surgery, reducing the time spent on trial-and-error positioning. The adjustment can be made intraoperatively without requiring multiple different fixed-angle devices.
4Adaptability or versatility
If modular adjustable design is implemented, then adaptability to patient anatomy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The augment device is divided into modular segments (acetabular shell, adjustable blade, connection mechanism) that can be independently manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows for adaptability through combination while keeping each individual component relatively simple in design.
Data Source
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AI summary
A variable angle blade augment including an augment section and a separate plate or blade segment. According to some embodiments, a first connector of the blade segment and a socket capture mechanism of the augment section provide a ball and socket type joint. Additionally, the socket capture mechanism may be structured to allow for linear displacement of the first connector relative to at least one axis of the socket capture mechanism. By allowing for at least pivotal and linear relative displacement of the augment section and the blade segment, the variable angle blade augment may improve the ability to optimally position a buttress augment against a prosthetic acetabular shell. Moreover, the variable angle blade augment may provide the ability to unitize components of an implantable medical device after stabilizing the components to a bone structure of a patient.