Vertebral Fracture Containment Jacket With Dividing Wall

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for treating vertebral fractures, such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, face challenges with cement leakage and inadequate vertebral height restoration, necessitating the development of more effective stabilization and height maintenance techniques.

Innovation Solution

A containment assembly with a dividing wall is deployed inside the bone to prevent cement leakage, comprising a containment jacket that separates the interior into proximal and distal regions, and a balloon assembly for maintaining vertebral height, which includes a containment jacket with a dividing wall to isolate the balloon from the filler material and ensure controlled inflation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty is performed to stabilize vertebral fractures, then fracture stabilization is achieved, but cement leakage occurs leading to complications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefracture stabilizationVSAvoidcement leakage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The containment jacket is divided into multiple compartments by dividing walls, creating separate regions for different functions. The first compartment contains the balloon for height restoration, while the second compartment contains the bone cement for stabilization, preventing cement leakage into unwanted areas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The containment jacket acts as an intermediary structure between the balloon and the vertebral body. It contains the bone cement and controls its distribution, while the balloon operates within the same containment structure to restore height without direct contact between the balloon and vertebral bone, preventing unwanted cement spread.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty is performed to stabilize vertebral fractures, then fracture stabilization is achieved, but inadequate vertebral height restoration occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefracture stabilizationVSAvoidvertebral height

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The containment jacket is segmented into distinct compartments: a first compartment for balloon inflation to restore vertebral height, and a second compartment for bone cement injection to provide stabilization. This segmentation allows both height restoration and stabilization to occur simultaneously without interfering with each other.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The balloon is inflated within the first compartment of the containment jacket before bone cement is injected into the second compartment. This preliminary inflation action restores vertebral height to the desired level before the cement sets, ensuring proper height maintenance throughout the stabilization process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a containment assembly with dividing wall is used to prevent cement leakage, then cement containment is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecement containmentVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The containment jacket is divided into multiple compartments by dividing walls with openings. This segmentation provides effective cement containment in each region while the openings in the dividing walls allow for controlled interaction between compartments and simplify the insertion process by allowing sequential filling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The containment jacket is constructed as a flexible membrane structure that can be inserted through a catheter in a collapsed state and then expanded within the vertebral body. This thin-film approach provides effective containment while minimizing the overall device profile during insertion, reducing procedural complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

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 effectively stabilizes fractured vertebrae by preventing cement leakage and restoring vertebral height through controlled inflation of the balloon within the containment jacket, ensuring the filler material is contained and the vertebral height is maintained during the curing process.

Implementation Method 1

a balloon assembly for maintaining vertebral height, which includes a containment jacket with a dividing wall to isolate the balloon from the filler material and ensure controlled inflation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic expansion: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

ensuring the filler material is contained and the vertebral height is maintained during the curing process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCuring: Phase Change

Data Source

PatentEP2731556B1Apparatus for treating vertebral fractures

Publication Date: 2020.06.24 GLOBUS MEDICAL INC

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AI summary

Methods and apparatus for treating bones, including, in one or more embodiments, methods and apparatus for treatment of vertebral fractures that include a containment assembly for cement containment and/or balloon assembly for maintaining vertebral height. A containment assembly comprising a containment jacket adapted to be deployed inside bone; and a dividing wall that separates the interior of the containment jacket into a proximal region and a distal region, the dividing wall having an opening for providing access to the distal region from the proximal region.