Skull fixation device

[0002] The present invention relates to a skull fixation device.

[0003] In the conventional surgical operation of the human skull, the wire and the craniotomy pin are used to fix the skull. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,620 discloses a skull fixation device comprising an upper block, a lower block, and a clamp rod. Such a prior art skull fixation device as described above is defective in design in that the skull must be provided with a round hole to facilitate the disposing of the skull fixation device, thereby resulting in the prolongation of the surgical operation as well as the post-surgical healing process.

[0004] It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a skull fixation device which is free from the deficiencies of the skull fixation device of the prior art described above.

[0005] It is another objective of the present invention to provide a skull fixation device having an elasticity.

[0006] The skull fixation device of the present invention is in fact a fixation clamp which is used to fix a skull without having to drill a round hole in the skull, thereby shortening the duration of the surgical operation. In view of the skull fixation device of the present invention being elastic, providing freedom of slight vibration to the skull being clamped, the post-surgical healing process is accelerated.

[0007] FIGS. 1a-1dare respectively a top view, a perspective view, a rear view, and a side view of a skull fixation device of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] FIGS. 2a-2eare sequential schematic views of the surgical operation using the skull fixation device of the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] The skull fixation device of the present invention comprises a clamp top portion, two clamp rods, and two bottom clamp legs. The two clamp rods are connected with the clamp top portion and the two bottom clamp legs.

[0010] The present invention is characterized by the two clamp rods which are substantially coplanar such that they form an angle ranging between 30° and 150°. The planar surface formed by the two clamp rods is substantially perpendicular to the clamp top portion.

[0011] The clamp top portion and the two clamp rods are connected in such a manner that they are preferably made integrally. In the same way, the two clamp rods and the two bottom clamp legs are connected such that they are made integrally. Preferably, the skull fixation device of the present invention is formed integrally of an elastic linear body which has a substantially round cross section.

[0012] The clamp top portion of the present invention is similar in shape to any prior art clamp top portion. As shown in FIG. 1a, the clamp top portion has an opening annular H shape.

[0013] Preferably, the clamp rod is a round elastic thread having a diameter substantially equal to the width of the cut slot of the skull-opening surgery.

[0014] The two clamp rods form an angle ranging between 30° and 150°, preferably between 60° and 120°, more preferably between 75° and 105°. The best angle is 90°. The line dividing equally the angle formed by the two clamp rods is substantially and preferably perpendicular to the planar surface of the clamp top portion.

[0015] Preferably, the two bottom clamp legs and the two clamp rods are substantially normal to one another.

[0016] Preferably, the shortest distances between the clamp top portion and the two bottom clamp legs are substantially on a par with each other. Preferably, the shortest distance is substantially equal to or smaller than the thickness of the skull.

[0017] The skull fixation device of the present invention is made of any biologically-compatible elastic material, such as a metal wire made of titanium, titanium alloy, stainless steel, etc.

[0018] The preferred embodiment of the present invention is described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] As shown is FIGS. 1a-1d, the reference numerals of the clamp top portion, the clamp rod and the bottom clamp leg are 10, 20, and 30 respectively. The two clamp rods 20 form an angle of 90°. The two clamp rods 20 and the clamp top portion 10 form separately an angle of 45°, as shown in FIG. 1C. The two clamp rods 20 form a planar surface which forms with the clamp top portion 10 an angle of 90°, as shown in FIG. 1d. The two bottom clamp legs 30 and the two clamp rods 20 form separately an angle of 90°, as shown in FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1d.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 2a-2e, a skull 50 has an opening 52 that is left from the skull operation. The opening 52 has a cross section 54. Three fixation devices of the present invention are disposed in the positions designated as A, B, and C, as shown in FIG. 2e. FIG. 2ashows the state of the skull prior to the skull fixation. Two fixation devices are tightly retained at the A and B positions by pushing them in the directions indicated by arrows shown in FIG. 2b, wherein the clamp top portion 10 and the bottom clamp leg 30 elastically clamp the edge of the opening 52 with the clamp rod 20 abutting the cross section 54. FIG. 2cshows a cut part 60 of the skull having a cross section 62 is inserted into the opening 52 and clamped by the two fixation devices being securely retained at the A and B positions of the skull. FIG. 2dshows that the cut part 62 near the C position at the edge of the opening 52 is slightly lifted upward to allow a third fixation device to be retained at the C position at the edge of the opening 52. The third fixation device slants from the cut part 62 to the C position with one end of the clamp top portion 10 contacting the C position of the skull 50 and another end thereof contacting the cross section 62 of the cut part 60, before the lifted portion of the cut part 62 being pressed down in the direction indicated by the arrow. FIG. 2eshows the profile of the fixed skull.

[0021] In the fixation process of the present invention, no tool is used. In addition, the fixation process is simple to reduce substantially the operation duration. In view of skull fixation device of the present invention being elastic, the cut part may have a slight movement to the original skull, thereby resulting in acceleration of the post-surgical healing process.