Controllable flexible intramedullary canal infection tissue cleaning brush

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of medical devices, and particularly relates to a controllable flexible marrow cavity infection tissue cleaning brush. The controllable flexible marrow cavity infection tissue cleaning brush comprises a flexible brush head, an adjusting assembly and a driving assembly, the flexible brush head is arranged on the adjusting assembly, the outer diameter of the flexible brush head is adjusted by adjusting the axial spacing of the two ends of the flexible brush head, so that the flexible brush head can be adapted to the bone marrow cavity, the flexible brush head structure is adopted, and adaptive deformation can be caused under the action of external force, so that flexible fitting with the irregular inner wall of the bone marrow cavity is realized, the lesions and bacterial biofilms in recessed areas and hidden parts which are difficult to be reached by rigid instruments can be effectively removed, and the risk of postoperative infection recurrence caused by incomplete debridement is reduced. Meanwhile, by adjusting the axial spacing of the two ends of the flexible brush head, the outer diameter size of the brush head can be flexibly changed, so that the same instrument can be adapted to long bone marrow cavities of different thicknesses and different parts, the instrument does not need to be frequently replaced, and the convenience and application range of surgical operation are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a controllable flexible brush for cleaning infected medullary cavity tissue. Background Technology

[0002] Chronic osteomyelitis is a common and refractory orthopedic infectious disease in clinical practice. Osteomyelitis of the long bones of the limbs is particularly challenging to treat due to its specific location and hidden lesions. Its core pathological features include widespread infection infiltration within the medullary cavity, abnormal proliferation of granulation tissue, residual necrotic bone tissue, and bacterial biofilm formation. These pathological changes lead to recurrent and prolonged infection, severely affecting bone healing and potentially causing serious complications such as limb dysfunction and pathological fractures. The core principles of clinical treatment for osteomyelitis of the long bones are to thoroughly remove the infected lesions, eliminate dead space, improve local blood supply, and promote bone tissue repair and healing.

[0003] Currently, the standard instruments used clinically for debridement of the medullary cavity mainly include curettes, medullary cavity files, and medullary cavity reamers, all of which are rigid cutting structures. The rigidity of these instruments makes it difficult for them to fully conform to the irregularly shaped walls of the medullary cavity, failing to effectively remove lesions and bacterial biofilms from recessed areas and hidden locations within the medullary cavity. This easily leads to incomplete debridement, a significant contributing factor to postoperative infection recurrence. Furthermore, traditional cutting-style debridement methods tend to excessively scrape away normal endosteal tissue, severely disrupting the local blood supply to the medullary cavity, significantly weakening the bone tissue's self-repair capacity, and substantially increasing the probability of delayed bone healing and nonunion. In addition, the force applied by these instruments is difficult to control precisely, and the rigid material can easily cause mechanical damage to the bone cortex, potentially leading to secondary injuries such as cortical perforation and bone wall splitting, and even inducing pathological fractures.

[0004] In summary, there is an urgent clinical need for a dedicated bone marrow cavity debridement instrument suitable for the diagnosis and treatment of osteomyelitis of long bones, in order to overcome the many shortcomings of traditional debridement instruments, improve the debridement effect, and reduce surgical complications and recurrence rates. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a controllable flexible medullary cavity infection cleaning brush, which solves the technical problems of poor debridement effect and high surgical complications in osteomyelitis of long bone shafts.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the main technical solutions adopted by the present invention include:

[0009] This invention provides a controllable flexible medullary cavity infection cleaning brush, including a flexible brush head, an adjustment component, and a drive component. The flexible brush head is disposed on the adjustment component, and the maximum outer diameter of the flexible brush head is adjusted by adjusting the axial distance between the two ends of the flexible brush head to adapt to the medullary cavity. The drive component is used to drive the flexible brush head to rotate around its own axis.

[0010] Preferably, the flexible brush head includes a first end, a second end, and multiple flexible brush rods arranged in a ring array; the two ends of the multiple flexible brush rods are respectively connected to the first end and the second end, and the first end and the second end are coaxial and spaced apart; the bending curvature of the multiple flexible brush rods can be adjusted by adjusting the axial distance between the first end and the second end.

[0011] Preferably, each flexible brush bar includes an elastic support frame and multiple cleaning bristles; the multiple cleaning bristles are arranged at intervals on the elastic support frame, and the cleaning bristles deform synchronously with the elastic support frame.

[0012] Preferably, the adjusting assembly includes an adjusting rod and a locking member; both the first end and the second end are sleeved on the adjusting rod, with the second end located at the far end of the adjusting rod and the first end located at the near end of the adjusting rod; after adjusting the distance between the first end and the second end by axially sliding the first end, the locking member locks the relative positions of the first end and the second end.

[0013] Preferably, the distal end of the adjusting rod is provided with a boss, and the distal end face of the second end abuts against the boss.

[0014] Preferably, the locking element is a locking nut, and the near end of the adjusting rod is provided with a threaded section that mates with the locking nut; the locking nut is sleeved on the adjusting rod, and the distance between the first end and the second end is fixed by screwing the thread in.

[0015] Preferably, it also includes a return spring; the return spring is sleeved on the adjusting rod, one end of the return spring abuts against the first end, and the other end of the return spring abuts against the second end; when the locking member is unlocked, the return spring drives the first end to return to the initial state.

[0016] Preferably, the adjusting rod has an axially oriented suction channel; the suction channel has a suction inlet and a suction outlet, the suction outlet is located at the proximal end of the adjusting rod, and the suction inlet is located at the distal end of the adjusting rod; the suction outlet can be connected to a negative pressure suction device.

[0017] Preferably, the adjusting rod is further provided with a flushing channel; the flushing channel is provided with a flushing inlet and a flushing outlet, the flushing outlet is located at the far end of the adjusting rod, and the flushing inlet is located at the near end of the adjusting rod; the flushing inlet can be connected to the injection device.

[0018] Preferably, it further includes a camera unit; the camera unit is disposed at the distal end of the adjusting rod.

[0019] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are:

[0021] This invention discloses a controllable flexible medullary cavity infection cleaning brush, comprising a flexible brush head, an adjustment component, and a drive component. The flexible brush head is mounted on the adjustment component. The outer diameter of the flexible brush head is adjusted by regulating the axial distance between its two ends to fit the medullary cavity. The flexible brush head structure allows for adaptive deformation under external force, achieving a flexible fit to the irregularly shaped inner wall of the medullary cavity. This effectively removes lesions and bacterial biofilms from recessed areas and hidden locations that are difficult for rigid instruments to reach, reducing the risk of postoperative infection recurrence due to incomplete debridement. Simultaneously, by adjusting the axial distance between the two ends of the flexible brush head, the outer diameter can be flexibly changed, allowing the same instrument to fit medullary cavities of different thicknesses and locations in long bones, eliminating the need for frequent instrument changes and improving the convenience and applicability of surgical procedures. The drive component drives the flexible brush head to rotate around its own axis, enabling non-cutting, continuous, and uniform cleaning of the medullary cavity wall, resulting in higher debridement efficiency and less strenuous operation. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 A first-person view structural diagram of a controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush;

[0023] Figure 2 A second-view structural schematic diagram of a controllable flexible medullary canal infection tissue cleaning brush;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flexible brush head;

[0025] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged diagram of part A in the middle;

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the adjusting rod.

[0027] Figure 6 A longitudinal sectional view of a controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush;

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the drive component.

[0029] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0030] 1: Flexible brush head; 11: First end; 12: Second end; 13: Flexible brush handle; 131: Elastic support frame; 132: Cleaning bristles;

[0031] 2: Adjustment component; 21: Adjustment rod; 211: Boss; 212: Suction channel; 213: Suction inlet; 214: Suction outlet; 215: Flushing outlet; 216: Flushing channel; 217: Flushing inlet; 22: Locking element;

[0032] 3: Drive component; 31: Drive gear; 32: Driven gear; 33: Mounting box;

[0033] 4: Return spring;

[0034] 5: Camera unit. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To better explain and facilitate understanding of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a controllable flexible medullary cavity infection cleaning brush, which includes a flexible brush head 1, a return spring 4, an adjustment component 2, and a drive component 3. The flexible brush head 1 is mounted on the adjustment component 2. The maximum outer diameter of the flexible brush head 1 is adjusted by regulating the axial distance between its two ends to fit the medullary cavity. By changing the distance between the two ends, the flexible brush head 1 is forced to expand radially, thereby forming a controllable contact pressure with the inner wall of the medullary cavity. Compared to rigid curettes, medullary reamers, and other instruments in the prior art, this invention uses a flexible brush head 1 structure that can adaptively deform under external force, thereby achieving flexible contact with the irregularly shaped inner wall of the medullary cavity. This effectively removes lesions and bacterial biofilms from recessed areas and hidden locations that are difficult for rigid instruments to reach, reducing the risk of postoperative infection recurrence caused by incomplete debridement. Meanwhile, by adjusting the axial distance between the two ends of the flexible brush head 1, the outer diameter of the brush head can be flexibly changed, so that the same instrument can be adapted to medullary cavities of long bones of different thicknesses and locations (such as femur, tibia, humerus, radius and ulna), without the need for frequent instrument changes, thus improving the convenience and applicability of surgical operations.

[0037] Furthermore, the drive assembly 3 drives the flexible brush head 1 to rotate around its own axis, enabling non-cutting, continuous, and uniform cleaning of the medullary cavity wall, resulting in higher debridement efficiency and less effort. This controllable flexible medullary cavity infected tissue cleaning brush is suitable for medullary cavity debridement in osteomyelitis of the long bones of the limbs. It can be used alone or in combination with intramedullary drainage devices and antibiotic bone cement, and has a wide range of clinical applications.

[0038] like Figure 3As shown, the flexible brush head 1 includes a first end 11, a second end 12, and multiple flexible brush rods 13 arranged in a ring array. The two ends of each flexible brush rod 13 are respectively connected to the first end 11 and the second end 12. The first end 11 and the second end 12 are coaxially and spaced apart. The bending curvature of the multiple flexible brush rods 13 can be adjusted by adjusting the axial distance between the first end 11 and the second end 12. When the first end 11 and the second end 12 are close to each other, the flexible brush rods 13 bend radially outward due to pressure at both ends, increasing the curvature and outer diameter. Conversely, when the two ends are far apart, the flexible brush rods 13 tend to be straight, and the outer diameter decreases. The ring array arrangement ensures uniform force on the brush head in the circumferential direction, eliminating blind spots during wound cleaning. In its non-working state, the flexible brush head 1 has a narrow diameter, facilitating entry and exit from the medullary cavity. In its working state, it expands to a suitable diameter according to the inner diameter of the medullary cavity, achieving close-fitting cleaning.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, each flexible brush handle 13 includes an elastic support frame 131 and multiple cleaning bristles 132. The cleaning bristles 132 are spaced apart on the elastic support frame 131 and deform synchronously with the elastic support frame 131. In a preferred embodiment, the elastic support frame 131 is a nickel-titanium shape memory alloy elastic frame, whose superelastic properties ensure that the brush handle can still provide stable radial support force under large deformation and is not prone to plastic deformation. The cleaning bristles 132 are made of soft-hard gradient composite fibers, arranged in a spiral or radial pattern along the frame, and the cleaning bristles 132 are at a certain angle to the axis of the flexible brush head 1, thereby forming a cleaning composite working interface. In practical applications, the surface of the flexible brush head 1 is coated with a hydrophilic antibacterial coating (such as a polyethylene glycol-based or chitosan-based coating), which can inhibit the activity of residual bacteria, thereby further improving the debridement effect and reducing the postoperative infection rate.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown, the adjustment assembly 2 includes an adjustment rod 21 and a locking member 22. A first end 11 and a second end 12 are both fitted onto the adjustment rod 21. The second end 12 is located at the distal end of the adjustment rod 21, and the first end 11 is located at the proximal end of the adjustment rod 21. After adjusting the distance between the first end 11 and the second end 12 by axially sliding the first end 11, the locking member 22 locks the relative positions of the first end 11 and the second end 12. This proximal adjustment and distal locking design allows the operator to set the diameter externally, conforming to aseptic surgical procedures. Figure 5As shown, to facilitate the positioning of the second end 12, a boss 211 is provided at the distal end of the adjusting rod 21. The distal end face of the second end 12 abuts against the boss 211. The boss 211 serves to both limit axial movement and prevent the second end 12 from falling off. In a preferred embodiment, the adjusting rod 21 is made of medical-grade stainless steel or carbon fiber, and the rod body is provided with depth markings to indicate the depth of entry into the medullary cavity, thereby assisting the operator in accurately controlling the debridement range and avoiding damage to the distal end of the medullary cavity or penetration of the cortical bone.

[0041] like Figure 1 As shown, the return spring 4 is sleeved on the adjusting rod 21. One end of the return spring 4 abuts against the first end 11, and the other end abuts against the second end 12. When the locking member 22 is unlocked, the elastic potential energy stored in the return spring 4 is released, pushing the first end 11 to slide proximally back to its initial state, increasing the distance between the first end 11 and the second end 12. The flexible brush rod 13 automatically returns to its constricted diameter shape, facilitating the removal of the instrument from the medullary cavity.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the locking element 22 is a locking nut. The proximal end of the adjusting rod 21 has a threaded section that mates with the locking nut. The locking nut is fitted onto the adjusting rod 21, and the distance between the first end 11 and the second end 12 is fixed by the threaded locking mechanism and the engagement of the boss 211 on the adjusting rod 21. The threaded locking mechanism has the advantages of good self-locking performance and continuously adjustable locking force, which can effectively prevent accidental loosening caused by intraoperative vibration.

[0043] like Figure 6 As shown, the adjusting rod 21 has an independent suction channel 212 and a flushing channel 216 axially arranged inside. The suction channel 212 has a suction inlet 213 and a suction outlet 214. The suction outlet 214 is located at the proximal end of the adjusting rod 21, and the suction inlet 213 is located at the distal end of the adjusting rod 21 and on the side wall of the distal end of the adjusting rod 21. The suction outlet 214 can communicate with a negative pressure suction device. The flushing channel 216 has a flushing inlet 217 and a flushing outlet 215. The flushing outlet 215 is located at the distal end of the adjusting rod 21 and on the side wall of the distal end of the adjusting rod 21, and the flushing inlet 217 is located at the proximal end of the adjusting rod 21. The flushing inlet 217 can communicate with an infusion device. The irrigation fluid is sprayed from the distal end and sidewall holes through irrigation channel 216, forming a multi-directional scouring flow field that effectively flushes away infected tissue and biofilm debris around the brush head. The negative pressure suction device generates a negative pressure gradient at the distal end and sidewall inlet through suction channel 212, simultaneously aspirating suspended pus, necrotic debris, and irrigation fluid from the body. The two channels are independent of each other, avoiding short-circuiting or cross-contamination, and achieving integrated cleaning, flushing, and suction. This keeps the debridement area clean at all times, preventing debris residue and further improving the thoroughness of debridement and reducing the postoperative recurrence rate.

[0044] like Figure 7 As shown, the drive assembly 3 includes a power source (not shown), a mounting box 33, a drive gear 31, and a driven gear 32. The drive gear 31 and the driven gear 32 mesh and are housed within the mounting box 33. The first end 11 is interference-fitted with the center hole of the driven gear 32. The mounting shaft on the drive gear 31 is connected to the power source (such as a medical electric handle or pneumatic motor). When the drive gear 31 rotates, it drives the driven gear 32 to rotate, which in turn drives the first end 11, which is fixed to the driven gear 32, to rotate, ultimately causing the entire flexible brush head 1 to rotate relative to the adjusting rod 21. This gear transmission mechanism can be designed with a transmission ratio as needed, such as speed reduction and torque increase or speed increase, to meet different debridement speed requirements. The locking member 22 is located near the end of the mounting box 33, allowing the operator to simultaneously hold the mounting box 33 and adjust the locking nut.

[0045] The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush also includes a camera unit 5, which is located at the distal end of the adjustment rod 21. The camera unit 5 can transmit real-time images of the medullary canal to an external display device, allowing the operator to clearly observe the distribution of lesions on the inner wall of the medullary canal and the progress of debridement, achieving visualized and precise debridement and avoiding secondary damage caused by blind operation.

[0046] In summary, the controllable flexible medullary cavity infection cleaning brush provided by this invention effectively solves the clinical pain points of traditional rigid instruments, such as incomplete debridement, easy damage to the blood supply of the endosteal membrane, and easy perforation of the bone cortex, through the synergistic effect of radial adjustment and rotational cleaning, flushing and suction integration, and visualization of the flexible brush head 1. It improves the treatment effect of osteomyelitis of long bone shaft and reduces the probability of postoperative infection recurrence and bone nonunion.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0048] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0049] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that they are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "over," or "on top" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," or "beneath" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0050] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0051] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make modifications, alterations, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush, characterized in that, It includes a flexible brush head (1), an adjustment component (2), and a drive component (3); The flexible brush head (1) is disposed on the adjustment component (2). The maximum outer diameter of the flexible brush head (1) is adjusted by adjusting the axial distance between the two ends of the flexible brush head (1) so as to be able to fit the bone marrow cavity. The drive assembly (3) is used to drive the flexible brush head (1) to rotate about its own axis.

2. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible brush head (1) includes a first end (11), a second end (12), and multiple flexible brush rods (13) arranged in a ring array. The two ends of the multiple flexible brush rods (13) are respectively connected to the first end (11) and the second end (12), and the first end (11) and the second end (12) are coaxial and spaced apart; The bending curvature of the multiple flexible brush rods (13) can be adjusted by adjusting the axial distance between the first end (11) and the second end (12).

3. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 2, characterized in that: Each of the aforementioned flexible brush bars (13) includes an elastic support frame (131) and multiple cleaning bristles (132). Multiple cleaning bristles (132) are arranged at intervals on the elastic support frame (131), and the cleaning bristles (132) deform synchronously with the elastic support frame (131).

4. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 2, characterized in that: The adjustment assembly (2) includes an adjustment rod (21) and a locking member (22); The first end (11) and the second end (12) are both sleeved on the adjusting rod (21), the second end (12) is located at the far end of the adjusting rod (21), and the first end (11) is located at the near end of the adjusting rod (21); After adjusting the distance between the first end (11) and the second end (12) by sliding the first end (11) axially, the locking member (22) locks the relative position of the first end (11) and the second end (12).

5. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The distal end of the adjusting rod (21) is provided with a boss (211), and the distal end face of the second end (12) abuts against the boss (211).

6. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 5, characterized in that: The locking element (22) is a locking nut, and the near end of the adjusting rod (21) is provided with a threaded section that mates with the locking nut; The locking nut is sleeved on the adjusting rod (21) and the distance between the first end (11) and the second end (12) is fixed by screwing in the thread.

7. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a return spring (4); The reset spring (4) is sleeved on the adjusting rod (21), one end of the reset spring (4) abuts against the first end (11), and the other end of the reset spring (4) abuts against the second end (12); When the locking member (22) is unlocked, the reset spring (4) drives the first end (11) to reset to the initial state.

8. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 4, characterized in that: An attraction channel (212) is provided axially inside the adjusting rod (21); The suction channel (212) is provided with a suction inlet (213) and a suction outlet (214), the suction outlet (214) is located at the proximal end of the adjusting rod (21), and the suction inlet (213) is located at the distal end of the adjusting rod (21); The suction outlet (214) can be connected to the negative pressure suction device.

9. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 8, characterized in that: The adjusting rod (21) is also provided with a flushing channel (216); The flushing channel (216) is provided with a flushing inlet (217) and a flushing outlet (215), the flushing outlet (215) is located at the far end of the adjusting rod (21), and the flushing inlet (217) is located at the near end of the adjusting rod (21); The flushing inlet (217) can be connected to the injection device.

10. The controllable flexible medullary canal infection cleaning brush as described in claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a camera unit (5); The camera unit (5) is located at the far end of the adjusting rod (21).

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