Atraumatic Surgical Milling Cutter with Protective Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical milling cutters often cause injuries to delicate anatomical structures during spinal and other surgical procedures due to their sharp edges and lack of protection, leading to complications such as dura injury, nerve damage, and increased operating times, which result in significant medical and economic burdens.
Innovation Solution
A surgical milling cutter with an atraumatic configuration featuring a protective arrangement that surrounds the milling surface, providing a circumferentially extending protective zone to shield sensitive tissues from the cutting edges, allowing for safer operation with reduced risk of injury and increased efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a sharp milling surface is used for effective bone removal, then bone removal efficiency is improved, but the risk of injury to delicate anatomical structures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The milling cutter is divided into functionally distinct segments: a sharp milling surface for bone removal and a separate protective arrangement for tissue protection. This segmentation allows each component to optimize its specific function without compromising the other, resolving the contradiction between effective cutting and tissue safety.
Solution Approach 2:
A protective arrangement acts as an intermediary element between the sharp milling surface and delicate anatomical structures. This protective arrangement shields sensitive tissues from the cutting edges while allowing the milling surface to effectively remove bone, thus eliminating the direct harmful interaction between the cutter and vulnerable tissues.
2Speed
If conventional milling cutters are used without protection, then operating speed can be maintained, but operating time increases due to complications and safety precautions
Solution Approach 1:
The protective arrangement is pre-positioned on the milling cutter before use, providing continuous protection throughout the procedure. This preliminary protective measure eliminates the need for additional safety precautions and reduces operating time by preventing injuries before they occur, rather than reacting to complications after they arise.
3Force
If higher forces are applied during milling operations, then bone removal efficiency improves, but the risk of dura injury and nerve damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective arrangement serves as a cushioning element that absorbs and distributes the forces generated during high-force milling operations. This beforehand cushioning protects delicate structures like dura and nerves from the full impact of the milling forces, allowing higher forces to be applied safely without causing injury to vulnerable tissues.
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 protective arrangement significantly reduces the risk of tissue injury, enabling the use of higher forces during operations, reducing operating time by up to 50%, and minimizing complications like dura injury and infection, while maintaining effective bone removal efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the milling surface is delimited by a proximally disposed milling surface proximal end and a distally disposed milling surface distal end... designed for the removal of bone and/or cartilage tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical milling cutter designed to remove bone and/or cartilage tissue includes a shaft which extends along a longitudinal axis, can rotate about same, and can be releasably connected to a drive device and which has a proximal end that can be rotationally fixed to a drive unit and a distal end lying opposite the proximal end. A milling surface circumferentially surrounds the shaft (2) and extends on the distal end along the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The milling surface protrudes radially from the shaft and has a milling surface maximum radius. The surgical milling cutter prevents unwanted damage to delicate body structures via an atraumatic design having a protective assembly provided on the distal end. The protective assembly has a distal support surface and a protective assembly maximum radius in order to form a protective ring which surrounds the milling surface maximum radius in a circular manner.