Bone Cement Mixing Device with Flexible Sealing and Clean Break Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mixing devices for bone cement face challenges such as poor sealing leading to bubble formation, excessive device volume, and the complexity of handling multiple vials, which affects the quality and efficiency of the mixing process.
Innovation Solution
A mixing device comprising a first component with a tubular configuration and a second component made of flexible material, allowing for fluid communication and a breaking mechanism that enables clean, non-fragmented release of the liquid from a vial into a powder containment area, facilitating efficient mixing while minimizing device complexity and volume.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gasket is used to seal the powder containment chamber while allowing manual movement of the second component, then sealing is improved, but the gasket cannot be excessively hard or resistant which limits sealing effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the gasket from a static rubber seal to a dynamic foam material that transitions from compressed (sealing) to expanded (allowing movement). This parameter change enables the gasket to provide effective sealing when compressed between components while allowing manual movement when expanded, resolving the contradiction between sealing quality and ease of operation.
2Device complexity
If the first component is made larger to accommodate the cap and other components, then component integration is improved, but the final device volume becomes excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the vial containing the liquid compound inside the powder containment chamber of the first component. The second component with its cap is nested within the overall assembly. This nested arrangement allows multiple components to be integrated without increasing the external dimensions of the first component, resolving the contradiction between component integration and device volume.
3Productivity
If breaking means are used to crush the glass vial for discharge, then the second compound can be released, but glass fragments deposit and obstruct passage holes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful fragmentation process by replacing the crushing mechanism with a clean-breaking mechanism. The vial is designed to break cleanly at a predetermined point without shattering into fragments. This extraction of the harmful element (fragmentation) while retaining the useful function (discharge) resolves the contradiction between productivity and harmful factors.
4Ease of manufacture
If opaque material is used for the first component, then manufacturing is simplified, but observation of the mixing state is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making only the relevant portion (the wall of the first component containing the mixing area) transparent while the rest of the device can remain opaque. This localized transparency allows observation of the mixing state without requiring the entire first component to be made of transparent material, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and difficulty of detection.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a mixing device for at least two compounds, such as a liquid and a powder for obtaining bone cement, as well as a method of mixing at least two compounds using such mixing device.