Bone Clamp with Adjustable Ball-Shaped Drill Guide
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone clamps lack sufficient adjustment capabilities for compound angles in both longitudinal and transverse directions relative to their jaws, limiting their effectiveness in guiding drills for precise screw placement in fractured bones.
Innovation Solution
A bone clamp design featuring a ball-shaped drill guide that can be adjusted to compound angles by being positioned within a corresponding cavity of the jaw, or a tubular drill guide receiver that allows for adjustable placement of a drill guide to accommodate various angles and positions along the jaw's axis, enabling precise alignment for drilling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed drill guide is used in prior art bone clamps, then the device structure is simple, but the adjustment capability for compound angles in longitudinal and transverse directions is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide is made adjustable rather than fixed, allowing it to be positioned at various angles in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The drill guide can be rotated and locked at different orientations to accommodate compound angles required for drilling into bones at various orientations, transforming a static component into a dynamic, adaptable one.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill guide is divided into separate functional components including a guide body, adjustment mechanisms, and locking features. This segmentation allows independent adjustment of angular parameters while maintaining overall structural integrity, enabling complex angular adjustments through coordinated movement of discrete elements.
2Measurement precision
If a drill guide with sufficient adjustment capability for compound angles is provided, then the precision of drill alignment is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms are replaced with simpler positioning systems that utilize the inherent geometry of the jaw structure and drill guide orientation. The adjustment is achieved through strategic placement of guide features and use of standard angular relationships rather than complex multi-stage mechanical adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill guide structure is designed to perform multiple functions: providing angular adjustment in both longitudinal and transverse directions, maintaining rigid positioning once adjusted, and serving as a reference for drill alignment. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate adjustment mechanisms for each degree of freedom.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the drill guide is made adjustable to compound angles, then the versatility for different bone orientations is improved, but the ease of operation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide is pre-configured with reference markings, alignment features, and preset angular positions that guide the operator through the adjustment process. These preliminary design elements reduce the cognitive load and manual dexterity required during actual adjustment, making complex angular positioning more intuitive and easier to perform correctly.
Data Source
AI summary
A bone clamp having a first jaw, an opposed second jaw and a drill guide, the drill guide being attached to the first jaw so that bone held between the first jaw and the second jaw can be drilled by a drill inserted through the drill guide, the first jaw having a longitudinal axis. The drill guide can be ball shaped at one distal end thereof that is positioned sufficiently within and retained within a corresponding cavity of the first jaw so that the angle of the drill guide can be adjusted to compound angles in the longitudinal and transverse directions in relation to the longitudinal axis of the first jaw. The bone clamp preferably comprises an organic polymer that is relatively transparent to X-rays.