Bone Mill With Removable Milling Element for Chip Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone mills do not effectively recover all bone chips produced during the milling process and may cause damage if not properly configured, leading to potential harm and inefficiency in bone chip harvesting.
Innovation Solution
A bone mill design with a removable milling element and detection components to ensure proper configuration, allowing access for cleaning adhered chips and preventing actuation if not properly secured, ensuring complete chip recovery and safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If the milling element is fixed and not accessible, then the device structure is simpler, but bone chips adhering to the milling element cannot be removed leading to loss of substance
Solution Approach 1:
The milling element is segmented into a removable component that can be separated from the housing. The milling element includes a milling surface with cutting edges and can be detached through an access opening in the housing, allowing independent removal for cleaning while maintaining the integrity of the overall device structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The milling element is extracted as a separate, removable component from the housing. An access opening is provided in the housing that allows the milling element to be removed externally without disassembling the entire device, enabling easy cleaning of adhered bone chips while maintaining device functionality.
2Loss of substance
If the milling element is accessible for cleaning, then bone chip recovery is improved, but the device may be actuated when not properly configured causing harmful factors
Solution Approach 1:
A detection component is integrated into the milling element that provides feedback to the actuation mechanism. The detection component detects whether the milling element is properly installed in the housing, and the actuation mechanism is controlled based on this feedback signal to prevent operation when the milling element is missing or improperly configured.
Solution Approach 2:
A detection component serves as an intermediary between the milling element and the actuation mechanism. This intermediary detects the presence and proper installation of the milling element and transmits this information to control system that prevents actuation when conditions are not met, ensuring safe operation.
3Reliability
If detection components are added to ensure proper configuration, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection component is merged with the milling element as an integrated assembly. The detection component is positioned on or within the milling element itself, combining the cutting function and the detection function into a single removable unit, thereby reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The milling element serves multiple functions: it performs the cutting of bone stock and simultaneously houses or carries the detection component that monitors its proper installation. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate detection mechanisms, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A milling module for converting bone stock into bone chips comprises a shell adapted for releasable attachment to a base module. The shell has an inlet opening through which bone stock is introduced into the shell and an outlet opening through which bone chips are discharged from the shell. A milling element is moveably disposed in the shell between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for converting bone stock into bone chips. The shell includes a base adapted for releasable attachment to the base module. The base includes the outlet opening and a lid removably attached thereto. The lid includes the inlet opening of the shell. The base and the lid are collectively configured so that removal of the lid from the base allows the milling element to be accessed.