Orthopaedic Instrument Caddy for Cutting Broach Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Orthopaedic surgeons face challenges in efficiently organizing and using orthopaedic surgical instruments, particularly cutting broaches, during knee replacement procedures, as existing instrument trays lack effective mechanisms for secure storage and easy access, leading to potential instrument rotation and user safety risks.
Innovation Solution
An orthopaedic instrument caddy is designed with a storage chamber and specific grooves and slots to securely hold cutting broaches, preventing rotation and allowing easy assembly with stem components, enabling safe handling and efficient use of instruments during procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cutting broaches are stored in conventional instrument trays, then they are accessible to the surgeon, but the instruments can rotate freely causing safety risks and organization problems
Solution Approach 1:
The caddy is divided into multiple compartments, each dedicated to storing specific cutting broaches. This segmentation prevents instruments from rotating or mixing while maintaining organized accessibility. Each compartment acts as an independent storage unit with constraints tailored to specific instrument types.
Solution Approach 2:
The caddy serves as an intermediary device between the instrument tray and the surgeon. It provides a controlled interface that allows easy access to instruments while preventing unwanted rotation through its constrained storage mechanism. The caddy mediates between the need for accessibility and the need for stability.
2Reliability
If cutting broaches are securely constrained to prevent rotation, then safety is improved, but access and assembly with stem components becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The caddy employs dynamic constraints that adapt during different phases of use. During storage, the grooves and slots provide rigid constraints to prevent rotation. During assembly, the same structural features allow controlled movement and positioning of the broach relative to the stem component, enabling easy coupling without compromising safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The grooves and slots in the caddy are designed to automatically align and guide the cutting broach during insertion and assembly. The structural features self-adjust to facilitate the coupling of the broach with the stem component while maintaining constraints that prevent rotation, making the assembly process intuitive and easy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cutting broaches are stored together, then instrument availability is improved, but organization and identification become more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
Each compartment in the caddy is designed with specific local qualities tailored to accommodate particular cutting broach types. The grooves, slots, and structural features vary by compartment to match the dimensions and characteristics of specific instruments, enabling easy identification and organized storage of multiple broaches without confusion.
Data Source
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AI summary
An orthopaedic instrument system including an instrument caddy (120, 300) is disclosed. The instrument caddy is configured to receive one or more cutting broaches (14) to house the cutting broaches between orthopaedic surgical procedures. The instrument caddy is also configured to be used during a surgical procedure to assist a user in assembling the cutting broach with another surgical instrument such as a stem (64). A method of assembling a surgical instrument is also disclosed.