Cannulated Drill Bit with Merged Depth Gauge

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical drill technologies face challenges in accurately measuring the depth of holes drilled in bones due to issues like hole loosening, misalignment, and difficulty in engaging the hole end for precise depth measurement.

Innovation Solution

A drill bit with a cannulated body and an insert that can project beyond the cutting region, allowing for accurate engagement with the hole's distal end, combined with a pusher mechanism to facilitate depth measurement, and a gauge for precise depth reading.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a separate depth gauge instrument is used to measure hole depth, then depth measurement function is provided, but measurement precision deteriorates due to hole loosening, misalignment, and difficulty in engaging the hole end

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehole depth measurement accuracyVSAvoidrequires separate depth gauge instrument

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The depth gauge functionality is merged with the drill bit by incorporating a gauge member within the drill bit structure. The gauge member includes a gauge tip that can engage the distal end of the hole and a gauge scale for depth measurement, eliminating the need for a separate depth gauge instrument and improving measurement accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The gauge member is nested within the drill bit structure. The gauge tip is positioned inside the drill bit body and can be extended or positioned to engage the hole end, while the gauge scale is integrated into the drill bit shaft, creating a compact nested arrangement that combines drilling and measurement functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Volume of moving object

If the drill bit penetrates deeper to make a larger hole, then hole size increases, but depth indication accuracy deteriorates because penetration depth does not correlate to hole size in bone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehole sizeVSAvoiddepth indication accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The mechanical correlation between drill penetration distance and hole depth is replaced by a direct measurement system. The gauge tip physically engages the distal end of the hole and the gauge scale provides direct depth reading, eliminating the indirect mechanical correlation method that failed to accurately reflect actual hole depth in bone.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of information

If coloured bands are placed on the drill bit to indicate depth, then depth indication is provided, but measurement precision remains insufficient for medical applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedepth information availabilityVSAvoiddepth measurement accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The gauge tip acts as an intermediary that physically contacts and engages the distal end of the hole, transferring the position information to the gauge scale. This intermediary mechanism provides accurate depth measurement by directly measuring the distance from the proximal end to the distal end of the hole, rather than relying on indirect colored band indicators.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9289219B2Drill bit incorporating depth gauge

Publication Date: 2016.03.22 KUMAR PRANESH

AI summary

There is provided a drill bit for use in forming holes in a material, and measuring the depth of the hole. The drill bit includes a body providing a cutting region for making holes, a cannulation along the length of the cutting region, and an insert disposed within the cannulation. The insert is movable with respect to the body so as to selectively project beyond the cannulation, and edges of the cutting region.