Cold Forged Orthopedic Wire Tips for Bone Fixation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic wires and pins made from 316 LVM stainless steel fail to maintain a sharp cutting edge, leading to potential bone damage and infections due to dull tips during bone drilling in External Bone Fixation procedures.
Innovation Solution
The development of orthopedic wires and pins with cold forged tips that increase the hardness and strength of the steel, featuring a cold forged section with multiple cutting edges, which are manufactured using a process involving cold pressing, welding, electro polishing, grinding, and etching to enhance the cutting performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If 316 LVM stainless steel is used for orthopedic wires and pins, then the material is mild and easy to work with, but it does not hold a cutting edge well leading to dull tips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a cold forged tip section at the end of the wire or pin that has different properties from the main body. The cold forged section has increased hardness and superior cutting edge retention while the rest of the wire or pin maintains the original 316 LVM stainless steel properties for ease of manufacture and flexibility.
2Reliability
If the cutting tip becomes dull during bone drilling, then bone damage and thermal necrosis occur, but sharpening the tip is not feasible during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-forming the cold forged tip section during manufacturing with optimized hardness and cutting geometry. This preliminary preparation ensures the cutting tip maintains its sharpness throughout the surgical procedure without requiring any sharpening or maintenance during the actual surgery.
3Reliability
If cold forging is applied to increase hardness, then cutting edge retention improves, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the wire or pin into two distinct sections: the main body made of 316 LVM stainless steel and the cold forged tip section. This segmentation allows each part to be optimized independently - the main body for ease of manufacture and flexibility, and the tip for cutting edge retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by altering the hardness parameter of the tip section through cold forging. The cold forging process increases the hardness of the steel in the tip section, transforming it from a soft, easily worked material to a hard, cutting-edge-retaining material.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The cold forged tips provide a sharper cutting edge, reducing the risk of thermal necrosis and bone damage, thereby minimizing the risk of infections and improving the effectiveness of bone stabilization and correction in External Bone Fixation procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the cold forged tip, which is cold pressed from the blank
Implementation Method 2
welding, electro polishing, grinding, and etching
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are orthopedic wires and pins with a cold forged tip for use with External Bone Fixation (EBF) devices. Orthopedic wires includes a length of wire or bar stock and a cutting tip on an end of the length of the wire or bar stock, the cutting tip comprising a cold forged section, wherein a width of the cold forged section conforms to a diameter of the wire or bar stock; and a first plurality of cutting edges in the cold forged section. Also provided are techniques for the manufacture of orthopedic wires and pins.