Disposable Acetabular Reamer Blade Securement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acetabular reamers are expensive, complex, and require thorough cleaning and sterilization, leading to inefficiencies in surgery due to their reusable nature, which can result in reduced treatment rates and increased infection risk, as well as loss of accuracy over time.
Innovation Solution
A single-use acetabular reamer with a hemispherical head and multiple blades mounted in a plastic holder, featuring a securement mechanism with projections that are bent over to fix the blades in place, allowing for precise alignment and easy attachment to a rotary driver, reducing the need for extensive cleaning and sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reusable acetabular reamers are used, then cost is reduced and equipment is available for repeated use, but cleaning and sterilization time increases, infection risk increases, and cutting accuracy decreases over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable single-use reamers that are discarded after one use, eliminating the need for cleaning and sterilization. Each reamer maintains sharp cutting edges and precise dimensions throughout its single use, ensuring consistent cutting accuracy without the degradation problems associated with reusable instruments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system discards the reamer after single use rather than attempting to recover and reuse it. This approach recovers surgical time by eliminating cleaning and sterilization processes, and recovers precision by ensuring each new reamer is factory-sharp without wear or damage from previous uses.
2Reliability
If reusable acetabular reamers are used, then equipment cost is reduced, but infection risk increases due to contamination during cleaning and sterilization
Solution Approach 1:
The reamer is designed as a disposable single-use instrument that is discarded after one use, completely eliminating the infection risk associated with cleaning and sterilization processes. The low cost of the disposable reamer compared to the risk of surgical site infection makes this approach highly advantageous.
3Productivity
If reusable acetabular reamers are used, then initial equipment cost is reduced, but treatment rate decreases due to cleaning wait time
Solution Approach 1:
By using disposable reamers, the surgical workflow is streamlined as reamers can be immediately discarded after use without requiring cleaning or sterilization processing. This eliminates wait time between cases and maximizes the treatment rate, with each reamer ready for use immediately upon packaging opening.
4Manufacturing precision
If reusable acetabular reamers are used, then equipment investment is reduced, but cutting precision is lost over time due to blade wear and attrition
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable reamer is designed for single use only, ensuring that cutting precision is maintained at factory specifications throughout its entire service life. The blade never experiences wear, dulling, or damage from cleaning processes, guaranteeing consistent cutting accuracy for the duration of its single use.
Solution Approach 2:
The reamer is pre-sharpened and precision-manufactured at the factory before use. This preliminary preparation ensures optimal cutting edges are present from the start, and since the reamer is discarded after one use, the precision is never compromised by subsequent wear or handling.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotary cutter with hemispherical shaped head and a plurality of blades mounted in said head, wherein each of said blades has securement means for securing each blade in position in said head by interacting with an inner surface of said head.