Disposable Hemispherical Reamer Cutting Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing orthopedic reamers used for cutting convex bone surfaces are costly, require complex manufacturing, and have inefficiencies in cutting various types of tissue and bone, leading to increased procedural times and patient trauma due to dull cutting blades and potential infection risks from reuse.
Innovation Solution
A disposable reamer with a semi-hemispherical body and strategically positioned, offset cutting teeth along its curved surface, composed of biocompatible materials like stainless steel and polymeric materials, which reduces drive motor torque and enhances cutting precision through a skiving method.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If prior art acetabular reamers are reused multiple times, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but infection risk increases and cutting efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a disposable reamer design where the entire reamer assembly is intended for single use only. This eliminates infection risks associated with sterilization of reusable instruments while maintaining cost-effectiveness through simplified manufacturing processes. The disposable nature ensures sharp cutting edges throughout use without requiring resharpening or sterilization cycles.
2Ease of manufacture
If cutting blades are resharpened for reuse, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but procedural time increases and infection risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable reamer eliminates the need for resharpening operations between uses. Each reamer is manufactured with pre-sharpened cutting edges that remain sharp throughout its single use lifecycle, eliminating procedural delays associated with resharpening while keeping overall costs manageable through efficient manufacturing.
3Device complexity
If scraping method is used to remove tissue and bone, then manufacturing complexity is reduced, but cutting efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The reamer incorporates multiple discrete cutting elements arranged in circumferential rows around the reamer body. These segmented cutting edges work simultaneously to efficiently remove bone and tissue through a cutting action rather than scraping, improving productivity while maintaining manageable manufacturing complexity through modular construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting edges are configured to follow the curved surface of the reamer body, creating a hemispherical cutting pattern. This spherical geometry allows the cutting edges to maintain optimal contact with the bone surface throughout rotation, enhancing cutting efficiency while the curved design integrates naturally with the reamer's overall shape, keeping manufacturing complexity reasonable.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple sizes of reamers are manufactured, then adaptability to different patients is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The reamer design incorporates adjustable or interchangeable components that allow a single base design to function across multiple size requirements. This universal approach enables the same fundamental reamer structure to be adapted for different patient anatomies and surgical needs, reducing the complexity of manufacturing and managing multiple specialized reamer sizes.
Data Source
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AI summary
A disposable reamer designed to improve bone and tissue removal efficiency is described. The reamer device comprises a reamer body shell, a series of reamer blades and a reamer shaft interface. The reamer body shell has a hemispherical structure having a concave interior surface and a convex outer surface. The series of reamer blades have a cutting portion comprised of a series of discrete cutting edges that is bent at an angle from the planar portion of the blade. The reamer blades are positioned along the curved concave interior surface of the hemispherical shell or along the curved convex outer surface of the shell. The reamer blades are positioned along the hemispherical shell such that their leading edges lie parallel to and tangent a bisecting plane.