Disposable Kerrison Rongeur with Molded Interlock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current kerrison rongeurs are costly, difficult to sharpen, prone to non-ideal handling leading to bent or broken tips, challenging to clean, and can cause postoperative pain due to thick footplates, and small screws can loosen and fall into the operative site, posing risks such as prion disease transmission.
Innovation Solution
A disposable kerrison rongeur design combining metal and plastic materials, featuring a unique interlock mechanism, a slimmer profile, and ergonomic handle design to reduce user discomfort and improve handling safety, with a permanent rivet instead of loose screws to prevent loss and ensure sterility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If reusable kerrison rongeurs are used to reduce cost, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but they require repeated sharpening which limits their durability and can lead to non-ideal handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a disposable kerrison rongeur where the entire device including the cutting tip is discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need for repeated sharpening and sterilization, ensuring consistent cutting performance while reducing long-term costs. The disposable nature guarantees reliability by preventing dull blade issues that affect reusable instruments.
2Quantity of substance
If reusable kerrison rongeurs are used, then initial cost is reduced, but cleaning and sterilization become difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable design eliminates all cleaning and sterilization requirements. The entire device is pre-sterilized and discarded after one use, preventing cross-contamination risks and eliminating the time-consuming sterilization process that affects reusable instruments.
3Strength
If thick footplates are used in reusable kerrison rongeurs to prevent bending, then structural strength is improved, but they cause postoperative pain and spasms when pressed against neural structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the footplate thickness parameter to a thin design optimized for neural decompression. The disposable nature and precision manufacturing allow the footplate to be made thin enough to prevent neural compression while maintaining adequate strength through proper material selection and structural design.
4Device complexity
If small screws are used in reusable kerrison rongeurs to assemble components, then device complexity is reduced, but the screws can loosen and fall into the operative site causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The disposable design eliminates the risk of loose screws falling into the operative site. All fastening components are integrated into the single-use device, and the entire assembly is discarded after one use, preventing any contamination risk from loose hardware.
5Ease of manufacture
If traditional handle designs are used in reusable kerrison rongeurs, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but surgeons experience carpel tunnel syndrome from uncomfortable handling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes handle parameters including diameter, length, and grip geometry to reduce wrist strain and prevent carpel tunnel syndrome. The ergonomic design is achieved through precision manufacturing of the disposable device, allowing optimized dimensions without complicating the manufacturing process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A disposable kerrison rongeur. A base includes a handle portion, a body portion and a shaft portion. The shaft portion is made of a metal material and includes a male mold-on interlock portion configured to non-removably interlock with an over-molded plastic material. The body portion is made of plastic material and includes an over-mold interlock portion that is over-molded onto and non-removably fixed onto the mold-on interlock portion of the shaft portion. A slide shaft includes a distal portion and a proximal portion. The distal portion is made of a metal material and includes a male mold-on interlock portion configured to non-removably interlock with an over-molded plastic material. The proximal portion is made of a plastic material and includes an over-mold interlock portion that is over-molded onto and non-removably fixed onto the mold-on interlock portion of the distal portion.