Disposable Milling Tool for Prosthetic Surgery

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional milling tools for prosthetic surgery are costly, complex, and prone to contamination due to inadequate sterilization, leading to increased operational expenses and risks for patients.

Innovation Solution

A milling tool with a titanium-made support and attachment parts, featuring a disposable cutting part and selective releasable connections, designed to minimize contamination risks and reduce sterilization needs, while being compact and cost-effective.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If conventional milling tools are used with complex structural design, then the milling capability and precision are improved, but the washing and sterilizing effectiveness deteriorates and contamination risk increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemilling precisionVSAvoidsterilization effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The milling tool is divided into modular components: a reusable handle and a disposable milling cap. This segmentation allows the cutting portion to be discarded after single use, eliminating sterilization requirements while maintaining precise milling capabilities through factory-sealed sterile packaging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The milling cap is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need for repeated sterilization cycles, ensures complete elimination of contamination risk, and reduces long-term costs despite higher per-unit price of the disposable cap.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Productivity

If conventional milling tools are subjected to repeated washing and sterilizing operations, then the tools can be reused, but the overall costs increase and contamination risk remains

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetool reuse capabilityVSAvoidcontamination risk

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The milling cap is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after a single use. This eliminates the need for repeated sterilization cycles, ensures complete elimination of contamination risk, and reduces long-term costs despite higher per-unit price of the disposable cap.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The disposable milling cap is discarded after single use while the expensive handle component is recovered and reused. This approach eliminates contamination risks associated with sterilization while maintaining productivity through reuse of the handle.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Manufacturing precision

If conventional milling tools are designed with complex structure, then the milling performance is improved, but the production and supply costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemilling performanceVSAvoidproduction cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The milling tool is divided into modular components: a reusable handle and a disposable milling cap. This segmentation allows the cutting portion to be discarded after single use, eliminating sterilization requirements while maintaining precise milling capabilities through factory-sealed sterile packaging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The milling cap is designed as a disposable component that is discarded after single use. This eliminates the need for repeated sterilization cycles, ensures complete elimination of contamination risk, and reduces long-term costs despite higher per-unit price of the disposable cap.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentEP3698730B1Milling tool for prosthetic surgery operations

Publication Date: 2022.01.26 HPF

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AI summary

Milling tool for prosthetic surgery operations, comprising: a support part (21, 32, 57) with a substantially hemispherical shape; an attachment part (24, 33, 68) able to be associated with the support part (21, 32, 57) in order to allow the selectively releasable connection of a handling device (28); and a cutting part (81, 82, 83) associated at least with the support part (21, 32, 57) and provided with one or more cutting elements (22).