Drill Bit With Coaxial Fluid Apertures for Soft Tissue Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
During surgical procedures, drill bits used to penetrate bone risk damaging adjacent sensitive soft tissues, such as the dura or spinal cord, due to lack of effective protection and real-time sensing mechanisms to prevent over-drilling.
Innovation Solution
A drill bit system with a coaxial hollow shaft and apertures that releases pressurized fluid to create a protective barrier between the drill tip and soft tissue, combined with real-time pressure and flow rate monitoring to detect when to stop drilling, preventing damage to sensitive anatomical elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a drill bit is used to penetrate bone during surgical procedures, then the drilling function is achieved, but adjacent sensitive soft tissues risk damage due to lack of protection
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces pressurized fluid as an intermediary substance delivered through the hollow drill bit shaft. The fluid acts as a mediator between the drill bit and surrounding soft tissues, creating a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between the drill bit and sensitive anatomical structures while maintaining the drilling function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes hydraulic principles by delivering pressurized fluid through the hollow shaft of the drill bit. The pressurized fluid flows through apertures in the drill bit to create a protective barrier, leveraging fluid pressure and flow dynamics to achieve tissue protection without compromising drilling effectiveness.
2Reliability
If real-time sensing mechanisms are added to prevent over-drilling, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through pressure sensors and flow rate sensors that continuously monitor fluid dynamics during drilling. When the drill bit penetrates through bone and enters soft tissue, the sensors detect changes in fluid pressure and flow rate, providing real-time feedback to the control system to automatically stop drilling and prevent damage to sensitive structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical sensing mechanisms with fluid dynamics-based sensing. Instead of using mechanical sensors to detect tissue boundaries, the system utilizes changes in fluid pressure and flow rate as natural indicators of bone penetration, simplifying the sensing mechanism while maintaining high reliability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If pressurized fluid is released through apertures to create a protective barrier, then soft tissue protection is enhanced, but device complexity increases due to additional fluid delivery components
Solution Approach 1:
The hollow drill bit shaft serves multiple functions: it acts as both the structural core for drilling and as a fluid delivery conduit. The apertures in the drill bit simultaneously enable cutting/fluid delivery during drilling and serve as exit points for the protective fluid barrier. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate fluid delivery components, minimizing additional complexity while achieving tissue protection.
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 system effectively protects soft tissues from damage by using fluid pressure to push them away from the drill bit and automatically controlling the drilling process based on fluid dynamics, enhancing patient safety during surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
the pressurized fluid is released into the coaxial hollow shaft, and when at least one of the plurality of apertures is not blocked, the pressurized fluid is released through the at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures
Implementation Method 2
monitor a pressure of the fluid via a pressure sensor in fluid communication with the coaxial hollow shaft
Implementation Method 3
monitor a flow rate of the fluid via a flow sensor in fluid communication with the coaxial hollow shaft
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems, and methods for drilling an anatomical element are provided. A drill bit may comprise a coaxial hollow shaft in communication with a plurality of apertures disposed on a surface of the drill bit. A fluid inlet may be in fluid communication with the coaxial hollow shaft via a selectively openable valve. The fluid inlet may be configured to receive pressurized fluid. When the valve is opened, the pressurized fluid may be released into the coaxial hollow shaft, and when at least one of the plurality of apertures is not blocked, the pressurized fluid may be released through the at least one aperture of the plurality of apertures.