Drill Guide Sleeve Assembly for Bone Plate Hole Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drill guide sleeves for bone plates are prone to losing or damaging small parts, such as springs, during reprocessing and sanitization, and do not adequately protect the bone plate from drill bit damage during drilling of offset and neutral holes.
Innovation Solution
A drill guide assembly with a drill guide sleeve that includes a spring-integrated inner member and a design that prevents rotation of the drill guide, ensuring secure attachment and protection of the bone plate, allowing for drilling of offset and neutral holes without damaging the bone plate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate spring component is used in the drill guide assembly, then the assembly can provide biasing force to extend the drill guide tube, but the small spring parts are prone to loss or damage during reprocessing and sanitization
Solution Approach 1:
The spring is integrated into the inner member as a continuous structure rather than being a separate component. The inner member includes a body portion with a lumen that receives the drill guide tube, and the spring is formed as an integral part of this inner member structure, eliminating the risk of spring loss during reprocessing while maintaining the biasing function.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner member serves multiple functions: it provides the spring biasing force, acts as a structural support for the drill guide tube, and functions as a single reprocessable component. By combining the spring function with the inner member structure, the design achieves multi-functionality while eliminating part loss risks.
2Ease of operation
If the drill guide is designed to allow rotation for positioning, then the surgeon can adjust the drilling angle, but the drill guide may rotate unintentionally during drilling causing inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide assembly transitions from a static fixed-angle design to a dynamic adjustable design. The inner member can be rotated relative to the outer member to change the drilling angle, and this rotation is locked in place during drilling to maintain precision. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the surgeon to optimize the drilling angle while preventing unintentional rotation during the actual drilling operation.
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 drill guide assembly effectively protects the bone plate from drill bit damage and facilitates secure, reliable drilling of offset and neutral holes, reducing the risk of part loss and damage during reprocessing.
Implementation Method 1
a spring configured to engage the ring and distal end of the drill guide body; wherein the spring is configured to bias the drill guide tube in a distal direction so that a distal end of the drill guide tube extends from the sleeve distal end
Data Source
AI summary
A drill guide assembly configured to engage a drill bit, including: a drill guide including: a drill guide tube including a ring and a flared end at a proximal end of the drill guide tube; a drill guide body with a central opening configured to receive the drill guide tube and a tube stop configured to engage the flared end; and a spring configured to engage the ring and distal end of the drill guide body; and a drill guide sleeve with a central opening configured to receive the drill guide including a ring stop configured to engage the ring and a sleeve distal end configured to engage a plate hole on a bone plate, wherein the spring is configured to bias the drill guide tube in a distal direction so that a distal end of the drill guide tube extends from the sleeve distal end.