Hands Free Drill Guide for Bone Plate Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Drilling a bone for the insertion of screws or other devices to repair damaged or broken bones is a cumbersome process that often requires multiple clinicians to hold various instruments, leading to cluttered and obscured work sites and potential errors due to the need for manual guidance of the drill.
Innovation Solution
A hands-free drill guide with a handle and distal legs that securely attach to a bone plate, allowing the drill to be inserted through a longitudinal passage while maintaining a stable and consistent drilling angle, thus freeing up the clinician's hands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple clinicians hold various instruments to guide the drill, then the drilling process can be controlled, but the work site becomes cluttered and obscured leading to errors
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide is designed to be self-retaining through engagement features (legs with cam surfaces that engage bone plate holes) and self-aligning mechanisms (longitudinal guide passage that automatically orients the drill). This eliminates the need for multiple clinicians to manually hold and position instruments, allowing the device to maintain stable positioning and guide accurate drilling independently.
2Manufacturing precision
If manual guidance of the drill is used, then drilling control is achieved, but the process becomes tedious and requires multiple clinicians
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide acts as an intermediary device between the bone plate and the drill. It provides a pre-configured longitudinal passage that mechanically guides the drill bit, ensuring precise angular and positional alignment without requiring manual manipulation. The engagement legs secure the guide to the bone plate, creating a stable intermediate structure that transfers the drilling action accurately to the bone.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the drill guide is held during use, then positioning stability is maintained, but the clinician's hands are occupied
Solution Approach 1:
The drill guide incorporates self-retention mechanisms through its leg structure with cam surfaces that engage with holes in the bone plate. Once positioned, the legs automatically lock into place through a snapping or camming action, maintaining stable positioning without requiring continuous manual holding. This frees the clinician's hands while preserving guide stability throughout the drilling operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A hands free drill guide includes a handle having a proximal handle end portion, a distal gripping end portion, and a longitudinal through-passage extending between the proximal end portion and the distal gripping end portion. The distal end portion includes two legs extending along either side of the through passage. A method of using the drill guide is also provided.