Disposable Intracranial Drill Bit With Self-Releasing Cam Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cranial drill bits are complex, costly, and difficult to maintain or sterilize, with a risk of incorrect assembly during surgery, and their cutting profiles are inadequate for thicker bones, posing safety and operational challenges in intracranial surgeries.
Innovation Solution
A disposable self-locking intracranial drill bit with a dual-diameter cutting shaft and cams, a Hudson-type plastic coupling mechanism, and a spring-loaded releasing system that ensures safe and precise operation by disengaging when resistance is removed, reducing the number of moving parts and allowing single-use sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If reusable drill bits are used, then cost is reduced, but maintenance and cleaning become very difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable drill bit design where the entire drilling instrument is intended for single use and then discarded. This eliminates the need for complex maintenance and cleaning procedures while keeping costs manageable through standardized manufacturing of disposable units. The drill bit includes a disposable body with integrated cutting elements and a coupling mechanism that cannot be disassembled for reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit is divided into distinct functional segments: a disposable body portion containing the cutting elements, a coupling mechanism for attachment to the driver, and a shank portion. This segmentation allows for optimized design of each component for its specific function while maintaining overall disposability, making the disposable aspect more manageable and cost-effective.
2Ease of repair
If drill bits are made reusable with disassembly capability, then cleaning and sterilization become possible, but risk of wrong assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates assembly errors entirely by making the drill bit disposable. The disposable design includes an integrated coupling mechanism that is either permanently fixed or designed for single-use attachment only, preventing any possibility of wrong reassembly. After one use, the entire unit is discarded, ensuring no risk of incorrect assembly in subsequent uses.
Solution Approach 2:
The coupling mechanism is designed to be self-locking or self-retaining through mechanical features such as snap-fits, bayonet couplings, or threaded connections that automatically secure the drill bit to the driver. This self-service coupling reduces reliance on user skill and minimizes the risk of improper assembly while maintaining the disposable nature of the drill bit.
3Manufacturing precision
If complex geometries are used in drill bits, then cutting performance improves, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes cutting performance by carefully selecting and optimizing key geometric parameters such as cutting edge angles, flute geometry, and diameter ratios rather than using overly complex three-dimensional shapes. This allows achievement of effective cutting performance through refined parameter selection while maintaining manufacturability through standard manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The drill bit design incorporates universal features such as standardized coupling mechanisms and shank dimensions that allow the same basic design to be manufactured in various sizes and configurations. This universality enables economies of scale in manufacturing while maintaining effective cutting geometry across different applications.
4Adaptability or versatility
If larger number of components are used, then functionality improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components. For example, the disposable body incorporates both the cutting elements and structural support functions, the coupling mechanism integrates both attachment and alignment functions, and the shank combines both structural and interface functions. This merging reduces the total number of separate components while maintaining all necessary functionalities.
Solution Approach 2:
Each component is designed to perform multiple functions: the disposable body serves as both the structural housing and the mounting platform for cutting elements; the coupling mechanism provides both attachment to the driver and alignment of the drill bit; the shank provides both structural support and the interface for power transmission. This multi-functionality reduces component count while preserving functionality.
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 solution provides improved safety and performance by simplifying the coupling system, reducing the risk of assembly errors, and enabling effective drilling through thicker bones with reduced operational complexity and cost, while ensuring precise alignment and efficient bone penetration.
Implementation Method 1
a spring-loaded mechanism that ensures secure coupling and release during drilling
Implementation Method 2
cams (14, 15 and 17) proximate to the other end, an external ring (3) having internal faces that interact with said cams
Data Source
AI summary
Release System and Cutting Profile applied to disposable self-locking intracranial drill bit, comprising a disposable cranial drill bit, for single-use, assembled from a coupling mechanism with an internal drill bit and another external one, where an axial load is applied to the cutting edges to transmit the rotary movement to the device, so that, after accessing the cranial bone the mechanism is released and the drill bit ceases its movement, being the coupling mechanism composed by a mechanical arrangement of two sliding helical cams, which interact with a ring, the geometry of which results in coupling, when the drill bit contacts the cranial bone surface, and the drill bit release, once the internal drill bit crossed the bone without affecting the lower cranial layers. The set is encapsulated in a plastic body, which allows the drill bit assembly in a number of craniotomy equipment.