Nested Cartridge Partition Cutting for Bone Cement Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional storage and mixing systems for pasty two-component polymethyl methacrylate bone cements require excessive manual force or complex, costly equipment to handle highly viscous cement components, leading to inefficiencies and difficulties in delivering a homogeneous cement dough in medical settings.
Innovation Solution
A tubular cartridge system with a cylindrical interior and an axially disposed partition wall, where two delivery plungers are connected via a wedge or cone cutting edge that cuts open the partition wall as they advance, allowing for manual operation with reduced force and simplified assembly, enabling efficient mixing and delivery of the cement components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If conventional storage and mixing systems are used for pasty two-component polymethyl methacrylate bone cements, then the cement components can be stored and mixed, but excessive manual force or complex, costly equipment is required to handle highly viscous cement components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by placing one cartridge inside another cartridge of different diameter. The inner cartridge contains one cement component while the outer cartridge contains the other component. This nested configuration allows both components to be delivered simultaneously through a single mixing tip without requiring complex multi-channel delivery systems, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining effective mixing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the delivery system into two separate cartridges, each containing one of the two cement components. This segmentation allows each cartridge to be optimized independently for its specific component's viscosity characteristics, enabling manual operation with reduced force requirements while avoiding the need for a single complex integrated system.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional storage and mixing systems are used, then cement components can be stored separately, but the system requires specialized equipment for efficient mixing and delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by designing the dual-cartridge system to be compatible with conventional single-cartridge delivery devices. The nested cartridge configuration allows the system to interface with standard delivery tips and applicators already used in clinical practice, eliminating the need for specialized equipment while maintaining mixing and delivery functionality.
3Reliability
If highly viscous pasty cement components are used, then the cement dough becomes non-sticky immediately after mixing, but a press-out force greater than 7 kN is required for acceptable application rate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dimensionality change by using cartridges with different diameters arranged in a nested configuration. The inner cartridge has a smaller diameter than the outer cartridge, creating a hierarchical spatial arrangement. This dimensional differentiation allows both highly viscous components to be delivered simultaneously with reduced pressure requirements compared to forcing both through identical narrow channels, while still achieving the required cement dough quality.
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 allows for the efficient and manual mixing and delivery of a homogeneous cement dough using conventional medical devices, reducing the effort required and eliminating the need for specialized equipment, while ensuring the cement components are safely stored and combined.
Implementation Method 1
two delivery plungers connected via a connecting means, wherein a wedge or cone having a cutting edge on the face of the wedge or cone facing the cartridge head is disposed on the connecting means, such that the cutting edge cuts open the partition wall when the delivery plungers are advanced towards the cartridge head
Implementation Method 2
the wedge or cone presses the cut open parts of the partition wall towards the inner wall of the cartridge
Implementation Method 3
a press-out force greater than 7 kN is required to extrude the highly viscous cement pastes at an acceptable application rate
Data Source
AI summary
A storage and mixing system for pasty two-component polymethyl methacrylate bone cements comprises a tubular cartridge with a cylindrical interior, a cartridge head that closes one end of the tubular cartridge, a partition wall axially disposed in the cylindrical interior and dividing the cylindrical interior into two spatially separate cavities, the first cavity including a first pasty cement component and the second cavity including a second pasty cement component, two delivery plungers disposed movably in the two cavities and connected via a connecting means, wherein a wedge or cone having a cutting edge on the front side thereof facing the cartridge head is disposed on the connecting means, such that said cutting edge cuts open the partition wall when the delivery pistons are advanced towards the cartridge head and the wedge or cone presses the cut open parts of the partition wall towards the inner wall of the cartridge.