Pivotable Medical Instrument Deburring Faces With Aligned Milling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional production methods for medical instruments with pivotable body parts result in form and dimensional fluctuations due to hand-guided machining, and undefined heat input during burr removal, leading to inconsistent quality.

Innovation Solution

The production method involves machine milling to create deburring faces perpendicular to a common machining plane, using a milling tool rotated about a deburring longitudinal axis, ensuring precise and reproducible removal of burrs while maintaining alignment, and forming a joint bore parallel to this axis, allowing pivotable coupling of instrument body parts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If hand-guided belt grinding is used to remove burrs, then burr removal is achieved, but form and dimensional fluctuations occur and undefined heat input is introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveburr removal processVSAvoidform and dimensional accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the hand-guided mechanical belt grinding process with a machine-controlled milling process. The milling tool is guided by a program to remove burrs, eliminating the manual operation that causes form and dimensional fluctuations. This substitution of manual mechanical grinding with automated machine milling resolves the contradiction by maintaining ease of manufacture while significantly improving manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a self-service approach where the milling process automatically removes burrs based on pre-programmed paths and parameters. The system serves itself by using automated control to maintain consistent deburring faces without requiring manual intervention, thereby eliminating the variability introduced by hand-guided operations while keeping the process efficient.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of manufacture

If hand-guided belt grinding is used to remove burrs, then burr removal is achieved, but excessive heat input occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveburr removal processVSAvoidheat input to instrument body part

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces hand-guided belt grinding with machine-controlled milling, which generates less excessive heat through more controlled material removal. The automated milling process allows for optimized cutting parameters and coolant application, reducing undefined heat input to the instrument body part while maintaining effective burr removal.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The milling process operates with periodic cutting actions rather than continuous grinding, allowing heat dissipation between cuts. This periodic material removal reduces cumulative heat buildup in the instrument body part compared to continuous hand-guided grinding, resolving the temperature contradiction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Manufacturing precision

If machine milling is used to create deburring faces, then manufacturing precision is improved, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedeburring face consistencyVSAvoidmilling process setup

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by programming the milling paths and parameters before the actual deburring process. The deburring faces, their orientations, and milling parameters are predetermined, which simplifies the actual machining operation. This pre-planning reduces on-site complexity while maintaining high manufacturing precision through consistent automated execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The milling process is designed to be universal, handling multiple deburring faces and various instrument body part geometries through a single programmed system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized equipment for each specific deburring task, thereby managing device complexity while achieving consistent high precision across different applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-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

This approach eliminates process fluctuations, prevents excessive heating, and ensures high-quality, reproducible medical instruments with clearly defined deburring faces, enabling secure identification and improved stability.

Implementation Method 1

The burrs are removed by milling, in particular machine milling

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical cutting: Abrasion

Data Source

PatentUS12359270B2Medical instrument and method for producing a medical instrument

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 AESCULAP AG

AI summary

A medical instrument and method for producing a medical instrument with at least one instrument body part made from an instrument body part blank by forming. The at least one instrument body part has at least one deburring face formed by milling. The at least one deburring face includes one or more portions. Each portion extends perpendicularly to a machining plane. A normal to the machining plane defines a deburring longitudinal axis.