Pneumatic Bone Pin Gun for Rapid Fracture Stabilization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional orthopedic tools for temporarily stabilizing bone fractures are cumbersome and time-consuming, requiring invasive procedures and complex placement of internal fixation devices like wires, which can interfere with permanent fixation methods and prolong surgical time.
Innovation Solution
A gas-powered bone pin gun with safety features and automatic advancements, capable of rapidly driving bone pins into fractured bones, featuring a mode selector ring, piston, and automatic pin trimming to minimize contamination and surgical time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If wires are used for temporary fixation, then bone fragments can be stabilized, but the procedure becomes laborious and time-consuming due to difficult drilling and placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical drilling and wire placement system with a powered drilling system that automatically drives pins and wires into bone fragments. The drill bit rotates at high speed to create pilot holes, and the wire insertion tool automatically feeds and secures wires, eliminating the laborious manual drilling and wire manipulation described in the background.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire insertion tool is designed to automatically feed wires from a spool, cut them to length, and secure them to bone fragments without requiring manual bending or repositioning. The system performs these functions autonomously once activated, reducing the need for surgeon intervention and minimizing surgical time.
2Reliability
If wires are used for temporary fixation, then bone fragments can be stabilized, but wire removal requires time-consuming reattachment and repositioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual wire manipulation with an automated wire insertion and removal system. The powered tool can both insert and remove wires using motorized mechanisms, eliminating the need for manual bending, reattachment, and repositioning of wires that complicates the surgical process.
3Reliability
If internal fixation devices are used, then temporary stabilization is achieved, but they can extend externally and interfere with permanent fixation devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses separate, modular temporary fixation pins and wires that can be placed in specific locations independent of where permanent fixation devices will be positioned. This segmentation allows the surgical team to remove temporary devices without interfering with the placement of permanent plates and screws.
Solution Approach 2:
The powered drilling system creates precise pilot holes before wire or pin insertion, ensuring that temporary fixation devices are placed accurately in optimal locations that will not conflict with subsequent permanent fixation device placement. This preliminary planning and execution prevents interference between temporary and permanent fixation systems.
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 bone pin gun efficiently stabilizes fractures with reduced surgical time, ensuring precise alignment and rapid stabilization, while minimizing contamination and interference with permanent fixation devices.
Implementation Method 1
a gas-powered piston having a projection that is sized for receipt within the passageways of the magazine. As discussed herein, the projection can be configured to apply sufficient force to the bone pin to drive the bone pin out of the magazine and into the fractured bone.
Data Source
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AI summary
A orthopedic tool (10) for bone fixation is provided for driving a bone pin into a fractured bone to stabilize the fractured bone by maintaining the fractured bone in a reduced state. The tool may be a handheld device including a magazine (56) having a plurality of passageways (98) containing one or more bone pins (62) positioned within the passageways. The tool may also include a pneumatically- powered piston (64) having a projection (70) that is sized for receipt within the plurality of passageways, the projection applying sufficient force to the bone pin to drive the bone pin out of the magazine and into the fractured bone.