Segmented Orthopaedic Cutting Block for Cost-Effective Precision
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Orthopaedic cutting blocks are expensive due to high manufacturing costs, labor costs, and durability issues, and they present challenges in disposability and precision in making bone cuts during surgeries like total knee replacement.
Innovation Solution
A bone cutting block composed of side plates, saw slot plates, and a chamfer plate, manufactured using stamping and sheet metal processing, allowing for customizable and cost-effective production, enabling four precise cuts in a femur with the option for disposable or reusable designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional orthopaedic cutting blocks are manufactured using conventional machining methods from solid metal blocks, then durability and precision are improved, but manufacturing cost and production time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting block is divided into multiple separate plates (side plates, saw slot plates, chamfer plate) that are connected together. Each plate can be manufactured independently using stamping or sheet metal processing, reducing tooling costs and manufacturing complexity while maintaining overall precision through locating features that ensure accurate positioning of components relative to each other
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing method transitions from conventional solid block machining to stamping and sheet metal processing. This parameter change in the manufacturing process enables cost-effective production while maintaining the required precision through controlled forming processes and precise locating feature integration
2Reliability
If cutting blocks are made as disposable items to reduce sterilization costs, then infection risk is reduced, but manufacturing cost per unit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting block is designed as a disposable instrument that can be discarded after a single use, eliminating sterilization requirements and reducing infection risk. The segmented plate construction with locating features enables cost-effective manufacturing of these single-use devices through stamping and sheet metal processing, making the disposable approach economically viable
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cutting blocks are manufactured to accommodate different cut configurations, then versatility is improved, but inventory cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting block design incorporates multiple saw slot plates and configurable locating features that allow a single basic configuration to accommodate different cut requirements. The plates can be arranged and positioned to create various slot configurations for different cutting angles and positions, enabling one universal block design to replace multiple specialized blocks in traditional inventory systems
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming a bone cutting block includes: forming a plurality of saw slot plates and two side plates, the plurality of saw slot plates each including a plurality of ends opposing one another, each of the plurality of ends including a locating feature, the side plates including a plurality of locating features; and supporting the plurality of saw slot plates using the side plates, each locating feature of the plurality of saw slot plates being connected with a respective one of the plurality of locating features of the side plates and the side plates thereby opposing one another, the plurality of saw slot plates defining at least one slot therebetween which is configured for receiving a bone saw blade therethrough to make a predefined cut in a bone.