Surgical Cutting Guide Segmented Plates Orthopaedic Cost
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surgical cutting guides for orthopaedic knee surgery, such as those with solid machined blocks, are expensive to produce and not suitable for single-use instruments, requiring costly sterilization and decontamination processes.
Innovation Solution
A surgical cutting guide comprising two plates that define separate cutting planes intersecting at a line of intersection, with each plate extending beyond the line to provide a larger surface area for guiding cutting implements and reducing manufacturing costs by simplifying construction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a solid machined block is used to define cutting planes, then the cutting guide provides sufficient strength and stability, but the manufacturing cost is high and it is not suitable for single-use instruments
Solution Approach 1:
The solid machined block is divided into separate plate components that can be assembled together. Each plate defines a cutting plane and can be manufactured independently at lower cost, while maintaining the structural integrity and stability needed for reliable cutting guidance.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting guide uses composite construction with multiple plate components made from appropriate materials (such as metal or rigid polymer) that provide the necessary strength and stability. This composite approach allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while reducing overall manufacturing complexity and cost.
2Manufacturing precision
If a solid machined block is used to define cutting planes, then the cutting guide maintains precision, but it requires sterilization and decontamination processes for repeated use
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting guide is designed as a disposable instrument with simplified construction that can be manufactured at low cost. Each use involves a new sterile package, eliminating the need for complex sterilization and decontamination processes between uses while maintaining cutting precision through accurate plate geometry.
3Manufacturing precision
If plates extend beyond the line of intersection, then the surface area for guiding cutting implement is increased, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The extended plates are segmented into separate components that attach to a common base or reference structure. This segmentation allows each plate to extend beyond the line of intersection to provide adequate surface area for cutting implement guidance, while the modular assembly keeps the overall device complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical cutting guide is described which can guide a cutting implement to cut in a pair of planes at a defined relative orientation. The cutting guide comprises a first plate defining a first cutting plane, a second plate defining a second cutting plane at an angle to the first cutting plane; and a base member to which both the first plate and the second plate are attached. The first and second cutting planes intersect each other at a line of intersection and both the first plate and the second plate extend beyond the line of intersection.