Surgical Drill Guide With Tapered Bone-Hooking Projection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing surgical drill guides lack the ability to accurately and securely position themselves relative to bones during surgical hole drilling, often causing accidental engagement with soft tissues or suture, and do not accommodate various bone sizes and shapes effectively.

Innovation Solution

The drill guide features a tapered projection that hooks under the bone for secure positioning, an elongated slot extending less than 180°, and a handle for easy manipulation, along with an insert and cannula system for precise drilling, ensuring accurate hole placement and minimizing soft-tissue interaction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional drill guide is used without a tapered projection, then the structure is simpler, but the drill guide cannot securely position itself relative to the bone, causing accidental engagement with soft tissues

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidstructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The drill guide is divided into distinct functional segments: a tapered projection for positioning and securing against the bone, an elongated body with a slot for drill bit guidance, and a cap portion. This segmentation allows each part to perform its specific function effectively while maintaining overall structural integrity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tapered projection introduces asymmetry to the otherwise symmetric drill guide structure. This asymmetric feature enables the drill guide to engage securely with the bone at a specific orientation, preventing rotation and ensuring accurate positioning during the drilling procedure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #4Asymmetry

2Adaptability or versatility

If the slot extends 180° or more about the longitudinal axis, then the drill guide can accommodate more drilling angles, but it increases the risk of engaging soft tissues and reduces precision

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedrilling angle accommodationVSAvoidhole placement precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The slot is designed with specific local characteristics: it extends less than 180° about the longitudinal axis, creating a controlled opening that guides the drill bit in a precise arc. This local geometric constraint ensures that the drill hole is formed with high precision while the tapered projection handles the positioning function separately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Measurement precision

If the drill guide is designed for specific bone sizes and shapes, then positioning accuracy improves, but it reduces adaptability to various anatomies

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracyVSAvoidanatomy compatibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The drill guide incorporates a tapered projection that can engage with various bone shapes and sizes through a universal engagement mechanism. The projection's geometry allows it to hook under different bone contours, enabling the same drill guide design to accommodate multiple anatomical variations while maintaining positioning accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS12357325B2Surgical drill guide

Publication Date: 2025.07.15 ARTHREX INC

AI summary

Drill guides are disclosed herein that include a tapered projection that hooks under a bone to position the drill guide relative to the bone. The drill guide is used to drill a hole that receives a suture anchor.