Surgical Instrument Inking Capsule for Bone Hole Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
During surgical procedures, there is difficulty in locating holes punched in bones due to lack of contrast between the hole and surrounding tissue, making it challenging for surgeons to accurately position screws or hardware.
Innovation Solution
An inking apparatus comprising an ink reservoir sealed with a penetrable seal, allowing a surgical instrument to break through and contact ink, which is then transferred onto the instrument's tip for marking bone or tissue, enhancing visibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a visible mark is applied to the patient bone proximate the hole, then visibility of the hole site is improved, but the surgical procedure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The surgical instrument performs dual functions: it both creates the hole in the bone and applies the visible mark to indicate the hole location. The instrument's tip contacts the ink reservoir directly during insertion, transferring ink to the bone without requiring separate marking equipment or steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The inking function is merged with the surgical instrument itself. The instrument serves as both the cutting tool for creating the hole and the marking tool for applying the visible indicator, combining two previously separate functions into one integrated device.
2Ease of operation
If the ink reservoir is made accessible for inking, then the inking function is improved, but the risk of ink leakage or contamination increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sterile drape is pre-applied to the ink reservoir before the surgical procedure begins, creating a protective barrier that maintains ink containment while allowing the instrument tip to access the ink through the drape during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sterile drape acts as an intermediary barrier between the ink reservoir and the surgical field. It allows the instrument tip to contact the ink while preventing direct exposure of the ink to non-sterile environments, thus maintaining both accessibility and containment reliability.
3Ease of operation
If the surgical instrument penetrates the seal to contact the ink, then the inking function is achieved, but the seal integrity is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The seal is designed with differentiated properties: it remains intact and protective over most of the ink reservoir surface, but contains a localized penetrable region that allows the surgical instrument tip to contact the ink while maintaining overall seal integrity for the remainder of the reservoir.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for inking a surgical instrument includes an inking capsule, which comprises a base and a vertical wall extending from the base to define a cavity. The inking capsule has a first opening opposite the base, an ink reservoir disposed within the cavity, where the ink reservoir has ink disposed therein. The ink reservoir comprises a second opening proximate a top portion of the ink reservoir, and a penetrable seal covering the second opening to seal the ink in the ink reservoir when the seal is in an unbroken state.