Surgical Reamer Depth-Limiting Flange for Precise Tissue Excision
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional surgical reamers lack precision and control in removing defective tissue from joints, often leading to inaccurate depth penetration and potential damage to healthy tissue.
Innovation Solution
A reamer device with a cutting head featuring multiple cutting blades and a depth-limiting flange that limits the depth of tissue penetration, combined with a shaft that can be flexible for improved access, and includes openings for debris removal, ensuring precise and controlled tissue excision.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional surgical reamers are used to remove defective tissue, then tissue removal capability is achieved, but depth control precision deteriorates leading to inaccurate penetration depth
Solution Approach 1:
A depth-limiting flange is introduced as an intermediary element between the cutting blades and the tissue. This flange acts as a mechanical stop that prevents the cutting blades from penetrating deeper than the desired depth, thereby achieving precise depth control without requiring complex measurement systems during the surgical procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The depth-limiting flange is pre-configured on the reamer device before the surgical procedure. The desired penetration depth is determined in advance by selecting a reamer with an appropriately positioned flange, allowing the surgeon to achieve accurate depth control without real-time measurement or adjustment during the procedure.
2Productivity
If cutting blades are extended deeper to remove defective tissue, then tissue removal effectiveness is improved, but risk of damage to healthy tissue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The depth-limiting flange serves as a protective intermediary that physically prevents the cutting blades from contacting healthy tissue beyond the defective area. This mechanical barrier ensures that aggressive tissue removal can be performed effectively while automatically stopping before damaging healthy structures.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid shaft is used for the reamer device, then structural stability is improved, but ability to access difficult joint areas deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The reamer device incorporates a flexible shaft that can dynamically adapt its configuration to reach difficult-to-access joint areas. The flexibility allows the shaft to bend and conform to complex anatomical pathways while maintaining sufficient structural stability to transmit cutting forces from the cutting blades.
4Productivity
If multiple cutting blades are used to improve cutting efficiency, then tissue removal speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cutting function is segmented into multiple independent cutting blades arranged around the shaft. Each blade operates independently to remove tissue, collectively achieving high removal speed. This segmentation allows efficient tissue removal while keeping each individual blade relatively simple in design.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of a reamer device for removing tissue from a patient, including a shaft, a cutting head having at least four cutting blades, and a depth-limiting flange extending radially outwardly away from the at least four cutting blades. Some embodiments of the reamer device can have a shaft, a cutting head coupled with the shaft, and a depth limiting element. The cutting head can have at least four cutting blades. In some embodiments, the depth limiting element can have a distal surface configured to contact a surface of the patient's tissue to limit a depth into the patient's tissue that the at least four cutting blades can advance to, and/or can be configured to extend radially outwardly of the at least four cutting blades so that the depth limiting element contacts a surface of the patient's tissue adjacent to a cutout created by the at least four cutting blades.