Vacuum-Driven Bone Cement Mixing Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current bone cement mixing systems require manual effort and user-dependent mixing techniques, leading to variable cement quality and potential air pockets in the cement dough, which can destabilize the bone cement.
Innovation Solution
A storage and mixing device with a vacuum-driven piston system that separates the liquid and solid components, using a piston chamber and mixing chamber connected via a vacuum source to ensure reproducible mixing without manual force, automatically opening the partition between the chambers to facilitate mixing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual mixing is used, then the mixing process is simple to operate, but the mixing quality varies and air pockets remain in the cement dough
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical mixing system with an automated vacuum-driven mixing system. The vacuum source creates negative pressure that automatically draws the liquid monomer into contact with the powder components and drives the mixing process without manual intervention, thereby improving mixing quality while maintaining operational simplicity through automated control.
Solution Approach 2:
The mixing system is designed to be self-regulating through the vacuum pressure differential. The vacuum automatically controls the flow of materials and the mixing process without requiring manual adjustment or intervention, allowing the system to self-regulate the mixing quality while remaining easy to operate through simple activation.
2Reliability
If vacuum mixing is used, then air pockets are removed and cement quality improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum source serves multiple functions simultaneously: it removes air pockets from the cement dough to improve reliability, drives the automatic mixing process, and controls the flow of liquid monomer. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby managing device complexity while achieving improved cement stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the vacuum function with the mixing and material transfer functions into an integrated system. The vacuum pressure differential simultaneously achieves degassing, material transport, and mixing drive, merging multiple operations into a single functional system that improves reliability without proportionally increasing complexity.
3Reliability
If separate storage chambers are used, then component sterility is maintained, but the mixing process requires additional steps
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid monomer and powder components are pre-stored in separate sterile chambers before use. The vacuum system automatically transfers and mixes these pre-prepared components when activated, maintaining sterility through separate storage while improving productivity through automated mixing that eliminates manual preparation steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum pressure differential acts as an intermediary that enables automatic material transfer and mixing between the separate storage chambers. This intermediary mechanism maintains the benefits of separate sterile storage while eliminating the need for manual intervention, thereby preserving sterility while enhancing mixing efficiency and productivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device achieves consistent and efficient mixing of bone cement, reducing air pockets and improving mechanical properties by utilizing vacuum pressure to drive the mixing process, thereby enhancing the reliability and quality of the cement.
Implementation Method 1
a connection for a vacuum source is arranged in this first chamber
Implementation Method 2
utilizing vacuum pressure to drive the mixing process
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
The invention relates to a storage and mixing device (100) for storing and mixing a liquid and a solid component, in particular a device for mixing and storing a monomer liquid and a powder for the production of bone cement. The device comprises two chambers, the first chamber (116) containing the solid component and separated from a second chamber (202) containing the liquid component by an openable partition. A mixing device (102) driven by a pressure differential is arranged in the first chamber. In the present mixing and storage system, the vacuum present in the operating room is used to mix a monomer liquid with a bone cement powder under vacuum and simultaneously operate a mixing device.Furthermore, the vacuum can also be used to open a separation between the monomer liquid and the mixing chamber and to transfer the monomer liquid into the mixing chamber.