Bone mill with an accessible milling element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11564813-B2
Application number	US-201816616866-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2018
Priority date	May 26, 2017
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A milling module (60) for converting bone stock into bone chips comprises a shell (34) adapted for releasable attachment to a base module (32). The shell has an inlet opening (152) through which bone stock is introduced into the shell and an outlet opening (96) through which bone chips are discharged from the shell. A milling element (170) is moveably disposed in the shell between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for converting bone stock into bone chips. The shell includes abase (62) adapted for releasable attachment to the base module. The base includes the outlet opening and a lid (126) removably attached thereto. The lid includes the inlet opening of the shell. The base and the lid are collectively configured so that removal of the lid from the base allows the milling element to be accessed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A milling module for converting bone stock into bone chips, the milling module comprising:
a shell adapted for releasable attachment to a base module that includes a motor, the shell having:
an inlet opening through which bone stock is introduced into the shell;
an outlet opening through which bone chips are discharged from the shell; and
a milling element moveably disposed in the shell between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for converting bone stock into bone chips, the milling element includes a feature for removably attaching the milling element to the base module motor so that the actuation of the motor results in the actuation of the milling element,

wherein the shell includes a foundation adapted for releasable attachment to the base module, the foundation including the outlet opening and a lid that is removably attached to the foundation, the lid including the inlet opening of the shell, and
wherein the foundation and the lid are collectively configured so that removal of the lid from the foundation allows the milling element to be accessed; and
wherein the milling element includes a cutting disc with features that convert bone stock into bone chips and further includes a shaft that extends from the cutting disc, the shaft being adapted to be held during removal of the milling element from the foundation.

2. The milling module for converting bone stock into bone chips of claim 1 , wherein the milling element is removably attached to the foundation of the shell.

3. The milling module of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is operatively attached to a spring and the shaft and the spring are configured such that when the lid is not attached to the foundation, the shaft will not attach to a drive spindle, the shaft will not engage the cutting disc, or the shaft will not operatively function, such that the cutting disc cannot be actuated if the lid is not correctly attached to the foundation.

4. The milling module of claim 3 , wherein the shaft extends from the cutting disc is formed with the features that removably couple the milling element to the motor of the base module.

5. The milling module of claim 4 , wherein the shaft includes a head and a stem that extends downwardly from the head, wherein the stem includes one or more notches that extend upwardly from a bottom face of the stem and are spaced radially outwardly from the center of the stem, wherein the one or more notches are configured to engage one or more complementary teeth on a face of the drive spindle of the base module so that the rotation of the drive spindle results in the like rotation of the milling element.

6. The milling module of claim 5 , wherein the cutting disc includes one or more openings which align with a complementary hole on the head of the shaft, wherein at least one pin is positioned through one of said openings and the complementary hole such that the rotation of the shaft results in the like rotation of the cutting disc.

7. The milling module as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the lid includes a domed cap which defines an inner surface and a side wall.

8. The milling module of claim 7 , wherein the cap includes one or more tabs that project radially outwardly from the side wall of the cap, wherein the one or more tabs are positioned and dimensioned so that when the cap is positioned in an opening in the foundation and rotated, each tab rotates into a respective notch in the foundation to become integral with the notch and correctly attach the lid to the foundation.

9. The milling module as set forth in claim 7 , wherein the cap includes one or more rings which extend downwardly from the inner surface of the cap.

10. The milling module of claim 9 , wherein the cap includes an outermost ring which is positioned on an outer perimeter of the cap, wherein the outermost ring of the lid seats against a step on the foundation when fitted thereto.

11. The milling module in claim 9 , wherein the cap includes one or more ribs extending downwardly from the inner surface of the cap, the ribs configured to push bone stock into a cutting disc of the milling element and prevent bone stock from accumulating on the inner surface of the cap when the milling module is in operation.

12. A method of converting bone stock into bone chips with a modular bone mill system including a base module and a milling module, the milling module comprising a shell adapted for releasable attachment to a base module that includes a motor, the shell having an inlet opening through which bone stock is introduced into the shell, an outlet opening through which bone chips are discharged from the shell into a catch tray, and a milling element moveably disposed in the shell between the inlet opening and the outlet opening for converting bone stock into bone chips with the milling element including a feature for removably attaching the milling element to the base module motor so that the actuation of the motor results in the actuation of the milling element, a foundation that is adapted for releasable attachment to the base module, the foundation including the outlet opening of the shell, and a lid that is removably attached to the foundation, the lid including the inlet opening of the shell, with the foundation and the lid collectively configured so that removal of the lid from the foundation allows the milling element to be accessed, and the milling element including a cutting disc with features that convert bone stock into bone chips and further includes a shaft that extends from the cutting disc, the shaft being adapted to be held during removal of the milling element from the foundation, said method comprising the steps of:
introducing bone stock through the inlet opening into the shell,
actuating the milling element to convert bone stock into bone chips and the discharge of bone chips through the outlet opening;
opening the lid subsequent to the actuation of the milling element and the discharge of bone chips through said outlet opening; and
harvesting residual bone chips from the surface of the milling element.

13. The method of converting bone stock into bone chips as set forth in claim 12 , further comprising the step of removing the milling element from the foundation to access any residual bone chips from a surface of the milling element.

14. The method of converting bone stock into bone chips as set forth in claim 12 , further comprising the step of removing the catch tray and harvesting the discharged bone chips from the catch tray.

15. The method of converting bone stock into bone chips as set forth in claim 12 , further comprising the step of attaching the milling module to the base module.

16. The method of converting bone stock into bone chips as set forth in claim 12 , further comprising the step of releasing the milling module from the base module.

17. The method of converting bone stock into bone chips as set forth in claim 16 , further comprising the step of disposing of the milling module.

18. The method of converting bone stock into bone chips as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the step of removing the milling element from the foundation is further defined as removing the milling element via pushing up on a lower end of the shaft.

19. The method of converting bone stock into bone chips as set forth in claim 18 , further comprising the step of using the shaft as a handle for the milling element thereby reducing the extent to which the cutting disc needs to be touched.

Assignees

• Stryker Corp

Inventors

• Babaris Robin B W
• Hoffmann Aaron
• Nelson Derek F
• Rolfsen Jr Steven M
• Roy Shammodip
• Walen James
• Wroblewski Jason James
• Lambarth Clifford Edwin

Classifications

• A61F2/4644 Primary

  Preparation of bone graft, bone plugs or bone dowels, e.g. grinding or milling bone material (bone material A61F2/28; disintegrating or milling devices B02C) · CPC title

• A61F2002/4645

  Devices for grinding or milling bone material · CPC title

• A61F2002/2835

  Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material · CPC title

• A61B17/1635

  for grafts, harvesting or transplants · CPC title

• A61F2/28

  Bones · CPC title