Development and verification of a novel bone collector with automatic size separating function for orthopedics...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Surgical Innovation
• Orthopedic Surgery

Background:

• Autologous bone dust is crucial for bone healing but often lost during surgical suction.
• Current surgical methods lead to the loss of valuable bone chips and dust.
• Effective collection of bone material is essential for successful bone defect repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an innovative bone collector for efficient retrieval of bone chips and dust.
• To create a device that integrates seamlessly with existing surgical suction systems.
• To enable collection of bone material in varying sizes without modifying surgical procedures.

Main Methods:

• Designed a collector with a 3mm plate filter and a 0.27mm taper mesh filter for size separation.
• Manufactured the collector using nylon 3D printing and plastic injection with biocompatible materials.
• Connected the collector to a continuous surgical suction system for functional testing.

Main Results:

• Achieved high bone chip collection efficiency of 93% with automatic size separation.
• Demonstrated low filtration errors (3.42%), ensuring smooth water drainage.
• Validated clinical usability in spinal fusion and femoral fracture surgeries with diverse bone grafting needs.

Conclusions:

• The novel bone collector is a validated, effective surgical device.
• This innovation offers surgeons a new option to improve patient outcomes.
• The collector successfully addresses the challenge of bone material loss during surgery.