Mixing device and methods for making bone cement

A mixing device for making bone cement, said mixing device comprising:

• a housing;
• a chamber within said housing;
• a mixing paddle rotatable within said chamber to mix bone cement components to make a bone cement mixture;
• a piston movable within said chamber to compress the bone cement components;
• a motor coupled to said piston and said mixing paddle;
• and
• a switch connected to said motor with said switch being momentary and biased to a deactivated state in which said switch prevents activation of said motor;
• and
• an actuator comprising a slider coupled to said housing and slidably movable between a first position in which an arm of said actuator is spaced apart from said switch, and a second position in which said arm of said actuator engages said switch to move said switch from said deactivated state to an activated in which said switch initiates an operational cycle by activating said motor to effectuate at least one of movement of said piston and rotation of said mixing paddle,
• wherein said piston is configured to be moved within said chamber from a first region of the chamber in which the bone cement components are mixed to a second region of the chamber in which the bone cement mixture is compressed, and wherein said piston is within said first region during actuation of said switch.