US 6,702,455 B2Granted

Bone cement mixing apparatus having improved gearing arrangement for driving a mixing blade

AssigneeDePuy Orthopaedics, Inc.

InventorsTimothy G. Vendrely, Jack F. Long, Christopher Battles, Paul DeCesare, Patrick Gutelius, Sam Sackett

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Abstract

A bone cement mixing device has a canister which is modular in design and constructed from a transparent material. The mixing device further has a mixing head assembly having a crank which is operatively coupled to a mixing blade via a gear train. The gear train is configured to drive the mixing blade in a reciprocating manner including the varying of the angular velocity, direction of travel, and angular distance of travel of the blade while the crank is rotated at a constant velocity and direction. The mixing blade has a fluid passage defined therein which allows the liquid cement component to be delivered at various locations within the mixing chamber of the canister. A method of mixing bone cement is also disclosed.

Claims45

Dependent claims

A bone cement mixing apparatus, comprising:

a handle;
an input gear which is caused to rotate about a central axis in response to rotation of said handle, wherein (i) said input gear includes a first input gear teeth set and a second input gear teeth set, (ii) said first input gear teeth set is spaced a first radial distance from said central axis, (iii) said second input gear teeth set is spaced a second radial distance from said central axis, (iv) said second radial distance is greater than said first radial distance, (v) said first input gear teeth set extends outwardly away from said central axis, and (vi) said second input gear teeth set extends inwardly toward said central axis;
an intermediate gear, wherein said input gear is configured so that during rotation thereof (i) said first input gear teeth set meshingly engages said intermediate gear during a first period of time, and (ii) said second input gear teeth set meshingly engages said intermediate gear during a second period of time which is different from said first period of time;
an output gear which is caused to rotate in response to rotation of said intermediate gear;
and
a mixing blade which is caused to rotate in response to rotation of said output gear.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/002,045Filed 15 Nov 2001 · us provisional application
Priority: 1 Dec 2000
Published: US 2002/0067657 A16 Jun 2002
Granted: 9 Mar 2004
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

B01F 33/5011
Movable mixing devices, i.e. readily shifted or displaced from one place to another, e.g. portable during use: portable during use, e.g. hand-held
B01F 27/906
With paddles or arms: with fixed axis
B01F 35/33
Driving arrangements; Transmissions; Couplings; Brakes: transmissions; Means for modifying the speed or direction of rotation
A61B 2050/0064
Closable by a combination of rotation and translation: by screwing