Manual mixer

• US 10,005,048 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2017
• Issued: 06/26/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Holding Company Sarl (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Kyphon SARL (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Neil S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salamon, Peter A
• Application Number:
  US15/723,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20180021744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 266 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/8833 Osteosynthesis tools specially adapted for handling bone cement or fluid fillers; Means for supplying bone cement or fluid fillers to introducing tools, e.g. cartridge handling means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/8838 for mixing bone cement or fluid fillers
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 24/06 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds A61L24/043, A61L24/046 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/20 Mixing of ingredients for bone cement
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/1142 of the corkscrew type
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/805 wherein the stirrers or the receptacles are moved in order to bring them into operative position; Means for fixing the receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/9211 the helices being surrounded by a guiding tube
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/40 with an axially oscillating rotary stirrer
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/3202 Hand driven
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/321 Disposition of the drive
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/3214 at the upper side of the axis, e.g. driving the stirrer from the top of a receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/562 the mixer or mixing elements being collapsible, i.e. when discharging the products
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/754251 reciprocating in the mixing receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7547 using valves, gates, orifices or openings

Abstract

A manual mixer serves to facilitate mixing and agitating materials for use during surgery. For example, the manual mixer includes a body portion defining an interior area, a mixing assembly provided in the interior area of the body portion, a crank assembly for actuating the mixing assembly, and a valve assembly. The mixing assembly serves to mix and agitate the materials provided in the interior through rotation of a plunger portion and a spring attached thereto, and through upwards and downwards movement of the plunger portion in the interior area. Rotation of the crank assembly serves to rotate the plunger portion and the spring attached thereto, and effectuate upwards and downwards movement of the plunger portion. The valve assembly can be opened to facilitate dispensing of the materials from the interior area.

Claims

1. A manual mixer for mixing and agitating materials for use during surgery, the manual mixer comprising:

a body portion having a sidewall portion defining an interior area;

a mixing assembly provided in the interior area of the body portion, the mixing assembly including a plunger portion and a resilient member, the plunger portion interfacing with the sidewall portion, and the plunger portion including a portion for securely engaging the resilient member, the resilient member including a first end portion, a second end portion, and a length extending between the first end portion and the second end portion thereof, the resilient member having a non-uniform cross section along the length, the plunger portion being adapted to move upwardly and downwardly within the interior area;

a cap portion attached to the body portion, the cap portion enclosing the interior area of the body portion, and the cap portion including an aperture that is at least partially threaded; and

a stem portion extending through the partially-threaded aperture in the cap portion, the stem portion being interconnected with the plunger portion, and the stem portion being at least partially threaded, wherein threads of the partially-threaded stem portion and threads of the partially-threaded aperture engage one another, and wherein rotation of the stem portion simultaneously rotates the plunger portion and the resilient member, and moves the plunger portion upwardly or downwardly within the interior area, the rotational movement of the plunger portion and the resilient member, and upward and downward movement of the plunger portion serving to mix and agitate the materials provided in the interior area, the resilient member being expanded when the plunger portion is moved upwardly, and the resilient member being compressed when the plunger portion is moved downwardly.

2. The manual mixer of claim 1, further comprising a crank assembly, the crank assembly including the stem portion, a crank portion, and a handle portion, the crank portion being connected to the stem portion, and the handle portion being connected to the crank portion, wherein rotation of the crank portion and the handle portion imparts rotational movement to the stem portion.

3. The manual mixer of claim 1, wherein the resilient member has a maximum diameter and a minimum diameter, the maximum diameter being greater than the minimum diameter, the resilient member, when fully compressed, having a substantially smaller height than a spring having a uniform diameter equal to the maximum diameter.

4. The manual mixer of claim 1, further comprising a valve assembly, wherein the body portion includes an outlet port communicating with the valve assembly, the valve assembly including a plug movable between an open position permitting fluid communication through the valve assembly between the outlet port and the exterior of the manual mixer, and a closed position prohibiting fluid communication through the valve assembly between the outlet port and the exterior of the manual mixer.

5. The manual mixer of claim 4, wherein downward movement of the plunger portion compresses the materials provided in the interior area, and, when the plug of the valve assembly is in the open position, the compression of the materials via downward movement of the plunger portion forces the materials to exit the manual mixer through the outlet port and the valve assembly.

6. The manual mixer of claim 5, wherein the plunger portion includes an air release valve allowing the passage of air thereby during compression of the materials in the interior area.

7. The manual mixer of claim 1, wherein the materials mixed and agitated by the manual mixer include bone cement.

8. The manual mixer of claim 1, wherein the resilient member is at least in part one of conical, hourglass shaped along at least a portion of the length of the resilient member.

9. A method of mixing and agitating materials using a manual mixer, the method comprising:

providing the manual mixer having a body portion, a mixing assembly, and a stem portion, the body portion defining an interior area, the mixing assembly being provided in the interior area, and the stem portion being interconnected with a portion of the mixing assembly;

removing the mixing assembly from the interior area;

providing the materials to be mixed and agitated in the interior area;

replacing the mixing assembly in the interior area; and

rotating the stem portion to simultaneously rotate a plunger portion and a resilient member of the mixing assembly, and move the plunger portion upwardly or downwardly within the interior area, the rotation of the plunger portion and the resilient member, and upwards and/or downwards movement of the plunger portion serving to mix and agitate the materials provided in the interior area, the plunger portion being moveable between a first position and a second position, the first position being a maximum upward position of the plunger portion, and the second position being a maximum downward position of the plunger portion, the resilient member being expanded when the plunger portion is moved upwardly within the interior area toward the first position, and the resilient member being compressed when the plunger portion is moved downwardly within the interior area toward the second position.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the resilient member is a variable-diameter spring having a maximum diameter and a minimum diameter, the maximum diameter being greater than the minimum diameter, the variable-diameter spring, when fully compressed, having a substantially smaller height than a spring having a uniform diameter equal to the maximum diameter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the manual mixer includes a valve assembly, and the body portion includes an outlet port communicating with the valve assembly, the valve assembly including a plug movable between an open position permitting fluid communication through the valve assembly between the outlet port and the exterior of the manual mixer, and a closed position prohibiting fluid communication through the valve assembly between the outlet port and the exterior of the manual mixer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein downward movement of the plunger portion compresses the materials provided in the interior area, and, when the plug of the valve assembly is in the open position, the compression of the materials via downward movement of the plunger portion forces the materials to exit the manual mixer through the outlet port and the valve assembly.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plunger portion includes an air release valve allowing the passage of air thereby during compression of the materials in the interior area.

14. The manual mixer of claim 9, wherein the materials mixed and agitated by the manual mixer include bone cement.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the resilient member is at least in part one of conical, hourglass shaped along at least a portion of the length of the resilient member.