Methods and apparatus for mixing bone cement components using an evacuated mixing chamber
First Claim
1. A method for preparing and delivering self curing bone cement mixture formed by combining a mass of powdered polymer component and a liquid monomer component, comprising the steps of:
- (a) storing said powdered polymer component pass in an evacuated mixing chamber;
(b) storing said liquid monomer component in a separate pressurized component chamber; and
(c) controlling the introduction of said liquid monomer component into said mixing chamber, including the step of wetting said powdered polymer component from outside and from within the stored powdered polymer component mass to thereby substantially wet the powdered polymer component mass stored in said mixing chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are set forth for preparing and delivering bone cement formed by combining a powdered polymer component and a liquid monomer component. The powdered polymer component is stored in an evacuated mixing chamber. The liquid monomer component, according to one specific aspect of the invention, is introduced into the mixing chamber by a control mechanism which causes the stored powder to be "substantially wet", i.e., all of the powdered polymer component is wet to at least some degree and is otherwise devoid of powder pockets. The control mechanism, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, stages the release of the liquid monomer into the vacuum packed powder chamber, under the effect of the vacuum, in a timed sequence using a plurality of monomer distribution channels. The distribution channels, which in a preferred embodiment of the invention include liquid component diffusers, insure the substantial wetting of the stored powder by delivering the liquid in parallel to different portions of the mixing chamber. The substantial wetting of the powder is designed to ultimately insure a homogeneous bone cement mix.
154 Citations
73 Claims
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1. A method for preparing and delivering self curing bone cement mixture formed by combining a mass of powdered polymer component and a liquid monomer component, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing said powdered polymer component pass in an evacuated mixing chamber; (b) storing said liquid monomer component in a separate pressurized component chamber; and (c) controlling the introduction of said liquid monomer component into said mixing chamber, including the step of wetting said powdered polymer component from outside and from within the stored powdered polymer component mass to thereby substantially wet the powdered polymer component mass stored in said mixing chamber. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for saturating a predetermined mass of a powdered component with a predetermined volume of a liquid component as part of a component mixing process, comprising the steps of:
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(a) storing said powdered component mass in an evacuated mixing chamber; (b) storing said liquid component in a separate pressurized component chamber; and (c) controlling the introduction of said liquid component into said mixing chamber, including the step of wetting said powdered component mass from outside and from within the stored powdered component mass to thereby substantially wet the powdered component mass stored in said mixing chamber.
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19. A method for mixing a powdered component mass with a liquid component comprising the steps of:
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(a) evacuating a first container containing a powdered component mass; (b) providing a second container containing a liquid component; (c) connecting said first and second containers, after the evacuation of said first container, allowing liquid component to be drawn into said first container; and (d) introducing said liquid component into said first container in a manner which substantially wets the powdered component mass stored therein by wetting said powdered component mass from outside and from within the stored powdered component mass.
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20. A plunger head, for use as part of a system for mixing a powdered component, stored in an evacuated mixing chamber into which the distal end of said plunger head extends, with a liquid component, stored in a pressurized chamber attached to the proximate end of said plunger head, comprising:
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(a) means for controlling the introduction of said liquid component stored in said pressurized chamber to a multiplicity of different locations within said evacuated mixing chamber to substantially wet the powdered component stored therein; and (b) means for uniformly mixing said powdered component and said liquid component within said mixing chamber thereby saturating said powdered component with said liquid component. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A mixing device for mixing a powdered and a liquid component comprising:
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(a) a first evacuated container containing a powdered component mass; (b) a second container containing a liquid component; (c) means for connecting said first and second containers, after the evacuation of said first container, allowing said liquid component to be drawn into said first container, and (d) means for introducing said liquid component into said first container in a manner which substantially wets the powdered component mass stored therein by wetting said powdered component mass from outside and from within the stored powdered component mass. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. Apparatus for preparing and delivering a self curing bone cement mixture formed as a polymeric reaction product when a powdered polymer component is mixed with a liquid monomer component, comprising:
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(a) an evacuated first component chamber for storing said powdered polymer component mass; (b) a second component chamber for storing said liquid monomer component; (c) means for controlling the introduction of said liquid monomer component, stored in said second component chamber, to a multiplicity of different locations within said first component chamber, including locations outside and within the stored powdered polymer component mass, to thereby substantially wet the powdered polymer component mass stored in said mixing chamber; (d) means for uniformly mixing said powdered polymer component mass and said liquid monomer component within said first component chamber thereby saturating said powdered polymer component mass with said liquid monomer component. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. Apparatus for preparing a homogeneous self-curing two component powder/liquid bone cement mixture using a vacuum packed powdered polymer chamber containing a powder polymer mass into which liquid monomer is introduced, comprising:
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(a) a pressurized chamber for storing said liquid monomer; (b) a vacuum packed powder chamber for storing said powdered polymer mass; and (c) means for controlling the introduction of said liquid monomer into said vacuum packed powder chamber to locations outside and within the stored powdered polymer mass, to thereby substantially wet the powdered polymer mass stored therein. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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Specification