Apparatus and method for cleaning a surgically prepared, concave bone surface

Abstract

An apparatus suitable for cleaning a surgically prepared bony concavity includes a body portion adapted to supply pressurized fluid (preferably carbon dioxide gas) to the concavity and aspirate surface debris. The apparatus further comprises a head having an orifice with a plane, circular rim having a diameter less than that of the bony concavity. A method for cleaning a surgically prepared, concave, generally hemispherical bony cavity includes the steps of: covering a region of the hemispherical bony concavity with a cleaning head; supplying a pressurized fluid to the region covered by the cleaning head, and collecting the pressurized fluid from the covered region with a surface debris aspirator coupled to the cleaning head. A cleaning head having a generally circular orifice substantially seals and encloses a spherical zone to be cleaned.

1 . A method for cleaning a surgically prepared, concave, generally hemispherical bony concavity, comprising the steps of: 
 covering a region of said hemispherical bony concavity with a cleaning head;    supplying a pressurized fluid to said region covered by said cleaning head;    collecting said pressurized fluid from said covered region with a surface debris aspirator coupled to said cleaning head.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the supplied pressurized fluid is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas, said CO 2  gas being suitable for use on the surgically prepared working surface.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said step of covering a portion of said hemispherical 
 bony concavity comprises: engaging said bony concavity with a substantially circular, plane cleaning orifice of said cleaning head.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said circular, plane cleaning orifice defines a plane at 
 an angle between 30 and 60 degrees relative to an elongated neck coupled to said cleaning head.    
   
   
       5 . An apparatus suitable for cleaning a concave, surgically prepared working surface, said apparatus comprising: 
 means for supplying pressurized fluid to the surgically prepared working surface;    at least one surface debris aspirator operatively coupled to said pressurized fluid supply means; and    means for confining the supplied pressurized fluid to flow substantially across a portion of the surgically prepared working surface;    wherein said means for confining the supplied pressurized fluid includes an orifice having a plane, circular rim, capable of engaging a zone of said concave surgically prepared surface.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the supplied pressurized fluid is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas, said CO 2  gas being suitable for use on the surgically prepared working surface.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said orifice has a diameter less than that of the concave surface.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said diameter of said orifice is less than that of a human acetabular socket.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said confining means comprises a cleaning head having a thickness dimension less than its diameter.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said means for confining comprises an elongated neck and a cleaning head opened by said orifice; 
 and wherein a plane defined by said plane, circular rim of said orifice defines an angle in the range of 30 to 60 degrees relative to said elongated neck.    
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said angle is substantially equal to 45 degrees.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said cleaning head had a thickness dimension less than half its diameter.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus suitable for cleaning a surgically prepared bony surface of concave, generally hemispherical recess, said apparatus comprising: 
 a body portion adapted to supply pressurized fluid to the surgically prepared working surface and aspirate surface debris dislodged from the bony working surface; and    a head portion adapted to confine the supplied pressurized fluid to flow substantially across the surgically prepared working surface to dislodge debris therefrom when said head portion is in contact with the bony working surface, said dislodged surface debris being aspirated by said body portion;    wherein said head portion has a generally circular orifice having a diameter less than that of the concave, generally hemispherical recess, thereby allowing said orifice to substantially seal against the inside surface of said concave, generally hemispherical recess.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the supplied pressurized fluid is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas, said CO 2  gas being suitable for use on the surgically prepared working surface.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the supplied pressurized CO 2  gas flows at a rate suitable for cleaning the surgically prepared working surface from debris.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said head portion is adapted to confine the supplied pressurized fluid to flow over the surgically prepared working surface to dislodge debris therefrom when said head portion is in contact with the surgically prepared working surface, said dislodged surface debris being aspirated by said body portion.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the supplied pressurized fluid is carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas, said CO 2  gas being suitable for use on the surgically prepared working surface.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the supplied pressurized CO 2  gas flows at a rate suitable for cleaning the surgically prepared working surface from debris.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said body portion includes at least one pressurized fluid channel operatively coupled to at least one fluid jet outlet.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein said body portion further includes at least one surface debris aspirator disposed in operational proximity to said at least one fluid jet outlet.  
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said head portion includes at least one partial partition between said at least one surface debris aspirator and said at least one fluid jet outlet.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said surface debris aspirator is disposed peripherally near a circular rim of said orifice, and said at least one fluid jet outlet is disposed generally near the center of the circle defined by the circular orifice, so that fluid flows generally outward, sweeping debris from the surgically prepared working surface.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said body portion comprises an elongated neck, disposed at an angle to a plane defined by said rim of said circular orifice.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23  wherein said angle is in the range from 30 to 60 degrees, inclusive.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 24  wherein said angle is substantially equal to 45 degrees.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein the diameter of said circular orifice is less than the diameter of a human acetabular socket.  
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 13  wherein said head portion has a thickness dimension less than its diameter  
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein said head portion has a thickness dimension less than half of its diameter.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein said head portion has width dimensions generally tapering in the direction away from the orifice, to avoid interference from contacting the rim of an acetabular socket.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein said body portion further includes at least one surface debris aspirator disposed in operational proximity to said at least one fluid jet outlet.  
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said head portion includes a rim configured to substantially follow the surgically prepared working surface and at least one partition between said at least one surface debris aspirator and said at least one fluid jet outlet.  
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein said at least one partition is sufficiently recessed from said rim to constrain the supplied jet fluid to flow substantially tangentially relative to the surgically prepared working surface when said rim is in contact with the surgically prepared working surface, said constrained tangential fluid flow sweeping debris from the surgically prepared working surface via said at least one surface debris aspirator.  
   
   
       33 . An apparatus for cleaning a surgically prepared, concave bone surface, comprising: 
 a pressurized fluid supply channel;    an aspiration channel;    a cleaning head, including at least one chamber, in communication with said aspiration channel and said fluid supply channel;    said chamber having a generally circular orifice, the circular boundary of said orifice defining a boundary capable of close engagement with a concave bone surface to substantially close said chamber;    said chamber arranged to create an internal pressure gradient between said pressurized fluid supply channel and said aspiration channel, and having a path for fluid flow from said fluid supply channel to said aspiration channel;    wherein said fluid flow path for fluid flow includes at least one region in which flow is constrained to flow across said concave bone surface.    
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 33 , wherein said fluid flow path comprises at least one slot, whereby said fluid flow is channeled into a sheet of flow.  
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 34 , wherein said slot is defined between said boundary surface and a partition which incompletely divides said chamber.  
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 33  wherein said orifice is bounded by a rim.  
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein said pressurized fluid supply channel is adapted to supply pressurized carbon dioxide gas.