Bone grinder promoting bone osteoinductivity

Abstract

A bone grinder is provided herein. The bone grinder may have a grinding chamber, an intermediate zone, and a primary cutting element and a secondary cutting element. The intermediate zone may have a first wall and a second wall within the grinding chamber, and the intermediate zone may separate the primary cutting element from the secondary cutting element. The first wall and the second wall may slope inward such that a distance between the first wall and the second wall generally decreases from the primary cutting element to the secondary cutting element. The primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element may be positioned within the grinding chamber to sequentially perform primary cutting operations and secondary cutting operations on a bone. A drive mechanism may operatively engage the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bone grinder comprising:
 a grinding chamber having an intermediate zone, the intermediate zone separating a primary cutting element from a secondary cutting element;   a first wall and second wall within the grinding chamber, the first wall and the second wall spatially defining the intermediate zone in the grinding chamber;   the first wall and the second wall sloping inward such that a distance between the first wall and the second wall decreases from the primary cutting element to the secondary cutting element;   the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element positioned within the grinding chamber to sequentially perform primary cutting operations and secondary cutting operations on a bone, the intermediate zone configured to reduce heat generated in the grinding chamber by sequentially performed primary cutting operations and secondary cutting operations on the bone; and   a drive mechanism operatively engaging the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element.   
     
     
         2 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first wall and the second wall of the intermediate zone are sloping inward in a linear manner.   
     
     
         3 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first wall and the second wall of the intermediate zone are sloping inward in a curved manner.   
     
     
         4 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the intermediate zone occupies a volume within the grinding chamber that is between 2.5 in 3  and 13 in 3 .   
     
     
         5 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a chute and a discharge path;   the chute positioned before the grinding chamber, the chute configured to contain and direct the bone to the grinding chamber; and   the discharge path positioned after the grinding chamber, the discharge path configured to dispense the bone as bone matter.   
     
     
         6 . The bone grinder of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the primary cutting element has a primary first end opposite to a primary second end, the primary first end adjacent to the chute and the primary second end adjacent to the intermediate zone;   the secondary cutting element has a secondary first end opposite to a secondary second end, the secondary first end adjacent to the intermediate zone and the secondary second end adjacent to the discharge path; and   the primary second end of the primary cutting element is at a distance between 0.75 inches to 3 inches from the secondary first end of the secondary cutting element.   
     
     
         7 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the secondary cutting element includes a first cutting tool and a second cutting tool.   
     
     
         8 . The bone grinder of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first cutting tool has a first set of teeth and the second cutting tool has a second set of teeth; and   the first cutting tool and the second cutting tool are positioned to define a cutting zone between the first set of teeth and the second set of teeth.   
     
     
         9 . The bone grinder of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first set of teeth of the first cutting tool are positioned within the cutting zone to alternate with and overlap with the second set of teeth of the second cutting tool.   
     
     
         10 . The bone grinder of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first set of teeth of the first cutting tool move in a first direction through the cutting zone and the second set of teeth of the second cutting tool move in a second direction through the cutting zone, wherein the first direction and the second direction are similar.   
     
     
         11 . The bone grinder of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the first set of teeth of the first cutting tool move in a first direction through the cutting zone and the second set of teeth of the second cutting tool move in a second direction through the cutting zone, wherein the first direction and the second direction are different.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A bone grinder comprising:
 a grinding chamber having an intermediate zone, the intermediate zone separating a primary cutting element from a secondary cutting element such that there is a distance between 0.75 inches to 3 inches from an end of the primary cutting element adjacent the intermediate zone to an end of the secondary cutting element adjacent the intermediate zone;   a first wall and second wall within the grinding chamber, the first wall and the second wall spatially defining the intermediate zone in the grinding chamber;   the first wall and the second wall sloping inward such that a distance between the first wall and the second wall decreases from the primary cutting element to the secondary cutting element;   the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element positioned within the grinding chamber to sequentially perform primary cutting operations and secondary cutting operations on a bone; and   a drive mechanism operatively engaging the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element.   
     
     
         31 . The bone grinder of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the first wall and the second wall of the intermediate zone are sloping inward in a linear manner.   
     
     
         32 . The bone grinder of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the first wall and the second wall of the intermediate zone are sloping inward in a curved manner.   
     
     
         33 . The bone grinder of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the intermediate zone occupies a volume within the grinding chamber that is between 2.5 in 3  and 13 in 3 .   
     
     
         34 . The bone grinder of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a chute and a discharge path;   the chute positioned before the grinding chamber, the chute configured to contain and direct the bone to the grinding chamber; and   the discharge path positioned after the grinding chamber, the discharge path configured to dispense the bone as bone matter.   
     
     
         35 . A bone grinder comprising:
 a grinding chamber having an intermediate zone, the intermediate zone separating a primary cutting element from a secondary cutting element;   a first wall and second wall within the grinding chamber, the first wall and the second wall spatially defining the intermediate zone in the grinding chamber;   the first wall and the second wall sloping inward such that a distance between the first wall and the second wall decreases from the primary cutting element to the secondary cutting element and such that the intermediate zone occupies a volume within the grinding chamber that is between 2.5 in 3  and 13 in 3 ;   the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element positioned within the grinding chamber to sequentially perform primary cutting operations and secondary cutting operations on a bone; and   a drive mechanism operatively engaging the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element.   
     
     
         36 . The bone grinder of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the first wall and the second wall of the intermediate zone are sloping inward in a linear manner.   
     
     
         37 . The bone grinder of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the first wall and the second wall of the intermediate zone are sloping inward in a curved manner.   
     
     
         38 . The bone grinder of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the primary cutting element has an end adjacent the intermediate zone, and the secondary cutting element has an end adjacent the intermediate zone; and   there is a distance between 0.75 inches to 3 inches from the end of the primary cutting element adjacent the intermediate zone to the end of the secondary cutting element adjacent the intermediate zone.