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, 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 human bone;   the secondary cutting element including a first cutting tool and a second cutting tool, the first cutting tool having a first set of teeth and the second cutting tool having a second set of teeth;   first and second walls within the grinding chamber, the first and second walls 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;   a drive mechanism operatively engaging the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element; and   first and second rakes positioned within the grinding chamber after the secondary cutting element, the first rake operable to engage the first cutting tool and selectively remove human bone, the second rake operable to engage the second cutting tool and selectively remove human bone.   
     
     
         2 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first rake includes a first set of rake teeth operable to remove human bone from the first set of teeth of the first cutting tool; and   the second rake includes a second set of rake teeth operable to remove human bone from the second set of teeth of the second cutting tool.   
     
     
         3 . The bone grinder of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first set of teeth of the first cutting tool and the second set of teeth of the second cutting tool each include at least a row of alternating recesses and ridges;   the first set of rake teeth of the first rake and the second set of rake teeth of the second rake each include at least a row of alternating recesses and ridges; and   the row of alternating recesses and ridges of the first set of teeth of the first cutting tool correspond with the row of alternating recesses and ridges of the first set of rake teeth of the first rake, and the row of alternating recesses and ridges of the second set of teeth of the second cutting tool correspond with the row of alternating recesses and ridges of the second set of rake teeth of the second rake.   
     
     
         4 . The bone grinder of  claim 3 , wherein:
 each of the ridges of the first and second sets of rake teeth have a ridge width in a range of from 0.01 inches to 0.1 inches, and each of the recesses of the first and second set of rake teeth have a recess width in a range of from 0.02 inches to 0.15 inches.   
     
     
         5 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the primary cutting element operable to grind human bone into intermediary bone fragments having a size in a range of from 1,000 microns to 6,000 microns.   
     
     
         6 . The bone grinder of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a primary rake positioned within the grinding chamber between the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element, the primary rake positioned not more than 6,000 microns from the primary cutting element and operable to engage the primary cutting element.   
     
     
         7 . The bone grinder of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the secondary cutting element operable to grind the intermediary bone fragments into bone powder having a size in a range of from 125 microns to 2,000 microns.   
     
     
         8 . The bone grinder of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the first rake positioned not more than 2,000 microns from the first cutting tool and the second rake positioned not more than 2,000 microns from the second cutting tool.   
     
     
         9 . The bone grinder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first and second rakes are operable to selectively prevent human bone from undergoing secondary cutting operations via the secondary cutting element more than one time.   
     
     
         10 . A bone grinder comprising:
 a grinding chamber having an intermediate zone, the intermediate zone separating a primary cutting element from a 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 human bone;   the secondary cutting element including a first cutting tool and a second cutting tool, the first cutting tool having a first set of teeth and the second cutting tool having a second set of teeth;   first and second walls within the grinding chamber, the first and second walls 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;   a drive mechanism operatively engaging the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element; and   at least one rake positioned within the grinding chamber, the at least one rake operable to engage either the primary or the secondary cutting element and selectively remove human bone.   
     
     
         11 . The bone grinder of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the at least one rake positioned between the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element, the at least one rake operable to engage the primary cutting element and selectively remove human bone having a size in a range of from 1,000 microns to 6,000 microns.   
     
     
         12 . The bone grinder of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the at least one rake including a set of rake teeth, the rake teeth including at least one row of alternating ridges and recesses, each of the ridges having a ridge width in a range of from 0.01 inches to 0.1 inches, and each of the recesses having a recess width in a range of from 0.02 inches to 0.15 inches.   
     
     
         13 . The bone grinder of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the at least one rake positioned after the secondary cutting element, the at least one rake operable to engage the secondary cutting element and selectively remove human bone having a size in a range of from 125 microns to 2,000 microns.   
     
     
         14 . The bone grinder of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the at least one rake including a set of rake teeth, the rake teeth including at least one row of alternating ridges and recesses, each of the ridges having a ridge width in a range of from 0.01 inches to 0.1 inches, and each of the recesses having a recess width in a range of from 0.02 inches to 0.15 inches.   
     
     
         15 . A method of grinding human bone with a bone grinder, the bone grinder including a grinding chamber, first and second walls, a drive mechanism, first and second rakes, the grinding chamber having an intermediate zone, the intermediate zone separating a primary cutting element positioned within the grinding chamber from a secondary cutting element positioned within the grinding chamber, the first and second walls within the grinding chamber sloping inward such that a distance between the first wall and second wall decreases from the primary cutting element to the secondary cutting element, the drive mechanism operatively engaging the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element, and the first and second rakes positioned within the grinding chamber after the secondary cutting element, the method comprising:
 loading a human bone into the grinding chamber;   performing primary cutting operations on the human bone via the primary cutting element;   performing secondary cutting operations on the human bone via the secondary cutting element; and   raking the human bone from the secondary cutting element via the first and second rakes.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the secondary cutting element including a first cutting tool and a second cutting tool, the first cutting tool having a first set of teeth and the second cutting tool having a second set of teeth;   the first rake including a first set of rake teeth and the second rake including a second set of rake teeth; and   the step of raking the human bone further comprises engaging the first set of teeth of the first cutting tool with the first set of rake teeth of the first rake, and engaging the second set of teeth of the second cutting tool with the second set of rake teeth of the second rake.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the step of performing primary cutting operations further comprises grinding the human bone into intermediary bone fragments having a size in a range of from 1,000 microns to 6,000 microns.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the bone grinder further includes a primary rake positioned between the primary cutting element and the secondary cutting element; and   the method further includes raking the intermediary bone fragments from the primary cutting element via the primary rake.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the step of performing secondary cutting operations further comprises grinding the intermediary bone fragments into bone powder having a size in a range of from 125 microns to 2,000 microns.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the step of performing secondary cutting operations further comprises raking the bone powder from the secondary cutting element.