SCRAPING DEVICE

Field of the Invention This invention pertains in general to the field of a scraping tool for scraping and collecting bone particles. More particularly the invention relates a scraping device comprising such a scraping tool.

Background of the Invention

Up to this point tools have been developed for harvesting blocks or pieces of bone in various zones of the skeleton, and also tools for scraping bone particles from the skeletal surface have been developed. Such blocks or cylinders may be worked and manipulated with the object of obtaining granules or particles of suitable size for tissue-regenerative biological needs.

Such tools have permitted increasing the autologous bone harvesting techniques for obtaining bone granules for filling bone defects or for increasing the skeletal volume. In order to make the harvesting, collection and grinding process simpler and quicker, as well as decreasing the post-surgery discomfort of patients, the harvesting methods have been refined in the last few years with the introduction on the market of tools for removing and collecting bones particles by means of scraping. These tools comprise a handle having a scraping blade placed at the front end of the handle, and a collection chamber of the removed material. Said tools permit the removal of surface cortical bone by means of a particular scraping blade, which the tool is equipped with, and which generates bone particles in the form of thin shavings or chips, which are directly collected inside the collection chamber. The collection of the scraped bone particles is obtained by means of a passage opening, which passage opening is placed at the base of the blade. EP 1 749 487

discloses a scraping tool of this kind. EP 1 405 602 discloses a similar device.

Another tool is disclosed by US 5,683,406, which tool comprises a blade in the form of a sliding plate, which closes the cavity of a handle, which also functions as chip collector. An opening is made on the blade, whose side defines a cutting edge for scraping the bone, which appears on the side of the plate, which is outside said cavity and remains accessible from the outside in any blade position. However, the tools according to EP 1 749 487 and US 5,683,406 are accompanied by several problems. Scraped off bone material may get stuck in the passage opening, thus hindering continued scraping. The tools have to be used at the same time as other tools for evacuating liquid and/material, such as suction devices for evacuating/collecting bone material already broken off from the bone of a patient during surgery or therapy. The tools have to be modified by demounting/extracting parts thereof when the collected bone material shall be used or discarded. The blades may hurt the patient and/or the user of the tools by keeping the blades exposed when the tools not are in use.

A tool for suction of bone material for surgical or dental use is disclosed in WO 02/22043. Said tool has an inclined sieve element in the suction tube. However, this tool is not intended, nor suitable, for scraping of bone material .

Hence, an improved scraping tool for scraping bone would be advantageous and in particular a scraping tool minimizing the risk for scraped off bone material getting stuck in the passage opening of the scraping tool, thus hindering the use of the tool or impairing the scraping effect of the tool, allowing for the exclusion of the need of demounting of the tool when the collected bone material is to be used or discarded, and/or allowing for the

possibility to protect the patient and/or user from the scraping blade when the tool not is in use.

Summary of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention preferably seeks to mitigate, alleviate or eliminate one or more of the above-identified deficiencies in the art and disadvantages singly or in any combination and solves at least the above mentioned problems by providing a scraping tool comprising a scraping blade and a tubular body, and said tool being connectable to a suction conduit, whereby a passage is formed between said scraping blade and said tubular body, such that particles scraped by said scraping blade in use pass through said passage into said tubular body, and scraped bone particles thereafter may be collected.

Advantageous features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings These and other aspects, features and advantages of which the invention is capable will be apparent and elucidated in the following description of embodiments of the present invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view in the longitudinal direction of a scraping tool according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figs. 2a and 2b are cross sectional views in the longitudinal direction of a scraping tool comprising a covering sheet according to one embodiment;

Figs. 3a to 3c are cross sectional views in the longitudinal direction of a scraping tool comprising a covering sheet according to another embodiment; and

Figs. 4a and 4b are cross sectional views in the longitudinal direction of a scraping tool according to still another embodiment.

Description of Embodiments

The following description focuses on an embodiment of the present invention applicable to a scraping tool and in particular to a combined scraping tool and suction device. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this application but may be applied to other technical fields.

According to a first embodiment a scraping tool according to Fig. 1 is provided. This scraping tool is suitable for scraping and collecting bone particles. The scraping tool comprises a scraping blade 11 and a tubular body 12. In particular, the scraping blade 11 is formed by a thin disc and is adapted to correspond in size with the cross section area of the tubular body 12, such as being the substantially circular, and placed on a plane, which is orthogonal to a central axis of the tubular body 12, in a first end of the tubular body 12. Also, the scraping blade 11 may have a circular arc cutting edge. Other shapes and forms of the scraping blade are also possible, as long as the function of scraping off material from a bone structure into the tubular body is obtained. The scraping blade is preferably displaced radially outwards from the outer edge of the tubular body 12, whereby the scraping blade 11 may run freely in a scraping mode even if the scraping tool is positioned parallel to the surface of the bone structure intended to be scraped. The tubular body 12 may be connected to a suction conduit of a suction member. The

suction member may be any form of suction member, such as suction members creating a pressure difference, whereby a sucking action is obtained. An example of this phenomenon is an ordinary vacuum cleaner, which works in the same way. A passage 13 is provided between the scraping blade 11 and the tubular body 12, such that scraped off bone material enters the scraping tool. In particular, the passage 13 may have the form of a rectangular groove between the scraping blade 11 and the tubular body 12. The scraping tool further comprises a connection member 14 in the second end of the scraping tool intended to be connected to the suction conduit of a suction member. This connection member 14 may be a bushing of a expandable/flexible material, such as an o-ring of a rubber material, allowing for the connection of the scraping tool to suction conduits or bone collectors of different cross sectional areas. Since the scraping tool according to this embodiment is connected to a suction member, the user of the scraping tool may both suck bone particles or bone material already discharged, by for example drilling, from the bone structure, and scrape bone particles and bone material from the surface of the bone structure. Simultaneously, the sucking action will force scraped off bone material from the scraping blade 11 into the tubular body 12. The scraped and sucked bone material may then be collected in the scraping tool.

The scraping tool may be provided as an adapter to be mounted on known collectors of bone tissue fragment, or as an integrated part, thus forming a scraping device, with collectors of bone tissue fragments, such as the bone tissue collectors in US 6,468,225 and US 6,881,060.

In another embodiment of the scraping tool a sieve may be arranged in said tubular body. Thus, said sieve may hinder bone particles from passing from said first to said second opening during suction. A collection chamber is then formed between said first end and said sieve. This collection chamber may in turn be insertable and extractable from said tubular body for collecting the bone particles. However, according to other embodiments of the present invention there is no need for a collection chamber of this kind, since the collected bone material may be discarded/expelled from the scraping tool in other ways.

When the scraping tool is integrated with or arranged at a collector of bone tissue fragments a scraping device according one embodiment may be obtained wherein the sieve is disposed in the tubular body of the scraping tool, such that a space between an outer surface of the sieve and an inner surface of the tubular body is defined, wherein the space is in communication with the second opening of the tubular element. In this embodiment a piston may be displaceably disposed within the sieve, the piston engaging an inner surface of the sieve. The piston then forms an end wall in the sieve at an outlet socket end of the sieve. This piston may be displaced axially through the sieve, and along the central axis of the tubular body, by the aid of a piston rod, which is insertable into the tubular body through said second opening of the tubular body. Thus, the piston may be axially displaced through the sieve for deposition of the bone fragments, trapped by the sieve, through said first opening. In this embodiment the scraping blade may have a ring shape. Thereby, the bone fragments, trapped by the sieve, may be displaced through said first

opening and through the hole of the ring shaped scraping blade, without the need of detachment of the scraping tool and/or the scraping blade. It is also possible to have a scraping blade with a shape not covering the entire first end of the tubular body 12, whereby particulate matter and scraped off material may be pushed out through the opening thus obtained between the scraping blade 11 and the edge of the tubular body 12. In the embodiment wherein the scraping blade 11 has a ring shaped form the scraping tool may have an inner diameter of said ring shaped scraping blade 11 that substantially corresponds to the inner diameter of the tubular body 12 of the scraping tool.

When the scraping tool is integrated with or arranged at a collector of bone tissue fragments a scraping device according to a second embodiment of the present invention may be obtained, wherein the sieve is inclined in relation to the axial direction of the suction tube. The sieve may then also be located in a separate sieve insert which is movable along a central axis of said tubular body for manual axial displacement through the tubular body for deposition of the bone fragments, trapped by the sieve, through said first opening of the tubular body 12. In this embodiment the scraping blade 11 may have a shape, such as a ring shape, not covering the entire first end of the tubular body 12, whereby a hole, different from the passage 13, communicating with the surroundings is created in the first end. Thereby, the bone fragments, trapped by the sieve, may be displaced through said first opening and through the hole, without the need of detachment of the scraping tool and/or the scraping blade. Said hole may then be corresponding to the cross sectional area, perpendicular

to the central axis of the tubular element, of the inclined sieve, such that the inclined sieve may be pushed out through said hole, whereby the material deposited may be discarded from the scraping device without the detachment of the scraping blade 11.

In still another embodiment, according to Figs. 2a and 2b, the scraping tool and/or scraping device may comprise a covering sheet 22. This covering sheet may be axially movable along a central axis of the tubular body 12, whereby a covering of said scraping blade 11 may be obtained by said covering sheet 22, in accordance with Fig. 2b. It is also possible to arrange the scraping blade 11 in a manner that allows for axial movement of the scraping blade 11 to be covered by said covering sheet 22. The covering sheet 22 may be another tubular body, arranged around the tubular body 12 of the scraping tool and/or scraping device. This covering sheet 2 may then be movable along the central axis of the tubular body of the scraping tool and/or scraping device to - in one direction - cover the scraping blade, according to Fig. 2b, and to - in the other direction - uncover the scraping blade, according to Fig. 2a, when the covering sheet 22 already is in a covering position.

The axial movement of the covering sheet may also be acknowledged by having the covering sheet and tubular body threadingly connected to each other. Thus, the covering sheet may be moved axially by rotating said covering sheet in respect of said tubular body, whereby a covering of said scraping blade is obtained by said covering sheet. The covering sheet may be provided with a cut-out, slot, opening, and/or hole, corresponding to the passage

13, when the covering sheet is covering the scraping blade, i.e. when the covering sheet is in a covering position. This is also shown in Figs 2a and 2b. When the covering sheet then is axially moved along the central axis of the tubular body of the scraping tool and/or scraping device, the cut-out, slot, opening, and/or hole may be located adjacent the tubular body 12, whereby no sucking action is obtained through said cut-out, slot, opening, and/or hole. In another embodiment, according to Figs. 3a to 3c, the covering sheet 31 is a tubular element, which is rotatable around a central axis of the tubular body 12, whereby a covering of said scraping blade 11 may be obtained by said covering sheet 31. The covering sheet 31 may then be located in a closed state, wherein the scraping blade 11 is covered by the covering sheet 31, in accordance with Fig. 3c, and an open state, wherein the scraping blade 11 and the passage 13 are uncovered, in accordance with Figs. 3a and 3b. In the open state an opening 32 in the covering sheet will be located adjacent to the scraping blade 11 and the passage 13. The covering sheet 31 may be arranged on the tubular body 12 such that an end wall of the covering sheet 31 covers the cross sectional area between the scraping blade 11 and the tubular body 12. When the scraping blade 11 and the passage 13 are uncovered bone material may be scraped off to enter the passage 13 and further enter the tubular body 12. The covering sheet 31 may thus have a bulge 33 creating a space between the tubular body 12 and the covering sheet 31 corresponding to extension of the scraping blade 11 beyond the outer limit of the tubular body 12, such that the scraping blade 11 may be housed on the inside of the covering sheet 31 when the

covering sheet 31 is in a closed position. When the covering sheet 31 is in a closed position, i.e. covering the scraping blade 11 and the passage 13, the opening 32 in the covering sheet 31 will be located along an edge of the tubular body 12, such as opposite to the scraping blade 11, different from the edge where the scraping blade 11 is located. Thus, the lumen of the tubular body 12 will still be in communication with the surroundings, allowing for suction of bone material already scraped off or in another way deliberated from the bone structure of a patient. In this way the user may choose to uncover the scraping blade 11 to enable scraping of bone material into the lumen of the tubular body 12, or cover the scraping blade 11 to enable suction of bone material already scraped off or in other way deliberated from the bone structure of a patient, by rotating the covering sheet 31 to uncover and cover the scraping blade 11 and the passage 13, respectively. It is also possible to have the covering sheet 31 movable along the central axis of the tubular body 12 as well as rotatable between the open and the closed state, which is shown in Fig. 3b. When the covering sheet 31 is movable along the central axis of the tubular body 12 the end wall of the covering sheet 31 may be displaced in respect of the scraping blade 11, whereby another suction inlet is created between the scraping blade 11 and the end wall, when the covering sheet 31 is in a closed state, and a greater suction inlet is provided when the covering sheet 31 is in an open state.

In still another embodiment, in accordance with Figs. 4a and 4b, the scraping blade 41 may be displacable along the central axis of the tubular body 42, while

simultaneously being mounted, displacably, angled in respect of a side wall 43 of the tubular body 42. Thus, when the scraping blade 41 is displaced axially from the end of the tubular body 42 a passage 44 will be formed between the scraping blade 41 and the end of the tubular body 42, while also the edge of the scraping blade will be displaced radially outwards in respect of the side wall of the tubular body 42. Thus, the scraping blade 41 will be exposed for easier contact with the bone structure of the patient, because of the radial displacement. This is illustrated in Fig. 4b. Simultaneously, when the scraping blade 41 is displaced axially towards the end of the tubular body 42, into contact with the same, the scraping blade will not any longer be exposed for the user or patient, whereby unintended injury inflicted by exposed scraping blade is prevented. When the scraping blade 41 is in contact with the end of the tubular body a suction inlet 45 will be present on for example the opposite side from the edge of the cutting blade. The suction inlet 45 thus constantly provides a communication between the lumen of the tubular body and the surroundings. This is illustrated in Fig. 4a. In this embodiment, when the scraping blade 41 is displaced axially from the end of the tubular body 42, one end of the scraping blade 41 will naturally also be displaced radially inwards, whereby a greater suction inlet will be created in this end, allowing for suction of material already scraped off or in another way abraded from the bone structure of the patient. It is also possible to have a scraping blade mounted angled in respect of a wall of the tubular body, which scraping blade only covers a part of the end cross sectional surface of the tubular

body, whereby a suction inlet will be present even if the scraping blade is displaced axially towards the end of the tubular body, into contact with the same, according to above. A partition wall may be arranged in the extension of the scraping blade inside the tubular body.

In one embodiment of the suction tools according to it is possible to arrange a partition wall along the centre of the lumen of the tubular body 12, 42. This partition wall divides the lumen into two channels. One of these channels may for example communicate with the suction inlet 45, while the other channel may for example communicate with the passage 13. Thus, bone material scraped off from a bone structure and entering the tubular body 12, 45, may be hindered from being emptied from the tool through another inlet, such as for example the suction inlet 45. When such a partition wall is comprised in the tool according to Fig. 4 it may for example extend angled in the lumen of the tubular body in respect of the sidewall 43 of the tubular body 42. The elements and components of an embodiment of the invention may be physically, functionally and logically implemented in any suitable way. Indeed, the functionality may be implemented in a single unit, in a plurality of units or as part of other functional units. As such, the invention may be implemented in a single unit, or may be physically and functionally distributed between different units .

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to the specific form set forth herein. Rather, the invention is limited only by the

accompanying claims and, other embodiments than the specific above are equally possible within the scope of these appended claims.

In the claims, the term "comprises/comprising" does not exclude the presence of other elements or steps.

Furthermore, although individually listed, a plurality of means, elements or method steps may be implemented by e.g. a single unit or processor. Additionally, although individual features may be included in different claims, these may possibly advantageously be combined, and the inclusion in different claims does not imply that a combination of features is not feasible and/or advantageous. In addition, singular references do not exclude a plurality. The terms "a", "an", "first", "second" etc do not preclude a plurality. Reference signs in the claims are provided merely as a clarifying example and shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims in any way.