Patent ID: 6379033
Filing Date: 2002-04-30
Classification: A61C,B01F

Abstract:
A device for flowing bone cement liquid into dry bone cement powder prior to mixing the bone cement liquid and the bone cement powder together to form liquid bone cement, the device comprising:(a) a circumferential body open at the top of the body, and a member closing the bottom of the body, the body and member defining a bone cement mixing chamber; and (b) a funnel on the top of the body above the mixing chamber, the funnel including a circumferential wall extending around the circumferential body and forming a vertical extension of the circumferential body, a partition wall extending across the interior of the circumferential wall, said partition wall offset to one side of the center of the funnel to form a relatively large bone cement delivery passage and a relatively small bone cement liquid well, said passage open at the top and bottom of the funnel to permit gravity flow of dry bone cement powder through the funnel and into the mixing chamber, said well open at the top of the funnel, and a small bone cement liquid discharge passage extending through the bottom of the well and opening into the mixing chamber, the passage located sufficiently close to the interior surface of the circumferential body so that bone cement liquid flows by gravity from the liquid well, through the discharge passage and down into the mixing chamber in a stream extending along and closely adjacent to the circumferential body without touching the body; wherein an appropriate number of doses of dry bone cement powder poured into the delivery passage gravity flow into the mixing chamber to form a body of dry bone cement powder under the discharge passage, an appropriate number of doses of bone cement liquid poured into the bone cement liquid well gravity flow out of the well through the discharge passage and down into the body of powder in the mixing chamber in a penetrating gravity stream extending through the height of the body of powder, and bone cement liquid is absorbed outwardly from the stream into dry bone cement powder to form a partial cylindrical column of wetted powder surrounding the stream and engaging the adjacent interior surface of the circumferential body without puddling on the top of the powder so that the bone cement liquid is substantially uniformly distributed along the height of the body of bone cement powder.