Patent ID: 8790321

Claim:
A method for the collection of materials from a medullary bone graft source utilizing a reamer irrigator aspirator device, and a plurality of filters, the reamer irrigator aspirator device utilizing an irrigation fluid supply and a suction source, the method comprising: connecting, by a first connecting tube, an input of a first stage filter container containing a first stage filter of the plurality of filters to an output of the reamer irrigator aspirator device; passing a flow of materials suspended in an irrigation fluid harvested by the reamer irrigator aspirator device through the first connecting tube; filtering, by the first stage filter, the flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid, wherein the first stage filter possesses a first particulate size selectivity to separate a first stage retained material from the flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid to provide a first stage output flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid; passing the first stage output flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid through an output of the first stage filter container; connecting, by a second connecting tube, an input of a second stage filter container containing a second stage filter of the plurality of filters to the output of the first stage filter container; filtering, by the second stage filter, the first stage output flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid, wherein the second stage filter possess a second particulate size selectivity to separate a second stage retained material from the first stage output flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid to provide a second stage output flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid, wherein the second stage particulate size selectivity includes particulate sizes less than those included with the first particulate size selectivity; and accepting, by the second stage filter, the first stage retained material, to produce a combined graft product; wherein the second stage filter container includes an evacuation port allowing for an open system to permit the flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid to be evacuated from the second stage filter container in a continuous process; wherein the continuous process includes the first stage filter container receiving an additional flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid from the first connecting tube simultaneously with the second stage filter container providing the second stage output flow of materials suspended in the irrigation fluid to the evacuation port of the second stage filter container; wherein the second stage filter is constructed utilizing a biodegradable-material-based filter.