In revision surgery of  hip and knee replacements much debris arises that has to be removed out of the wound.  Large fragments are manually removed out of the wound, the residue is rinsed out using a flushing – suction device.

Several  flushing – suction devises are on the market but they quickly become clogged making further extraction of the debris impossible. Vision becomes severely disrupted and surgery can have no further passage. The suction system must be disassembled and cleaned before the operation can be continued sometimes the whoe system must be replaced. This leads to loss of time, cost, irritation of personel and an increased risk of complications due to the lack of visibility. 

The debris consists of flushing liquid (NaCl) with blood clots, fat tissue, bone and bone-cement  fragments (polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)) of variable diameter (1-5 mm). In particular these bone and cement fragments clog the system. 

Objective: Developing a disposable flushing - suction system for orthopedic surgery that is not clogged by the debris that needs to be removed out of the wound. 

Conditions system:

Does not clog

handy

Disposable

"Cheap"

To be used in sterile environment

Sterilizable (Y-ray or steam (120 ° Celsius)