Dave's PCF WIP: Terms

Term #2,236

Edit Term

Abrading feature

View List Terms Delete

Claim Term

Application

App Docket

Created Date

Full Desc

"Abrading feature," as used herein, refers to a feature and/or a structural component of an instrument, such as an abrader, abrading blade, burr, file, rasp, rasp blade, or similar tool, configured to remove, smooth, shape, contour, or refine surfaces through abrasion or cutting during a procedure. The abrading feature enhances the instrument’s functionality by enabling controlled material removal and/or surface modification, which may be used to complement cutting and/or shaping operations.

In some embodiments, the abrading feature comprises a plurality of raised elements, cutting features, spikes, abrasive edges, edges, teeth, ridges, and/or particulate-coated regions disposed along at least a portion of an instrument’s working surface, such as a planar surface, an edge, a distal end, a distal surface, a side, a planar side, and/or a lateral face thereof. These elements may be arranged in a linear, arcuate, radial, grid-like, regular, or irregular patterns and are dimensioned to incrementally remove material through frictional engagement. In one embodiment, the abrading feature may smooth or contour a surface rather than incising it, enabling controlled reshaping without excessive material loss.

For example, the abrading feature may include raised abrasive elements with a height ranging from approximately 0.1 mm to 2 mm and a spacing of approximately 0.5 mm to 5 mm, though other dimensions are contemplated based on the intended application. Alternatively, the abrading feature may be embodied as a textured or grit-coated surface, including a roughened, etched, micro-patterned, or abrasive-coated area applied to the instrument’s working surface to enhance material removal efficiency. Such a textured surface may be achieved through chemical etching, laser structuring, abrasive blasting, or the application of bonded abrasive materials, yielding a uniform or patterned roughness with a surface roughness average (Ra) ranging from approximately 0.5 µm to 50 µm, depending on the desired level of abrasiveness.

The abrading feature, whether formed as raised elements, cutting features, ridges, abrasive teeth, particulate coatings, or a textured surface, may be integrally formed with the instrument body through machining, molding, laser structuring, or deposition processes or may be a separately applied or affixed element, such as an abrasive-coated layer, bonded grit structure, or modular insert. This flexibility in construction allows the abrading feature to be adapted to various manufacturing processes, material compositions, and instrument designs, supporting a range of applications where controlled abrasion, contouring, and surface refinement are required.