Harvard College

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc.

Kechao Xiao

Conor James Walsh

Kevin Galloway

Samuel Kesner

Hao Pei

Paul Loschak

Ajith Thomas

The present invention is directed to a bi-stable coupling for controlling the depth of a tool insertion, such as drilling, and similar processes. The bi-stable coupling can be used to penetrate (e.g., drill or push) through a material layer of unknown thickness without plunging the tool into the adjacent layer. In accordance with the invention, in a first state, force is applied to the tool to initiate penetration and a reactive force maintains the device in the first state during penetration and when tool penetrates the material, the reactive force is diminished enabling the device to transition to a second state in which the tool becomes retracted. In medical applications, the invention allows for drilling through bone of unknown thickness without plunging into the adjacent soft tissue.

Methods and devices for safely penetrating materials

Growing community of inventors

Guangzhou, China

Kechao Xiao