Novel Drill Bit Doubles as Depth Gauge

A new drill combines a traditional bone bit with a depth gauge that allows orthopedic surgeons to combine the two steps, reducing procedure time.

The Slick drill-bit system combines the drilling and measurement steps of screw hole preparation into a single action, while still sharing the performance and compatibility of standard drill bits. The device includes a retractable wire and clip that extends to near the tip of the drill bit, acting like the hook. This wire and clip acts as an integrated depth-gauge, allowing the surgeon to take accurate measurements from the drill bit. The set also provides easy-to-follow calibrations that are matched to trauma system implants from most major manufacturers.


The system includes the color-coded wire and clip and high strength Titanium alloy drill bits of different sizes and accessories designed to allow preparation of the bone for a wide range of bone-screws and plates. The complete set comes with all the components required for drilling during a screw fixation, with an integrated color-coding system for easy recognition and a removable handle that can be affixed at 45° and 90° for access in difficult areas. The Slick drill-bit system is a product of Surgionix (Auckland, New Zealand), and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

“Surgeons who have trialed the instrument set recognize that by combining the two steps of drilling and depth gauge use, you can reduce costs, surgical time and the ‘fiddle-factor’,” said orthopedic surgeon Pranesh Kumar, MD, inventor of the system and founder of Surgionix.

Orthopedic surgeons have used implanted bone-plates and internal fixation screws to repair broken bones since the early 1900s, with the screw-hole depth gauge patented in 1925, leading to improved surgery and becoming a standard instrument within most trauma sets. Since then, the technique for screw-hole preparation using an orthopedic drill and a depth-gauge has undergone little change.

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