Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• A biomimetic desert beetle microgrinding tool significantly improves cooling efficiency and reduces bone surface temperature by up to 25.8% compared to conventional tools. • The proposed two-phase flow-field model accurately predicts airflow velocities with an average error of 14.74%, enabling optimized cooling design. • The biomimetic tool reduces clogging area by up to 23.0%, enhancing cutting efficiency and prolonging tool life. • This research provides theoretical and technical support for safer clinical bone resection surgery, potentially reducing thermal damage to bone and nerves.
Abstract
Microgrinding is widely used in clinical bone surgery, but saline spray cooling faces technical challenges such as low wettability at the microgrinding tool–bone interface, easy clogging of the microgrinding tools, and high grinding temperatures. These issues can lead to bone necrosis, irreversible thermal damage to nerves, or even surgical failure. Inspired by the water-trapping and directional transportation abilities of desert beetles, this study proposes a biomimetic desert beetle microgrinding tool. The flow-field distribution directly influences the convective heat transfer of the cooling medium in the grinding zone, which in turn affects the grinding temperature. To address this, a mathematical model of the two-phase flow field at the biomimetic microgrinding tool–bone interface is developed. The results indicate an average error of 14.74% between the calculated and experimentally obtained airflow field velocities. Next, a biomimetic desert beetle microgrinding tool is prepared. Experiments with physiological saline spray cooling were conducted on fresh bovine femur bone, which has mechanical properties similar to human bone. Results show that, compared with conventional microgrinding tools, the biomimetic tools reduced bone surface temperature by 21.7%, 13.2%, 5.8%, 20.3%, and 25.8% at particle sizes of 150#, 200#, 240#, 270#, and 300#, respectively. The surface morphology of the biomimetic microgrinding tools after grinding is observed and analyzed, revealing a maximum clogging area reduction of 23.0%, which is 6.1%, 6.0%, 10.0%, 15.6%, and 9.5% less than that observed with conventional tools. Finally, this study unveils the dynamic mechanism of cooling medium transfer in the flow field at the biomimetic microgrinding tool–bone interface. This research provides theoretical guidance and technical support for clinical bone resection surgery.
1. Introduction
With the frequent occurrence of conditions such as skull base tumors and femoral head necrosis, bone microgrinding techniques are increasingly being used in clinical surgery. This has led to improvements in the precision and safety of these procedures [1, 2]. From a machining perspective, bone microgrinding involves using tiny abrasive particles on the surface of microgrinding tools to rapidly remove bone tissue at high speeds [3, 4]. However, this process generates significant heat, some of which is transferred to the internal bone tissue, potentially causing thermal damage to both the bone and the surrounding nerves. The excessive heat produced during microgrinding process surpasses that of other cutting methods, and owing to the extremely low thermal conductivity of bone tissue, this heat accumulates at the microgrinding tool–bone interface before spreading to the surrounding tissues [5, 6]. It is widely accepted that bone tissue experiences thermal damage above 50 ℃ [7–9].
Currently, saline spray cooling is the standard method used in clinical surgery. However, conventional microgrinding tools have hydrophobic surfaces, preventing saline from effectively reaching the microgrinding tool–bone interface [10, 11]. Furthermore, components like polysaccharide proteins and other components in bone tissue become more viscous when temperature increases, causing abrasive chips to adhere to the tool surface and leading to clogging. This reduces the cutting efficiency of the microgrinding tool and impedes the discharge of grinding heat, aggravating thermal damage. Irreversible heat injury is currently a bottleneck in clinical bone microgrinding surgery. Improving the wettability of the microgrinding tool–bone interface, enhancing convective heat transfer in the grinding arc area, and resolving tool clogging issues are crucial steps in overcoming the bottleneck of thermal damage in bone microgrinding [12].
Natural organisms have evolved unique survival skills through natural selection and the survival of the fittest.
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Zhonghao Li, Jiachao Hao, Min Yang, Xiaoming Wang, Yifei Cheng, Zongming Zhou, Fenghan Jiang, Xiao Ma, Mingzheng Liu, Xin Cui, Yanbin Zhang, Benkai Li, Changhe Li (2025). Biomimetic Desert Beetle Microgrinding Tool Flow-field Model and Processability Evaluation. Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10033-025-01280-0
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main problem addressed in this study?
The study addresses the challenges of saline spray cooling in bone microgrinding, including low wettability, tool clogging, and high grinding temperatures, which can cause thermal damage to bone and nerves.
How does the biomimetic desert beetle microgrinding tool improve cooling?
Inspired by desert beetles' water-trapping and directional transportation abilities, the biomimetic tool enhances the flow field distribution, improving convective heat transfer and reducing bone surface temperature by up to 25.8% compared to conventional tools.
What is the average error of the proposed flow-field model?
The average error between the calculated and experimentally obtained airflow field velocities is 14.74%, indicating good accuracy for predicting cooling performance.
How much does the biomimetic tool reduce clogging?
The biomimetic tool reduces the maximum clogging area by 23.0% compared to conventional tools, which enhances cutting efficiency and reduces heat accumulation.
What are the potential clinical applications of this research?
This research provides theoretical guidance and technical support for clinical bone resection surgery, potentially improving safety and outcomes by reducing thermal damage and enhancing tool performance.
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