Acoustic Bone Quality Analysis During Orthopedic Surgery

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current orthopedic surgical procedures lack a method to confirm the actual bone quality during surgery, which can lead to misalignment and reduced longevity of implants, as pre-operative bone quality data may not accurately represent the actual bone conditions.

Innovation Solution

A system and method using acoustic sensors to record and compare audio samples while cutting bone regions, allowing for real-time analysis of bone quality by correlating initial audio samples with bone quality data and adjusting surgical plans accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If pre-operative bone quality data is used to plan implant placement, then implant positioning can be optimized, but the actual bone quality during surgery may differ from pre-operative data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone quality assessment accuracyVSAvoidaccuracy of pre-operative bone quality data

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides real-time feedback during surgery by comparing acoustic signals from bone cutting with pre-operative bone quality data. The acoustic sensor detects bone properties during the actual surgical procedure, and the system compares this live data with pre-operative imaging to confirm bone quality matches the planned implant placement, allowing for immediate adjustments if discrepancies are detected

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces reliance on pre-operative imaging (X-ray, CT, MRI) with real-time acoustic measurement during surgery. The acoustic sensor directly measures bone properties such as density and quality during the cutting process, substituting the indirect pre-operative assessment with direct intra-operative measurement to ensure accurate bone quality evaluation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If acoustic sensing is added to real-time bone quality analysis, then bone quality can be confirmed during surgery, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfirmation of actual bone qualityVSAvoidsurgical system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The acoustic sensor serves multiple functions: it detects bone quality during cutting, provides real-time feedback for implant placement verification, and enables comparison with pre-operative data. By making the sensor multi-functional, the system reduces the need for separate specialized devices for each measurement task, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The acoustic sensor acts as an intermediary between the cutting instrument and the surgical planning system. It captures acoustic signals from bone interaction, translates physical bone properties into measurable signals, and provides this data to the processing system for comparison with pre-operative plans, serving as a bridge that enables real-time verification without requiring direct integration of all surgical functions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If real-time acoustic analysis is performed during surgery, then bone quality can be verified, but surgical time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereal-time bone quality verificationVSAvoidsurgical procedure duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The acoustic measurement occurs continuously during the bone cutting process itself, rather than requiring separate measurement steps before or after cutting. The sensor operates throughout the cutting operation, capturing bone quality data in real-time as the cutting instrument interacts with the bone, eliminating additional time for separate verification procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary comparison of acoustic data with pre-operative bone quality data during the cutting process. By having the pre-operative data ready for immediate comparison and performing the acoustic measurement concurrently with cutting, the system avoids post-operative delays and enables real-time verification that prevents reoperations, thereby managing surgical time efficiently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables accurate assessment of bone quality during surgery, allowing for adjustments to implant placement and reducing the risk of misalignment, improving implant longevity and clinical outcomes.

Implementation Method 1

an initial audio sample being recorded with an acoustic sensor, while a cutting instrument cuts a first region of a bone

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic emission: Acoustic Emission

Data Source

PatentUS11291427B2Acoustic analyzation of bone quality during orthopedic surgery

Publication Date: 2022.04.05 CUREXO

AI summary

A method of analyzing the quality of bone at one or more bone regions during an orthopedic surgical procedure includes an initial audio sample being recorded with an acoustic sensor, while a cutting instrument cuts a first region of a bone. The first audio sample is stored as a reference sample that represents a good degree of bone quality. A second audio sample is recorded with the acoustic sensor, while the cutting instrument cuts a second region of the bone. The second audio sample is compared to the reference sample to analyze the bone quality at the second region of the bone. A system for performing the method is also provided.