Adjustable Humeral Cut Guide for Intraoperative Plan Changes

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Solution Overview

Problem

During shoulder arthroplasty, surgeons often find that preselected plans for humeral bone resurfacing or resectioning are not suitable during surgery, requiring changes in instruments mid-procedure, which can be challenging without adequate guidance.

Innovation Solution

A humeral cut guide system comprising a primary and secondary cut guide member, each with patient-specific bone-engaging surfaces and slots, allowing for adjustable cutting planes via guide pins, enabling precise resectioning or resurfacing based on intraoperative needs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a preselected cutting plan is used based on preoperative imaging, then surgical efficiency is improved, but adaptability to intraoperative findings deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurgical efficiencyVSAvoidadaptability to intraoperative findings
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting guide is designed with a replaceable cutting slot that can be exchanged during surgery. The guide body remains fixed on the humeral head, but the cutting slot can be removed and replaced with a different cutting slot to accommodate changes in surgical plan, transforming a static guide into a dynamic, adaptable system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The cutting guide is divided into two functional segments: a reusable guide body that attaches to the humeral head and provides positioning, and a replaceable cutting slot that defines the cutting plane. This segmentation allows the cutting parameters to be changed without replacing the entire guide system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple cutting guides are used to accommodate plan changes, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity and time consumption worsen

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccommodation of plan changesVSAvoidnumber of instruments required
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single guide body is designed to accommodate multiple different cutting slots. The guide body serves as a universal platform that can work with various cutting slots, each defining different cutting planes. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for multiple complete cutting guide systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges the common positioning and attachment functions into a single reusable guide body, while separating the procedure-specific cutting definition into interchangeable slots. This combining of functions reduces the total number of instruments needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If a single cutting guide is used, then device simplicity is improved, but flexibility for plan changes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of cutting guide systemVSAvoidflexibility for plan changes
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cutting guide transitions from a static, single-purpose device to a dynamic system where the cutting slot can be exchanged. The guide body remains simple and fixed, but the replaceable cutting slot introduces adaptability without significantly increasing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3142570B1Humeral cut guide
Publication Date: 2022.06.29 BIOMET MFG LLC
  • EP3142570B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3142570B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3142570B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A humeral cut guide system for resectioning or resurfacing a humeral head. The humeral cut guide system includes a primary cut guide member configured to be removably coupled to the humeral head. The primary cut guide member includes a patient-specific bone-engaging surface, a primary elongate slot that defines a primary cutting plane, and a pair of cylindrical apertures configured to receive a pair of guide pins. A secondary cut guide member includes a pair of through-holes configured to mate with the pair of guide pins, and the secondary cut guide member includes a secondary elongate slot that defines a secondary cutting plane.