Bone Plate Concave Bottom Surface Spike Tracking Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current surgical navigation systems face challenges in maintaining the stability and accuracy of tracking devices attached to bone plates, particularly due to movement relative to the anatomy, which can lead to misalignment and potential surgical complications.

Innovation Solution

A bone plate design with a concave bottom surface and spike extensions that secure to the bone, preventing rotation and accommodating soft tissues, coupled with a tracking head and extension arm for precise attachment and tracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a tracking device is attached to a bone plate through soft tissue, then the tracking device can be positioned on the bone, but the soft tissue compressive forces cause movement and misalignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking device stabilityVSAvoidsoft tissue compressive forces

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the tracking device from soft tissue attachment and extracts it directly to bone through a bone plate. The bone plate has a concave bottom surface that contacts bone directly, eliminating soft tissue compression forces that cause movement and misalignment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension of attachment by using a bone plate with a concave bottom surface that engages with bone geometry. This creates a third dimension of stability by accommodating bone contours, preventing movement in multiple directions simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Ease of manufacture

If the bone plate bottom surface is flat, then manufacturing is simple, but rotation and movement relative to bone occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebone plate fabricationVSAvoidbone plate positional stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies curvature to the bone plate bottom surface by creating a concave surface that conforms to bone geometry. This curved surface engages with bone contours to prevent rotation and movement, providing stability without complex manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Measurement precision

If the tracking device is securely attached to prevent movement, then alignment accuracy is maintained, but soft tissue compression increases causing surgical complications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetracking alignment accuracyVSAvoidsoft tissue compression

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the tracking device attachment from soft tissue to bone, eliminating soft tissue compression forces. The bone plate transmits attachment forces directly to bone, maintaining tracking accuracy while avoiding soft tissue damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12102365B2Bone plate for attaching to an anatomic structure

Publication Date: 2024.10.01 MAKO SURGICAL CORP

AI summary

A plate for attaching to an anatomic structure with fasteners. The plate has a body with a top surface and a bottom surface opposite the top surface. The body defines one or more openings to receive a respective one of the one or more fasteners. The bottom surface is concave to define a space to accommodate a portion of the anatomic structure. A bone pad surface extends from the bottom surface. A spike extends away from the bone pad surface. An extension arm can be coupled to the plate and the extension arm can support a tracking head to implement a surgical tracking assembly.