Patient-Specific Hip Socket Alignment Guide

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current alignment guides for total hip replacement arthroplasty lack precision due to patient variability and anatomical complexities, leading to potential instability and durability issues in hip replacements, and existing surgical navigation methods are not universally available, increasing procedural costs and anesthesia risks.

Innovation Solution

Patient-specific anatomical guides are created using high-resolution imaging data from MRI or CT scans, processed through CAD and CAM systems for additive manufacturing, allowing for custom-made positioning and insertion guides that align with individual patient anatomy, including unique features for secure placement and alignment of prosthetic sockets.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional alignment guides are used for total hip replacement, then the procedure can be performed with standard equipment, but positioning precision is insufficient due to patient variability and anatomical complexities

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesocket positioning precisionVSAvoidadaptability to patient variability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment guide is divided into multiple components: a positioning guide with acetabular and pelvic surfaces, guide pins for reference marking, and an insertion guide with aperture and alignment features. This segmentation allows each component to address specific aspects of positioning precision and patient variability independently

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates patient-specific guides by copying individual patient anatomy from imaging data (CT scans, X-rays, or MRIs). The positioning guide and insertion guide are custom-designed to match each patient's unique acetabular and pelvic anatomy, thereby achieving high positioning precision while adapting to patient variability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If surgical navigation systems are used to improve alignment precision, then socket positioning accuracy improves, but procedure cost and anesthesia time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesocket alignment precisionVSAvoidanesthesia time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs disposable, patient-specific alignment guides that can be manufactured relatively quickly from imaging data. These guides are designed to be single-use, eliminating the need for expensive, complex surgical navigation systems while reducing anesthesia time through streamlined surgical procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex mechanical surgical navigation systems with simpler, patient-specific physical guides that are custom-designed from imaging data. The alignment guide uses basic mechanical features (apertures, surfaces, pins) rather than complex electronic navigation systems, thereby reducing cost and procedure time while maintaining precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9649201B2Anatomic socket alignment guide and methods of making and using same

Publication Date: 2017.05.16 NEW YORK UNIV

AI summary

This disclosure provides an anatomic socket alignment guide set, for total hip replacement arthroplasty. The guide set is created from patient-specific medical images, allowing the guide set components to recreate the native center of rotation of a patient's hip joint, thereby permitting accurate placement of the hip replacement prosthesis.