Patient-Specific Humeral Cut Guide with Adjustable Plate

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Solution Overview

Problem

During shoulder arthroplasty, surgeons often find that pre-planned courses of action for humeral bone resurfacing or resecting are not suitable for the patient, requiring changes in instruments mid-surgery, which can complicate the procedure.

Innovation Solution

A humeral cut guide system with patient-specific bone-engagement and registration members, and a cut guide plate that is adjustable along a tube-shaped member, allowing for precise and adaptable resection or resurfacing of the humeral head during surgery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a fixed pre-planned humeral cut guide design is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability deteriorates when surgical plans need to change mid-procedure

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of humeral head resectionVSAvoidadaptability to changing surgical plans
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The cut guide plate is designed to be adjustable along the tube-shaped member, allowing it to move between multiple fixed positions. This dynamic positioning capability enables the surgical guide to adapt to different resection depths and angles while maintaining precise alignment through the tube-shaped constraint, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing precision and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If an adjustable cut guide plate along a tube-shaped member is used, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadjustability of cut guide plate positionVSAvoidcomplexity of guide system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The guide system is segmented into distinct functional components: the bone-engagement member for stabilization, the tube-shaped member for positioning constraint, and the adjustable cut guide plate for cutting guidance. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The tube-shaped member acts as an intermediary element that connects the stable bone-engagement member to the adjustable cut guide plate. It provides a constrained pathway that allows the cut guide plate to adjust position while maintaining precise alignment, simplifying the adjustment mechanism compared to fully flexible positioning systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If patient-specific bone-engagement surfaces are used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprecision of bone engagement and alignmentVSAvoidease of manufacturing custom guides
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patient-specific bone-engagement surfaces are designed and manufactured in advance based on pre-operative imaging and planning. This preliminary action allows precise customization of the engagement surfaces to match the patient's unique anatomy, ensuring accurate alignment during surgery while separating the complex manufacturing process from the surgical procedure itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3943023B1Patient-specific humeral guide designs
Publication Date: 2023.10.25 BIOMET MFG LLC
  • EP3943023B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3943023B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3943023B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

A humeral cut guide member for a humeral head that can comprise: a bone-engagement member including a first patient-specific bone-engagement surface that is complementary and made to substantially mate and nest in only one position on a specific patient's humeral head; a registration member connected to the bone-engagement member including a second patient-specific bone engagement surface that is sized and made to substantially mate and nest in only one position with the specific patient's bicipital groove; and a cut guide plate connected to and extending away from the bone-engagement member such that, upon the bone-engagement member mating and nesting with the specific patient's humeral head, the cut guide plate is spaced apart from the humeral head, wherein cut guide plate defines an elongated slot.