Joint Deformity Tracking Alerts for Robotic Implant Alignment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing robotically-assisted surgical systems lack effective mechanisms for intra-operative assessment and correction of native joint deformities, leading to potential discrepancies between planned and actual surgical modifications, which can affect implant alignment and surgical outcomes.

Innovation Solution

A surgical system equipped with trackable markers and a controller that compares user-input deformities to detected deformities, generating alerts and facilitating corrections, and includes a robotic device for precise bone modifications guided by haptic feedback or autonomous control to ensure accurate surgical planning and execution.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a robotically-assisted surgical system is used to perform joint replacement procedures, then surgical precision and control are improved, but the system lacks effective mechanisms for intra-operative assessment and correction of native joint deformities, leading to potential discrepancies between planned and actual surgical modifications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurgical precisionVSAvoidaccuracy of deformity assessment

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the controller detects native joint deformities by tracking the position of trackable markers on the patient's anatomy, compares the detected deformity to the user-input deformity from the surgical plan, and generates alerts when discrepancies are found. This closed-loop feedback ensures that the actual surgical modifications match the planned modifications, resolving the reliability issue while maintaining surgical precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical assessment methods with an automated optical tracking and computational detection system. The tracking system monitors the position of markers on the patient's joint, and the controller automatically calculates and compares deformity measurements, eliminating human error in deformity assessment and ensuring accurate correlation between planned and actual surgical modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Manufacturing precision

If the system generates alerts for deformity discrepancies, then surgical accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional tracking systems and control mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplant alignment accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The tracking system serves multiple functions: it tracks the position of surgical tools during the procedure and simultaneously detects native joint deformities by monitoring markers placed on the patient's anatomy. The controller also performs dual functions of guiding the robotic device and comparing detected deformities with planned deformities. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining high implant alignment accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20260053574A1Systems and methods for initial assessment warnings

Publication Date: 2026.02.26 MAKO SURGICAL CORP

AI summary

A method of operating a surgical system. The method comprises detecting, by a tracking system, a native deformity of a joint of a patient, and presenting, by the surgical system, progression of a surgical workflow in response to a mismatch between the native deformity as detected by the tracking system and an expected native deformity for the patient.