Electronic Orientation Sensor for Hip Arthroplasty Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hip arthroplasty procedures face challenges in accurately orienting and positioning the acetabular cup during surgery, as existing methods lack precise guidance, leading to potential misalignment and wear, which can cause damage to the patient.
Innovation Solution
The use of an electronic orientation sensor that can be transitioned between the patient's pelvic region and the acetabular cup impactor to record and determine the correct orientation, combined with an image capture device for visual guidance, ensuring accurate alignment through real-time feedback and adjustment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional manual methods are used to orient the acetabular cup impactor, then the surgical procedure is simple to perform, but the orientation precision and alignment accuracy are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical orientation methods with an electronic orientation sensor that uses electronic fields (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) to detect and measure the spatial orientation of the acetabular cup impactor. This substitution of mechanical sensing with electronic sensing significantly improves measurement precision while managing device complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electronic orientation sensor as an intermediary device between the surgeon and the acetabular cup impactor. This sensor acts as a mediator that provides real-time orientation data, enabling precise alignment without requiring the surgeon to manually estimate or measure angles, thus improving orientation precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If an electronic orientation sensor is introduced to improve alignment accuracy, then the positioning precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor functions (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) and processing capabilities into a single integrated electronic orientation sensor unit that attaches to the acetabular cup impactor. This merging of multiple components into one unified device improves alignment accuracy while minimizing the increase in overall device complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The electronic orientation sensor automatically measures and calculates the orientation of the acetabular cup impactor without requiring external intervention or complex setup procedures. The sensor self-calibrates and provides real-time feedback, improving alignment accuracy while keeping the operational complexity manageable through automated functions.
3Reliability
If real-time orientation monitoring is implemented, then the reliability of cup positioning is improved, but the use of energy and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The electronic orientation sensor provides periodic updates of the impactor orientation rather than continuous monitoring at maximum resolution. This periodic sampling approach maintains positioning reliability by providing sufficient orientation data at key moments during the implantation process while reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous high-frequency monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
Hip arthroplasty apparatus and methods are described to determine an orientation of an acetabular cup impactor, the acetabular cup impactor being moveable to a desired orientation relative to a patient's pelvic region for implantation of an acetabular cup. In one embodiment an electronic orientation sensor is transitionable between a first location on the patient's pelvic region and a second location on the acetabular cup impactor. At the first location, the orientation sensor is adapted to record a reference orientation of the patient's pelvic region. At the second location the orientation sensor is adapted to determine an orientation of the acetabular cup impactor relative to the reference orientation.