# US 11,439,411 B2 · System and method to improve surgical cutting in the presence of surgical debris > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,439,411 B2 - Document ID: US11439411B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/880,265 - Filed: 2020-05-21 - Published: 2020-11-26 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-05-24 - Assignees: Think Surgical, Inc. - Applicants: THINK Surgical, Inc. - Inventors: Micah Forstein; Joel Zuhars - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439411B2 ## CPC - A61B 17/1626: {Control means; Display units} - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/76: {Manipulators having means for providing feel, e.g. force or tactile feedback} - A61B 90/06: {Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for} - A61B 90/30: Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure - G01N 21/31: Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry {(G01N21/72 takes precedence)} - G01N 21/94: Investigating contamination, e.g. dust (G01N21/85 takes precedence) - G01N 21/954: Inspecting the inner surface of hollow bodies, e.g. bores - A61B 2017/00734: {battery operated} - A61B 2034/2051: {Electromagnetic tracking systems} - A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems} - A61B 2034/2059: {Mechanical position encoders} - A61B 2090/064: {for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension} - A61B 2090/065: {for measuring contact or contact pressure} - A61B 2090/081: {for contamination or dirt} - A61B 2090/309: {using white LEDs} - A61B 2090/363: {Use of fiducial points} - A61B 2090/3945: {Active visible markers, e.g. light emitting diodes} - A61B 2217/007: with irrigation system - G01N 2021/9544: {with emitter and receiver on the probe} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A system for improved surgical cutting in the presence of surgical debris, the system comprising: a surgical cutter comprising a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end of the surgical cutter being configured to cut bone; a debris detection system mounted to the surgical cutter, the debris detection system comprising: a light source for emitting light; a receiver for receiving light emitted from the light source; and a microprocessor for determining a change in a characteristic of the light emitted by the light source and received by the receiver, and for determining the presence and/or amount of surgical debris present at a surgical site using a change in a characteristic of the light emitted by the light source and received by the receiver; and a controller for varying, based on the presence and/or amount of surgical debris present at the surgical site, at least one of (i) an amount of irrigation supplied to the surgical site, (ii) the feed rate of the surgical cutter, (iii) the direction of the surgical cutter, and (iv) the spindle speed of the surgical cutter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for detecting debris at a surgical site, the system comprising: a cutting tool configured to cut bone; and a debris detection system comprising: a light source mounted proximal to the surgical site for emitting light; a receiver mounted to the cutting tool for receiving light emitted from the light source, wherein the light emitted from the light source passes through debris present at the surgical site before the light is received by the receiver; and a processor configured to determine a presence and/or amount of debris present at a surgical site using a change in a characteristic of light emitted by the light source and received by the receiver. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site using a change in intensity of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2 wherein the processor is configured to use a look-up table to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site by looking up, in the look-up table, the change in the intensity of light received by the receiver. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site using a change in wavelength of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system according to claim 4 wherein the processor is configured to use a look-up table to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site by looking up, in the look-up table, the change in the wavelength of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising a controller for varying, based on the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site, at least one of (i) an amount of irrigation supplied to the surgical site, (ii) a feed rate of the cutting tool, (iii) a direction of the cutting tool, and (iv) a spindle speed of a cutter associated with the cutting tool. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the cutting tool comprises a cutter supported by a sleeve, wherein the receiver is mounted to the sleeve of the cutting tool. ### Claim 8 A system for detecting debris at a surgical site, the system comprising: a cutting tool configured to cut bone; and a debris detection system comprising: a light source mounted proximal to the surgical site for emitting light; a receiver mounted proximal to the surgical site for receiving light emitted from the light source, wherein the light source is mounted proximal to the surgical site and the receiver is mounted proximal to the surgical site such that light emitted by the light source is reflected off of surgical debris present at the surgical site before the light is received by the receiver; and a processor configured to determine a presence and/or amount of debris present at a surgical site using a change in a characteristic of light emitted by the light source and received by the receiver. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8 wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site using a change in intensity of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to use a look-up table to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site by looking up, in the look-up table, the change in the intensity of light received by the receiver. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9 wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site using a change in wavelength of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11 wherein the processor is configured to use a look-up table to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site by looking up, in the look-up table, the change in the wavelength of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising a controller for varying, based on the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site, at least one of (i) an amount of irrigation supplied to the surgical site, (ii) a feed rate of the cutting tool, (iii) a direction of the cutting tool, and (iv) a spindle speed of a cutter associated with the cutting tool. ### Claim 14 A system for detecting debris at a surgical site, the system comprising: a cutting tool configured to cut bone; and a debris detection system comprising: a light source mounted to the cutting tool for emitting light; a receiver mounted proximal to the surgical site for receiving light emitted from the light source, wherein the light emitted from the light source passes through debris present at the surgical site before the light is received by the receiver; and a processor configured to determine a presence and/or amount of debris present at a surgical site using a change in a characteristic of light emitted by the light source and received by the receiver. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site using a change in intensity of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system according to claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to use a look-up table to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site by looking up, in the look-up table, the change in the intensity of light received by the receiver. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14 wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site using a change in wavelength of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to use a look-up table to determine the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site by looking up, in the look-up table, the change in the wavelength of the light received by the receiver. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 further comprising a controller for varying, based on the presence and/or amount of debris present at the surgical site, at least one of (i) an amount of irrigation supplied to the surgical site, (ii) a feed rate of the cutting tool, (iii) a direction of the cutting tool, and (iv) a spindle speed of a cutter associated with the cutting tool. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the cutting tool comprises a cutter supported by a sleeve, wherein the light source is mounted to the sleeve of the cutting tool.