# US 2019/0167329 A1 · Surgical rod bending system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167329 A1 - Document ID: US20190167329A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/266,710 - Filed: 2019-02-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05 - Assignees: Dignity Health - Applicants: Dignity Health - Inventors: Neil R. CRAWFORD; Nicholas THEODORE - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167329A1 ## CPC - A61B 17/8863: {Apparatus for shaping or cutting osteosynthesis equipment by medical personnel} - B21D 7/12: with program control - B21D 7/14: combined with measuring of bends or lengths - B21D 43/006: {Feeding elongated articles, such as tubes, bars, or profiles} - B21F 45/008: {of medical instruments, e.g. stents or corneal rings} - A61B 17/7013: {the shape of the element being adjustable before use (adjustable length plates A61B17/7014)} - B21D 7/08: by passing between rollers or through a curved die - B21F 1/008: {in 3D with means to rotate the wire about its axis} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B21D: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS OR PROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL; PUNCHING METAL (working or processing of wire B21F) - B21F: WORKING OR PROCESSING OF METAL WIRE (rolling of metal wire B21B1/16; by drawing, auxiliary operations used in connection with metal-working without essentially removing material B21C) ## Abstract A system and method for bending a surgical rod using an automated bending system includes receiving an indication of a plurality of line segments defined on the rod and an indication of an angle measurement to be formed between at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments. Bending parameters to perform on the rod to form the angle measurement between the at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments are determined and operation of the automated bending system is controlled using the bending parameters to create an angle having the angle measurement between the at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for bending a rod into a shape designed for implantation into a patient, the system comprising: a base including a base passage extending there through; a linear movement device configured to axially feed the rod in a first direction through the base passage; a rotational movement device coupled to one of the base and the linear movement device, the rotational movement device configured to rotate the rod while being fed through the base passage by the linear movement device; a bending device moveable in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to impose bending forces against the rod; and a controller configured to: receive an indication of a plurality of line segments defined on the rod; receive an indication of an angle measurement to be formed between at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments; identify bending parameters to perform on the rod to form the angle measurement between the at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments; and control operation of at least the bending device using the bending parameters to create an angle having the angle measurement between the at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein identifying the bending parameters includes identifying at least one of a lost path distance and an amount of recoil. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2 further comprising a user interface configured to receive a user selection of the at least one of the lost path distance and the amount of recoil. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is further configured to receive an indication of at least one of a plurality of pedicle points and plurality of intermediate points along the rod and, wherein the plurality of line segments is defined by adjacent ones of the at least one of a plurality of pedicle points and plurality of intermediate points. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 further comprising a rod guide including a rod passage that receives the rod as it is axially fed by the linear movement device and a flared base at one end of the rod passage, wherein the rod guide is positioned adjacent to the bending device so that the rod exits the flared base prior to the bending device imposing the bending forces against the rod. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the rotational movement device includes a rotatable platform and the linear movement device is coupled to the rotatable platform. ### Claim 7 A system for bending a rod into a shape designed for implantation into a patient, the system comprising: a plurality of guide rollers; a linear movement device configured to axially feed the rod in a first direction between the plurality of guide rollers; a rotational movement device configured to rotate the rod as it is axially fed between the plurality of guide rollers; a bending device configured to impose bending forces against the rod in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction after it is fed between the plurality of rollers, the bending device positioned adjacent to the plurality of guide rollers so that the imposed bending forces against the rod causes the rod to bend along a curve of one of the plurality of guide rollers; and a controller configured to: receive an indication of a plurality of line segments defined on the rod; receive an indication of an angle measurement to be formed between at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments; identify bending parameters to perform on the rod to form the angle measurement between the at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments; and control operation of at least the bending device using the bending parameters to create an angle having the angle measurement between the at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein identifying the bending parameters includes identifying at least one of a lost path distance and an amount of recoil. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8 further comprising a user interface configured to receive a user selection of the at least one of the lost path distance and the amount of recoil. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to receive an indication of at least one of a plurality of pedicle points and plurality of intermediate points along the rod and, wherein the plurality of line segments is defined by adjacent ones of the at least one of a plurality of pedicle points and plurality of intermediate points. ### Claim 11 A method for bending a rod configured to be implanted into a patient, the method comprising: determining a shape for the rod to be formed into to allow a rod to be implanted into a patient; determining a plurality of pedicle points along the rod where pedicle screws will attach the rod to the patient when the rod is in the shape; determining a plurality of intermediate points along the rod and between the plurality of pedicle points; identifying a plurality of line segments defined by adjacent ones of at least one of the plurality of pedicle points and the plurality of intermediate points; determining an angle measurement to be formed between at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments to form the rod into the shape; determining bending parameters to perform on the rod to form the angle measurement between the at least two adjacent ones of the plurality of line segments; and feeding the rod into a bending system configured to bend the rod into the shape using at least one of the bending parameters and the angle measurement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein determining the bending parameters includes identifying at least one of a lost path distance and an amount of recoil. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein feeding the rod into the bending system includes rotating the surgical rod relative to a bending device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the rotating includes at least one of a positive rotation between about zero degrees and about 180 degrees and a negative rotation between about zero degrees and about 180 degrees. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein determining the bending parameters includes optically scanning a surrogate rod. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 further comprising physically manipulating the surrogate rod to the shape and applying identifiers to the surrogate rod prior to optically scanning the surrogate rod. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein determining the bending parameters includes digitally mapping the plurality of pedicle points using a digitizing probe and comparing the plurality of pedicle points to the surrogate rod when the surrogate rod is formed into the shape. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein determining the bending parameters includes identifying at least one of a lost path distance and an amount of recoil based on comparing the plurality of pedicle points to the surrogate rod when the surrogate rod is formed into the shape. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15 wherein determining the bending parameters includes predicting a path length loss by bending the surrogate rod and adjusting the bending parameters using the path length loss. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein determining the bending parameters includes predicting an amount of recoil based on at least one of material properties of the rod and geometry of the rod.