Alert processor for a bone fixation device
AssigneeSynthes GmbH
InventorsAlbert A. Montello, Scott P. Lavoritano, Oren Cohen, Shahar Harari, Dror Albo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An adjustable bone fixation device for moving a bone includes at least two strut units, at least one meter and a system controller. Each strut unit includes a motor to move a strut. The meter measures a signal generated by the motor during the movement of its strut. The signal is useful in determining a torque or a current of the motor. The system controller activates at least two of the motors and uses the determined torque or the determined current to identify if there is a clinical situation of the bone or a system issue and provides an alert accordingly.
Claims25
An adjustable bone fixation device for moving a bone, the adjustable bone fixation device comprising:
- at least two strut units, each strut unit of the at least two strut units comprising a motor configured to move a respective strut;
- at least one meter configured to measure signals generated by the motors during movement of the respective struts;
- a system controller configured to activate at least two motors of the at least two strut units and configured to determine one or more of a torque or a current of each of the at least two motors using the measured signals generated by the at least two motors;
- and
- an alert processor configured to:
- determine, based on one or more of the determined torques or the determined currents of each of the at least two motors, a problem;
- determine, based on one or more of the determined torques or the determined currents of each of the at least two motors, whether the determined problem is a clinical problem associated with the bone or a system problem associated with the adjustable bone fixation device;
- and
- provide an alert that indicates whether the problem is a clinical problem associated with the bone or a system problem associated with the adjustable bone fixation device.
A method for an adjustable bone fixation device for moving a bone, the adjustable bone fixation device having at least two strut units, each strut unit of the at least two strut units comprising a motor configured to move a respective strut, the method comprising:
- activating at least two motors of the at least two strut units;
- measuring signals generated by the at least two activated motors;
- determining one or more of a torque or a current of each of the at least two motors using the measured signals generated by the at least two motors;
- determining, based on one or more of the determined torques or the determined currents of each of the at least two motors, a problem;
- determining, based on one or more of the determined torques of the determined currents of each of the at least two motors, whether the problem is a clinical problem associated with the bone or a system problem associated with the adjustable bone fixation device;
- and
- providing an alert that indicates whether the problem is a clinical problem associated with the bone or a system problem associated with the adjustable bone fixation device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.