# US 8,784,339 B2 · Spinal instrument for measuring load and position of load

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- Number: US 8,784,339 B2
- Document ID: US8784339B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/242,830
- Filed: 2011-09-23
- Published: 2013-03-28
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2011-09-23
- Assignees: Orthosensor Inc.
- Applicants: Marc Stein; Andrew Chase
- Inventors: Marc Stein; Andrew Chase
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8784339B2

## CPC

- A61B 17/885: {Tools for expanding or compacting bones or discs or cavities therein (A61B17/8805, A61B17/7097 take precedence)}
- A61B 17/025: {Joint distractors}
- A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
- A61B 90/06: {Measuring instruments not otherwise provided for}
- A61F 2/4455: {for the fusion of spinal bodies, e.g. intervertebral fusion of adjacent spinal bodies, e.g. fusion cages (intervertebral discs A61F2/442)}
- A61F 2/4611: {of spinal prostheses}
- A61F 2/4657: {Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints (for surgical instruments A61B90/06)}
- A61B 17/86: Pins or screws {or threaded wires; nuts therefor (A61B17/72 take precedence)}
- A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems}
- A61B 2017/00221: {with wireless transmission of data, e.g. by infrared radiation or radiowaves}
- A61B 2017/00473: {Distal part, e.g. tip or head (A61B2017/00464 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/00477: {Coupling (A61B2017/0046 takes precedence)}
- A61B 2017/00734: {battery operated}
- A61B 2017/0256: {for the spine}
- A61B 2034/2048: {using an accelerometer or inertia sensor}
- A61B 2090/064: {for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension}
- A61F 2002/2835: {Bone graft implants for filling a bony defect or an endoprosthesis cavity, e.g. by synthetic material or biological material}
- A61F 2002/30011: {differing in porosity}
- A61F 2002/30593: {hollow}
- A61F 2002/3085: {with a threaded, e.g. self-tapping, bone-engaging surface, e.g. external surface}
- A61F 2002/4666: {for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension}
- A61F 2310/00023: Titanium or titanium-based alloys, e.g. Ti-Ni alloys
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

A spinal instrument includes sensors for measuring a parameter of the muscular-skeletal system. The spinal instrument includes a sensored head region that can be inserted into a spinal region. The spinal instrument comprises a housing, a housing, an electronic assembly, and a flexible interconnect. Housing includes a handle portion, a shaft portion, and a support structure. Similarly, housing includes a handle portion, a shaft portion, and a support structure. Furthermore, housing has a cavity and a lengthwise passage respectively for receiving electronic assembly and flexible interconnect. A sensored head region of spinal instrument includes an assembly stack for measuring load magnitude and position of load on the support structure and the support structure. The flexible interconnect couples the electronic assembly to the sensors.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An orthopedic measurement device for a knee region comprising:
a first housing component comprising a first handle portion, a first shaft portion, and a first head portion;
a second housing component comprising a second handle portion, a second shaft portion, and a second head portion wherein the first and second housing components couple together to form a device handle, a device shaft, and a device head; and
a first sensor in the device head, where the first sensor is configured to measure a parameter of the knee region, wherein the device handle includes a second sensor, where the second sensor is configured to measure trajectory, location and position of the device head in real-time while the device head is moved toward and within the knee region.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The measurement device of claim 1 further including:
a cavity in the handle;
an electronic assembly in the cavity; and
a power source coupled to the electronic assembly.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The measurement device of claim 2 wherein one or more retaining features retain the electronic assembly in the cavity.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The measurement device of claim 2 wherein a removeable module comprising the electronic assembly and the power source fits within the cavity and forms a portion of the handle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The measurement device of claim 1 wherein the first and second housing components comprise polycarbonate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The measurement device of claim 1 further including: at least one channel in the shaft from the handle to the head; and
a flexible interconnect in the channel of the shaft coupling the first sensor to the electronic assembly.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The measurement device of claim 6 wherein the electronic assembly comprises:
a printed circuit board;
electronic circuitry mounted on the printed circuit board; and
one or more connectors coupled to the electronic circuitry wherein the flexible interconnect couples to the one or more connectors.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The measurement device of claim 1 wherein the first and second housing components each include corresponding mating surfaces that couple together.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The measurement device of claim 1 wherein a gap exists between a peripheral surface of a first support structure of the head and a peripheral surface of a second support structure of the head when coupled together.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The measurement device of claim 9 wherein peripheral surfaces of the first and second support structures comprise corresponding triangular shaped region and a v-groove.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The measurement device of claim 1 wherein the device head includes:
a load plate coupled to the device head; and
a plurality of load sensors coupled to the load plate configured to measure load and position of load wherein the load plate is configured to distribute load applied to the device head to each of the load sensors.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The measurement device of claim 11 wherein the device head further includes:
a retaining structure coupled to the plurality of load sensors; and
a flexible interconnect coupled to the plurality of load sensors.

### Claim 13

A spinal instrument for measuring load in a spinal region comprising:
a first housing component comprising a first handle portion, a first shaft portion, and a first head portion;
a second housing component comprising a second handle portion, a second shaft portion, and a second head portion wherein the first and second housing components couple together to form a device handle, a device shaft, and a device head of the spinal instrument, where the first handle connects to the second handle to form a device handle, where the first shaft connects to the second shaft to form a device shaft, where the first head connects to the second head to form a device head; and
a plurality of sensors coupled to a first support structure and a second support structures of the head of the spinal instrument configured to measure load magnitude and position of load applied thereto and wherein the device handle of the spinal instrument includes a second sensor, where the second sensor is configured to measure trajectory, location and position of the device head in real-time while the device head is moved toward and within the spinal region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The spinal instrument of claim 13 further including a cavity in the handle;
an electronic assembly in the cavity; and
a power source coupled to the electronic assembly.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The spinal instrument of claim 14 further including: a removeable module comprising the electronic assembly and the power source fits within the cavity and forms a portion of the handle.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The spinal instrument of claim 13 wherein a gap exists between a peripheral surface of the first support structure of the head and a peripheral surface of the second support structure of the head when coupled together.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The spinal instrument of claim 13 wherein peripheral surfaces of the first and second support structures comprise corresponding triangular shaped region and a v-groove.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The spinal instrument of claim 17 wherein an elastic adhesive couples the mating surfaces together thereby allowing the head of the spinal instrument to compress under a load applied thereto.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The spinal instrument of claim 18 wherein a non-elastic adhesive couples a portion of the first housing component to the second housing component.