Method and system for determining resection guidelines for joint replacement surgical procedures

• US 20070043375A1
• Filed: 02/17/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucas Anissian
• Original Assignee: Lucas Anissian
• Inventors: Anissian, Lucas
• Granted Patent: US 8,979,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/87
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/15 Guides therefor arrangements for guiding straight saw blades in general B23D51/025
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/155 Cutting femur
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/157 Cutting tibia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1703 using imaging means, e.g. by X-rays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1764 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320052 Guides for cutting instruments by marking A61B2090/395
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers

Abstract

A method and system for utilizing a plurality of linear laser beams to project guidelines onto a skeletal joint for resection of the joint during surgical joint replacement procedures. The method comprises projecting a linear laser beam along the long axis of a limb at one end of the joint, utilizing the first beam as a benchmark for a second linear laser beam that is projected in an angular orientation to the first beam, and projecting a third beam in a parallel orientation to the second beam, which third beam provides the guideline for the resection procedure. The system comprises linear laser beam generating means with integrated leveling devices to allow for neutral positioning of the system prior to use. The system further includes a separate cutting block with a removable handle, wherein the handle includes its own integrated leveling devices. The cutting block is attached to the joint that is being resected in an orientation that is established by the linear laser beam guidelines.

Claims

1. A method of creating guidelines for resection of a skeletal joint, said method including the steps of:

a. exposing said joint by standard surgical procedures;

b. projecting a first linear laser beam onto the limb in which the joint is being resected along the long parallel axis of said limb;

c. projecting a second linear laser beam in an angled orientation to the first laser beam, wherein the first laser beam provides a landmark for orienting the desired angle of the second laser beam, and the second laser beam runs through the joint being resected and connects the ends of known surgical landmarks at the end of the bone resection site;

d. projecting a third linear laser beam parallel to the second laser beam and at a distance from such second beam, wherein the gap created by the second and third laser beams defines the portion of the bone that will be resected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the system which generates the first, second and third laser beams is fixedly mounted within an operatory theater, and wherein such system is first leveled via integrated leveling means to orient the laser beam generator along each of threes axes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system which generates the first, second and third laser beams is portably mounted on a mounting structure, and wherein such combined system and mounting structure is first leveled via leveling means to orient the laser beam generator along each of threes axes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the gap between the second and third linear laser beams is pre-set prior to projecting said linear laser beams onto their respective targets.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the angled orientation of the first and second laser beams is pre-set prior to projecting said linear laser beams onto their respective targets.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of attaching a cutting jig onto the bone being resected and utilizing the first, second and third laser beams to establish proper orientation for the cutting jig.

7. The method of claim 6, further including the step of utilizing a removable handle to facilitate attachment of the cutting jig, wherein the neutral orientation of such handle is established via independent leveling means that are integrated into the handle.

8. The method of claim 1, further including repeating of the steps (a) through (d) on the second bone that is being resected.

8-1. A method of utilizing a plurality of projected linear laser beams to measure alignment of limbs in a medical or surgical facility, said method including the steps of projecting a first linear laser beam along one axis of a patient'"'"'s limb, and projecting one or more additional laser beams onto the patient'"'"'s limb in an angular orientation to the first linear laser beam.

9. A system for generating guidelines for resection of a skeletal joint, said system comprising:

a. a linear laser beam generating system capable of generating a plurality of linear laser beams in various orientations; and

b. leveling means to allow for establishment of a neutral position for said laser beam generating system;

c. whereby with said linear laser beam generating system, first, second and third linear laser beams are projected in angular orientation to each other and onto the limb of a surgical patient to generate resection guidelines.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein such system is fixedly mounted in an operatory theater.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein such system is portably mounted on a mounting structure.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein such system generates two of the linear laser beams in a generally parallel fashion such that the gap between said linear laser beams defines the portion of a skeletal surface that will be resected.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein such system generates at least two intersecting linear laser beams.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the angle of the intersecting laser beams can be measured and established to any angular measurement between 0°

and 360°

.

15. The system of claim 9, further including a cutting jig that may be attached onto the bone that is being resected, wherein the orientation of such cutting jig is established by referring to the first, second and third linear laser beams generated by such system.

16. The system of claim 15, further including a handle that is removably attached cutting jig, and further including a plurality of integrated leveling means to set the neutral orientation of said handle and cutting jig.

17. The system of claim 9, further including two or more linear laser beam generating systems, each of which may be independently leveled via a plurality of leveling means, with each linear laser beam generating system being capable of projecting a plurality of linear laser beam onto each side of a skeletal joint that is being resected.