DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ENABLING AN ORTHOPEDIC TOOL FOR PARAMETER MEASUREMENT

• US 20150080901A1
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OrthoSensor, Inc (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OrthoSensor, Inc (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Stein, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 9,937,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/102
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4566 Evaluating the spine A61B5/4561 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/442 Intervertebral or spinal discs, e.g. resilient non-disc-shaped intervertebral inflatable pockets A61F2/441; non-disc-shaped intervertebral fusion implants A61F2/4455
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4611 of spinal prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4657 Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints for surgical instruments A61B90/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4684 Trial or dummy prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4666 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 36/0006 Permanent magnet actuating reed switches H01H35/147 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for enabling and disabling a medical device. The system includes a cradle having a magnet for generating a magnetic field. The cradle supports and aligns the medical device in a predetermined orientation. Medical device placed in the cradle exposes a magnetic sensitive switch to the magnetic field of the magnet that produces a change in state of the magnetic sensitive switch. Medical device further includes a switch, indicator, logic circuitry, delay circuit, and detect circuit for coupling a power source to electronic circuitry. In a first mode of operation the medical device can be turned on and then turned off. In a second mode of operation the medical device cannot be turned off after being turned on.

Claims

1. A switchless method of enabling and disabling a medical device having an internal power source comprising the steps of:

placing the medical device in a cradle;

enabling the medical device after the medical device has been in the cradle greater than or equal to a first time period wherein the medical device detects being in the cradle; and

removing the medical device from the cradle after a second time period wherein the second time period is greater than the first time period, wherein the medical device measures the first and second time periods, and wherein the medical device cannot be turned off after being in the cradle past the second time period.

2. The method of claim 1 further including a step of maintaining a current drain on the internal power source until the medical device is inoperable.

3. The method of claim 2 further including a step of turning off the medical device when the internal power source falls below a threshold voltage.

4. The method of claim 3 further including a step of disposing of the medical device.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

removing the medical device from the cradle after the first time period but before the second time period wherein the medical detects that the medical device has been removed from the cradle; and

using the medical device.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the steps of:

returning the medical device to the cradle;

disabling the medical device when the medical device has been placed back in the cradle; and

removing the medical device from the cradle.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the steps of:

placing the medical device in the cradle; and

enabling the medical device after the medical device has been in the cradle greater than the first time period.

8. A switchless method of enabling and disabling a medical device having an internal power source comprising the steps of:

placing the medical device in a cradle;

enabling the medical device after the medical device has been in the cradle greater than or equal to a first time period wherein the medical device detects being in the cradle;

removing the medical device from the cradle after a second time period wherein the second time period is greater than the first time period, wherein the medical device measures the first and second time periods, and wherein the medical device cannot be turned off after being in the cradle past the second time period;

using the medical device; and

maintaining a current drain on the internal power source after the medical device is used until the medical device is inoperable.

9. The method of claim 8 further including a step of turning off the medical device when the internal power source falls below a threshold voltage.

10. The method of claim 9 further including a step of disposing of the medical device.

11. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

removing the medical device from the cradle after the first time period but before the second time period wherein the medical device detects that the medical device has been removed from the cradle; and

using the medical device.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the steps of:

returning the medical device to the cradle; and

disabling the medical device when the medical device has been placed in the cradle; and

removing the medical device from the cradle wherein the medical device remains off.

13. The method of claim 12 further including the steps of:

placing the medical device in the cradle; and

enabling the medical device after the medical device has been in the cradle greater than the first time period.

14. A switchless method of enabling and disabling a medical device having an internal power source comprising the steps of:

placing the medical device in proximity to a magnetic field above a threshold;

maintaining the medical device within the magnetic field for greater than a first time period where a magnetic sensitive switch is configured to change state when the medical device is within the magnetic field, where the magnetic sensitive switch couples to a delay circuit, where the delay circuit is configured to measure the first time period and a second time period after the magnetic sensitive switch changes state;

logic circuitry enabling a switch after the first time period where the switch couples the internal power source to electronic circuitry of the medical device, where the delay circuit couples to logic circuitry, where the logic circuitry couples to the switch, and where the logic circuitry is configured to enable the switch when the medical device is within the magnetic field greater than or equal to the first time period;

removing the medical device from the magnetic field after the second time period wherein the logic circuitry maintains the internal power source coupled to the electronic circuitry and wherein the medical device cannot be turned off;

using the medical device; and

maintaining a current drain on the internal power source after the medical device is used until the medical device is inoperable.

15. The method of claim 14 further including the steps of:

detecting when a voltage of the power source is below a minimum voltage, wherein the logic circuitry is configured to monitor the voltage of the power source; and

disabling the medical device wherein the logic circuitry is configured to decouple the internal power source from the electronic circuitry thereby shutting down the medical device when the voltage of the internal power source is below the minimum voltage.

16. The method of claim 15 further including a step of disposing of the medical device.

17. The method of claim 14 further including the steps of:

removing the medical device from the magnetic field after the first time period but before the second time period wherein the magnetic sensitive switch changes state;

the delay circuit responsive to the magnetic sensitive switch where the delay circuit detects that the medical device is removed from the magnetic field before the second time period;

logic circuitry responsive to the delay circuit wherein the logic circuitry is configured to keep the switch enabled when the medical device is removed from the magnetic field before the second time period wherein the medical device is enabled for use; and

using the medical device.

18. The method of claim 17 further including the steps of:

replacing the medical device within the magnetic field above the threshold where the magnetic sensitive switch changes state; and

disabling the switch wherein the internal power source is decoupled from the electronic circuitry wherein the logic circuitry is responsive to the delay circuit and wherein the logic circuitry disables the switch when the medical device is placed back in the magnetic field after having been previously removed from the magnetic field after the first time period but before the second time period.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the step of:

placing the medical device within the magnetic field above the threshold where the magnetic sensitive switch changes state;

maintaining the medical device within the magnetic field for greater than the second time period;

logic circuitry enabling the switch after the first time period where the switch couples the internal power source to electronic circuitry of the medical device, where the delay circuit couples to logic circuitry, where the logic circuitry couples to the switch, and where the logic circuitry is configured to enable the switch when the medical device is within the magnetic field greater than or equal to the first time period;

removing the medical device from the magnetic field after the second time period wherein the logic circuitry maintains the internal power source coupled to the electronic circuitry and wherein the medical device cannot be turned off;

using the medical device; and

maintaining a current drain on the internal power source after the medical device is used until the medical device is inoperable.

20. The method of claim 19 further including a step of disposing of the medical device.