Apparatus and Method for Fabricating a Customized Patient-Specific Orthopaedic Instrument

• US 20090087276A1
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Rose, Bryan
• Granted Patent: US 10,028,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 409/79
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/155 Cutting femur
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/157 Cutting tibia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1764 for the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00526 Methods of manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/568 produced with shape and dimensions specific for an individual patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/108 Computer aided selection or customisation of medical implants or cutting guides
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/30084 with regulation of operation by templet, card, or other replaceable information supply

Abstract

A number of orthopaedic surgical instruments are also disclosed. A method, apparatus, and system for fabricating such instruments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for a vendor to create a customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument for a patient of a healthcare facility that is external to the vendor, comprising:

receiving, from the healthcare facility external to the vendor, an instrument request that includes data relevant to the patient,

creating, in response to receiving the instrument request, a design plan that has been customized for the patient per data of the instrument request,

sending the design plan to the healthcare facility, and

operating a milling machine located at the healthcare facility to fabricate the customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument per data of the design plan.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending comprises transmitting the design plan to the healthcare facility via a network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending comprises mailing the design plan to the healthcare facility.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a plurality of instructions for the design plan that are executed by a processor of the milling machine to fabricate the customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating the plurality of instructions based upon one or more medical images that depict at least one bone of the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating the design plan based upon one or more medical images that depict at least one bone of the patient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

data of the instrument request comprises one or more medical images that depict at least one bone of the patient, and

receiving comprises receiving the instrument request that includes the one or more medical images.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein operating comprises operating the milling machine located at the healthcare facility to fabricate a customized patient-specific cutting block per data of the design plan.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein operating comprises operating the milling machine located at the healthcare facility to fabricate a customized patient-specific femoral cutting block per data of the design plan.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein operating comprises operating the milling machine located at the healthcare facility to fabricate a customized patient-specific tibial cutting block per data of the design plan.

11. A system for creating a customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument for a patient of a healthcare facility, comprising:

a client to generate an instrument request that includes data relevant to the patient,

a design plan system to receive the instrument request and to generate a design plan that has been customized based upon the data of the instrument request, the design plan system being located at a vendor, and

a milling machine located at the healthcare facility which is external to the vendor, the milling machine being operable to fabricate the customized patient-specific orthopaedic instrument per data of the design plan generated by the design plan system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the design plan system generates the design plan based upon at least one image of the instrument request.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the client is communicatively coupled to the design plan system via a network.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the design plan system is communicatively coupled to the milling machine via a network.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the milling machine is operable to fabricate a customized patient-specific cutting block per data of the design plan generated by the design plan system.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the milling machine is operable to fabricate a customized patient-specific femoral cutting block per data of the design plan generated by the design plan system.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the milling machine is operable to fabricate a customized patient-specific tibial cutting block per data of the design plan generated by the design plan system.