MEASUREMENT DEVICE FOR THE MUSCULAR-SKELETAL SYSTEM HAVING ALIGNMENT FEATURES

• US 20130226035A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Howmedica Osteonics Corp. (Stryker Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OrthoSensor, Inc (Stryker Corporation)
• Inventors: Stein, Marc, Carrasco, Gabriel
• Granted Patent: US 10,004,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/587
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0252 Load cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1036 Measuring load distribution, e.g. podologic studies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4509 Bone density determination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4585 Evaluating the knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6878 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A measurement device suitable to measure a load applied by the muscular-skeletal system is disclosed. The measurement device can be a prosthetic component having an articular surface for measuring parameters of a joint in extension or flexion. A first and second support structure forms an enclosure having load-bearing surfaces. The first support structure includes at least one alignment feature extending from a surface. The second support structure includes a corresponding opening for receiving the alignment feature. The first and second support structures include a peripheral channel and corresponding flange to support sealing of the enclosure. Interior to the enclosure is the measurement system. The alignment feature couples through and aligns a first load plate, a sensor array, and a second load plate to surfaces of the first and second support structures. The sensor array is coupled to electronic circuitry in the enclosure via a unitary circuit board.

Claims

1. A measurement device configured to measure a force, pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system comprising:

a first support structure having at least one alignment feature extending from a surface;

a first load plate overlying a portion the first support structure having an opening for receiving the at least one alignment feature therethrough; and

a second support structure coupling to the at least one alignment feature of the first support structure.

2. The measurement device of claim 1 where one of the first or second support structures includes a peripheral channel or a corresponding flange.

3. The measurement device of claim 2 where the first and second support structures couple together to form an enclosure.

4. The measurement device of claim 3 where an adhesive couples a flange to the peripheral channel of the first and second support structures to form a hermetic seal of the enclosure.

5. The measurement device of claim 4 further including:

a sensor array underlying the load plate; and

electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor array configured to receive measurement data from the sensor array.

6. The measurement device of claim 5 further including a second load plate underlying the sensor array having an opening for receiving the at least one alignment feature therethrough.

7. The measurement device of claim 6 further including a load pad coupled between each sensor of the sensor array and the first load plate.

8. The measurement device of claim 7 further including a unitary circuit board having electronic circuitry mounted thereon where the unitary circuit board couples the sensor array to the electronic circuitry.

9. The measurement device of claim 8 where the sensors of the sensor array are integrally formed in the unitary circuit board and where the unitary circuit board includes an opening for receiving the at least one alignment feature therethrough

10. The measurement device of claim 9 further including a remote system configured to receive and display data from the measurement device.

11. A measurement device configured to measure a force, pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system comprising:

a first support structure;

a sensor array overlying the first support structure;

a first load plate overlying the sensor where the first load plate is configured to distribute loading applied by the muscular-skeletal system to the sensor array; and

a second support structure where one of the first or second support structures includes a peripheral channel or a corresponding flange and where the first and second support structure couples together to form a sealed enclosure.

12. The measurement device of claim 11 where the flange couples to the peripheral channel to seal and isolate the sensor array and first load plate from an external environment.

13. The measurement device of claim 12 further including an adhesive to couple the flange to the channel.

14. The measurement device of claim 13 further including:

a second load plate underlying the sensor array;

at least one alignment feature extending from the first support structure where the at least one alignment features couples through the first and second load plates and where the at least one alignment feature couples to the second support structure thereby aligning the load plates to surfaces of the first and second support structures.

15. The measurement device of claim 14 further including a unitary circuit board having electronic circuitry mounted thereon where sensors of the sensor array are integrally formed in the unitary circuit board, where the unitary circuit board couples the sensor array to the electronic circuitry and where the at least one alignment feature couples through the unitary circuit board to align the sensor array to surfaces of the first and second support structures.

16. A measurement device configured to measure a force, pressure, or load applied by the muscular-skeletal system comprising:

a first support structure having at least at one alignment feature extending from a surface;

a sensor array overlying a portion of the first support structure;

a first load plate overlying the sensor array where the at least one alignment feature couples through the sensor array and the first load plate to align the sensor array and the first load plate to surfaces of the first and second support structures; and

a second support structure coupling to the at least one alignment feature.

17. The measurement device of claim 16 further including a unitary circuit board having electronic circuitry mounted thereon where sensors of the sensor array are integrally formed in the unitary circuit board and where the unitary circuit board couples the sensor array to the electronic circuitry.

18. The measurement device of claim 17 where the first and second support couple together to form an enclosure that isolates the sensor array and electronic circuitry from an external environment and where one of the first support structures includes a peripheral channel or a corresponding flange.

19. The measurement device of claim 18 where an adhesive couples a flange to the peripheral channel of the first and second support structures to form a hermetic seal of the enclosure.

20. The measurement device of claim 19 further including:

a second load plate underlying the sensor array where the at least one alignment feature couples through the second load plate; and

a remote system configured to receive data from the measurement device.