IP Library Granted Patent US 12672918
Granted Patent B2
US 12672918 · App. 17/514,640 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Dynamic gap capture and flexion widget

Inventors: Jason Otto (Sioux Falls, SD); Kelly Dunn (Fort Lauderdale, FL); Kevin Bechtold (Weston, FL); Emerson Tucker (Weston, FL)
Assignee: MAKO SURGICAL CORP.
A61B34/20A61B34/10A61B34/25A61B34/30A61B90/06A61B90/39A61B2017/0268A61B2034/102A61B2034/104A61B2034/105A61B2034/2068A61B2034/252A61B34/35A61B2090/064A61B2090/067A61B2090/3916A61F2/46
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672918
App. No.
17/514,640
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A surgical system includes a tracking system configured to obtain data indicative of a pose of a first bone of a joint and a pose of a second bone of the joint, a display device configured to display a graphical user interface, and circuitry configured to determine an acceptable range of flexion angles of the joint for a gap capture step, determine a current flexion angle of the joint based on the data from the tracking system, determine the current flexion angle relative to the acceptable range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, and control the display device to provide, via the graphical user interface, a visualization of the current flexion angle relative to the acceptable range of flexion angles for a gap capture step.

Claims (64)

1 . A surgical system comprising:

a tracking system configured to obtain data indicative of a pose of a first bone of a joint and a pose of a second bone of the joint;

a display device configured to display a graphical user interface;

circuitry configured to:

determine a range of flexion angles of the joint for a gap capture step for assessing a gap distance between the first bone and the second bone, wherein the range of flexion angles is a portion of a full range of motion of the joint;

determine, in real-time, a current flexion angle of the joint based on the data from the tracking system;

control the display device to provide, via the graphical user interface and in real-time, a visualization of the current flexion angle relative to the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step; and

provide the gap capture step in real-time by:

in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, capturing the gap distance between the first bone and the second bone based on the data from the tracking system;

in response to determining the current flexion angle is outside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, preventing the capture of the gap distance.

2 . The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the range of flexion angles is based on an offset from a measured flexion angle of the joint when the joint is at a maximum extension.

3 . The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, providing the gap capture step includes:

capturing a first gap measurement by determining, based on the data from the tracking system, a first gap between the first bone and the second bone achieved at a first time.

4 . The surgical system of claim 3 , wherein in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, providing the gap capture step includes:

capturing a second gap measurement by determining, based on the data from the tracking system, a second gap between the first bone and the second bone achieved at a second time.

5 . The surgical system of claim 4 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the second gap measurement is larger than the first gap measurement; and

in response to determining the second gap measurement is larger than the first gap measurement, set the second gap measurement as a maximum gap measurement.

6 . The surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical system further comprises a distraction device comprising a force sensor, wherein the distraction device is configured to distract the joint and collect distraction force data at the joint to determine a distraction force.

7 . The surgical system of claim 6 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

obtain a threshold distraction force;

receive the distraction force data from the distraction device; and

in response to receiving the distraction force data, determine whether the distraction force is less than the threshold distraction force.

8 . The surgical system of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether the distraction force is less than the threshold distraction force; and

in response to determining the distraction force data is less than the threshold distraction force, providing the gap capture step includes capturing a first gap measurement by determining, based on the data from the tracking system, a first gap between the first bone and the second bone achieved during the duration of a first gap capture step.

9 . A method of controlling a surgical system, comprising:

obtaining a surgical plan comprising a plurality of planned measurements;

obtaining tracking data indicative of a pose of a first bone of a joint and a pose of a second bone of the joint from a tracking system;

determining a range of flexion angles of the joint for a gap capture step for assessing a gap distance between the first bone and the second bone, wherein the range of flexion angles is a portion of a full range of motion of the joint;

determining, in real-time, a current flexion angle of the joint based on the tracking data from the tracking system;

instructing a display to display, via a graphical user interface and in real-time, a visualization of the current flexion angle relative to the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step; and

providing the gap capture step in real-time by: in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, capturing the gap distance between the first bone and the second bone based on the data from the tracking system;

in response to determining the current flexion angle is outside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, preventing the capture of the gap distance.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the range of flexion angles is based on an offset from a measured flexion angle of the joint when the joint is at a maximum extension.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, providing the gap capture step includes:

capturing a first gap measurement by determining, based on the tracking data from the tracking system, a first gap between the first bone and the second bone achieved at a first time.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, providing the gap capture step includes:

capturing a second gap measurement by determining, based on the tracking data from the tracking system, a second gap between the first bone and the second bone achieved at a second time.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

in response to determining the second gap measurement is larger than the first gap measurement, set the second gap measurement as a maximum gap measurement.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving distraction force data at the joint from a distraction device, which is configured to distract the first bone and the second bone, and comprises a plurality of force sensors; and

determining a threshold distraction force at the joint.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining whether the distraction force is less than the threshold distraction force; and

in response to determining the distraction force is more than the threshold distraction force, preventing the gap capture step.

16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining whether the distraction force is less than the threshold distraction force; and

preventing the capturing of the gap distance between the first bone and the second bone in response to determining the distraction force not being less than the threshold distraction force.

17 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing program instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a surgical plan comprising a plurality of planned measurements;

obtaining tracking data indicative of a pose of a first bone of a joint and a pose of a second bone of the joint from a tracking system;

determining a range of flexion angles of the joint for a gap capture step for assessing a gap distance between the first bone and the second bone, wherein the range of flexion angles is a portion of a full range of motion of the joint;

determining, in real-time, a current flexion angle of the joint based on the tracking data from the tracking system;

providing a graphical user interface in real-time, which comprises providing a visualization of the current flexion angle relative to the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step; and

providing the gap capture step in real-time by:

in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, capturing the gap distance between the first bone and the second bone based on the data from the tracking system;

in response to determining the current flexion angle is outside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, preventing the capture of the gap distance.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein the range of flexion angles is based on an offset from a measured flexion angle of the joint when the joint is at a maximum extension.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 17 , wherein in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, providing the gap capture step includes:

capturing a first gap measurement by determining, based on the tracking data from the tracking system, a first gap between the first bone and the second bone achieved at a first time.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 19 , wherein in response to determining the current flexion angle is inside the range of flexion angles for the gap capture step, providing the gap capture step includes:

capturing a second gap measurement by determining, based on the tracking data from the tracking system, a second gap between the first bone and the second bone achieved at a second time.