METHOD AND SYSTEM TO DETERMINE CERVICAL IMPLANT SIZE
An implant-trialing instrument for objectively determining a recommended implant size based at least in part on pressure sensor measurements can include a handle and an adjustable implant trial. The handle can include an elongate body and an adjustment input. The adjustable implant trial can be disposed on a distal end of the elongate body and be adapted to expand within an intervertebral space in response to input from the adjustment input, the adjustable implant trial can include a measurement sensor configured to output an objective measure of intervertebral disc space correlated to implant size. A method of utilizing the implant-trialing instrument can include operations such as distracting the adjustable trialing mechanism, determining whether the pressure measurement satisfies a pre-defined pressure criterion, and recommending an implant size.
1 . An implant-trialing instrument comprising:
a handle including an elongate body and an adjustment input; and
an adjustable implant trial disposed on a distal end of the elongate body and adapted to expand within an intervertebral space in response to input from the adjustment input, the adjustable implant trial including a measurement sensor configured to output an objective measure of intervertebral disc space correlated to implant size.
2 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 1 , wherein the handle further includes a user interface display to display output from the measurement sensor.
3 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 2 , wherein the user interface display includes a series of indicator lights to display output from the measurement sensor.
4 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 3 , wherein the series of indictor lights display light patterns indicative of different implant sizes.
5 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 3 , wherein the adjustment input includes an implant size indicator and the series of indictor lights display light patterns indicative of go-no go conditions related to the implant size indicator.
6 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 2 , wherein the handle includes an embedded controller circuit correlating data received from the adjustment input and the measurement sensor to output information to the user interface display.
7 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 6 , wherein the embedded controller circuit outputs implant size recommendation based on data received from the adjustment input and the measurement sensor.
8 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 7 , wherein the implant size recommendation is based on a distraction distance of the adjustable implant trial and a pressure output from the measurement sensor, the pressure output being within a pre-defined range corresponding to a range of mobility.
9 . The implant trialing instrument of claim 6 , wherein the embedded controller circuit includes a wireless communication interface to transmit output date to a remote computer system.
10 . A method comprising:
preparing an implant sizing instrument;
distracting an adjustable trialing mechanism disposed on a distal end of the implant sizing instrument;
determining whether a pressure measurement from a sensor positioned within a component of the adjustable trialing mechanism satisfies a pre-defined pressure criterion; and
upon determination that the pressure measurement satisfies the pre-defined pressure criterion, determining a recommended implant size based on data generated by the implant sizing instrument.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the pressure measurement satisfies the pre-defined pressure criterion includes determining whether the pressure measurement is within a pre-defined range of pressures.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the pressure measurement satisfies the pre-defined pressure criterion includes determining whether the pressure measurement is equal to a pre-defined pressure.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the pressure measurement satisfies the pre-defined pressure criterion includes determining whether the pressure measurement transgressed a pre-defined pressure threshold.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the recommended implant size includes determining a distraction measurement upon determination that the pressure measurement satisfies the pre-defined pressure criterion.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein preparing the implant sizing instrument includes communicatively connecting a controller circuit within the implant sizing instrument to an external computing device.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein communicatively connecting the controller circuit to the external computing device includes establishing a wireless connection between the controller circuit and the external computing device.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining whether the pressure measurement satisfies the pre-defined pressure criterion includes receiving, on the external computing device, a pressure measurement from the senor and comparing it to the pre-defined pressure criterion on the external computing device.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the recommended implant size includes receiving, on the external computing device, a distraction measurement, and comparing the distraction measurement to a catalog of available implant sizes.
19 . The method of claim 10 , wherein preparing the implant sizing instrument includes calibration of the sensor within the adjustable trialing mechanism.