Granted Patent B2

US 12,369,988 · App. 17/568,203 · Granted Jul 29, 2025

Inventors: Ezra Johnson (Reeds Spring, MO); William Daniel Weinlandt (Fort Lauderdale, FL); Jonathan Mark Morgan (Biscayne Park, FL); Larry Hazbun (Davie, FL)

Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.

A61B34/20A61B90/39A61B2034/2046

Abstract

Claims (14)

1. A surgical tracker for tracking a surgical object with a navigation system, the surgical tracker comprising:

a tracker body defining a counterbore and the tracker body being configured to attach to the surgical object;

a lens positionable within the counterbore;

a tracking element being configured to produce light signals that are detectable by the navigation system to facilitate tracking of the surgical object; and

a plug comprising a plug body at least partially positionable within the counterbore and wherein the plug body defines a cavity that is sized to accommodate the tracking element; and

wherein the tracking element is disposed within the cavity between the lens and the plug body; and

wherein the plug, including the tracking element, is configured to be coupled with the tracker body to secure the lens and to define, with the lens, a sealed enclosure, wherein the tracking element is disposed within the sealed enclosure.

2. The tracker of claim 1 , wherein the tracker body further comprises a retention feature disposed within the counterbore and configured to be removably coupled with a complementary retention feature of the plug.

3. The tracker of claim 1 , wherein the tracker body defines an opening and the counterbore is in fluid communication with the opening, the tracker body comprising a lip separating the opening and the counterbore, wherein the plug is further configured to support the lens in abutment with the lip to seal the counterbore.

4. The tracker of claim 3 , wherein the lip comprises a chamfer extending inwardly from an upper surface of the tracker body.

5. The tracker of claim 1 , further comprising a masking spacer disposed within the sealed enclosure and between the lens and the tracking element, wherein the masking spacer defines an aperture through which a predefined portion of the tracking element is visible.

6. The tracker of claim 1 , wherein the plug further comprises a shoulder extending radially outwardly from the plug body, wherein the shoulder is configured to be positioned in sealing engagement with a widened portion of the counterbore.

7. The tracker of claim 1 , wherein the plug body defines a groove, the tracker further comprising a sealing element disposed within the groove.

8. The tracker of claim 1 , wherein the tracking element is a coating disposed on a lower surface of the lens or an upper surface of the plug.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (147)