Spinal probe with tactile force feedback and pedicle breach prediction

US9549744B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Regents of the University of Minnesota · US

Inventors

• Timothy J. Pommer · Windom, US
• David W. POLLY · Edina, US
• David Nuckley · Minneapolis, US
• Evan M. Gustafson · Seattle, US
• Charles Gerald Tan Ledonio · Minneapolis, US
• Arthur G. Erdman · Plymouth, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 15, 2010
• Grant date: Jan 24, 2017
• Expiry date: Apr 29, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B2562/046
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A spinal probe comprises a handle, a shaft coupled to the handle and a force sensor to detect forces applied to a tip of the shaft. A controller that executes a predictive algorithm to predict whether or not the tip of the shaft is going to breach a cortex of a pedicle based on the detected forces. The controller may be embedded within the spinal probe or external within a computer or other device coupled to the probe by a data acquisition component.