A system for targeting a feature on a surgical device, includes a shape sensing element coupled to an interrogator and operable to provide information to related to said portion's position in a reference frame in communication with the targeted feature. The interrogator is operable to poll the shape sensing element for information related to said portion's position in the reference frame. A surgical tool is coupled to the targeting system in communication with the shape sensing element. The data processor is operable to communicate with the interrogator to output position information of the portion of the shape sensing element with respect to a calibrated position, defined as the position of the portion of the shape sensing element in the reference frame when the guide axis is aligned to the targeted feature. A display provides the user visual information comparing the position of the tool to the targeted feature.

Systems and methods for joint replacement are provided. The systems and methods include a surgical orientation device and at least one orthopedic fixture. The surgical orientation device and orthopedic fixtures can be used to locate the orientation of an axis in the body, to adjust an orientation of a cutting plane or planes along a bony surface, to distract a joint, or to otherwise assist in an orthopedic procedure or procedures.

Am electronic drill guidance system includes an arm unit and a drill unit. The arm unit is attachable to a C-Arm and the drill unit is attachable to a surgical drill. The arm unit sends target angular information to the drill unit. The drill unit determines whether the surgical drill is in an appropriate positon based on the received target information and measured angular position of the drill.

Disclosed herein are device and methods for determining an orientation of an instrument for inserting a medical device in a bone. One such method includes simulating an insertion point and an orientation of a simulated surgical hardware installation on a diagnostic representation of the bone, and then using an electronic device to align an instrument for inserting a surgical hardware installation at a desired orientation through an insertion point of the bone by indicating when an orientation of the electronic device is within a threshold of the simulated orientation.

A patient-specific cutting guide system comprises at least two instruments. One is a positioner configured to locate a fiducial marker on a patient's bone and to be secured in three axes. The second is a cutting guide that cooperates with the positioner and delineates cuts to be made. The instruments are designed from images of the bone with the marker already in place. Preferably, a positioner comprises at least three targeting apertures configured to locate at least three non-linear markers. The cutting guide comprises top surface contours that guide the depth of the cuts. A method of forming this system comprises placing at least one marker (preferably three) on a patient's bone, then imaging the bone, forming a positioner designed to incorporate the marker position, and forming a cutting guide configured to be oriented and anchored by the positioner.

A method and system for determining the orientation of a surgical tool with respect to a bone of a patient discloses initializing a first active sensor and a second active sensor relative to each other with the first active sensor and second active sensor having a predetermined (relative) orientation. The first active sensor is configured to sense a change in its orientation, provide first information relating to the change and be attached to a bone in a relationship to a reference plane therefor, for use during an operation. The second active sensor is configured to sense a change in its orientation, provide second information relating to the change and be attached to a surgical tool. The relative orientation of the active sensors is useful to determine the relative orientation of the tool and the reference frame of the bone.

Laser-based implant guide systems and methods that align an implant with an axis of an anatomical structure of interest are disclosed. The systems include a target base configured to couple to a patient in alignment with the axis, and a target member configured to couple to the target base that includes a visual indication of the location of the axis. The systems further include an implant guide that includes a laser device and a resection guide. The implant guide is configured to adjust at least one of the position and the orientation of the laser device with respect to the anatomical structure of interest such that a laser line projecting from the laser device is aligned with the visual indication of the target member, and the resection guide facilities implantation of the implant in a resected portion of the anatomical structure of interest in alignment with the axis.

In one embodiment, an intramedullary nail has a proximal end and a distal end that are offset from one another along a distal direction. The nail has an outer surface and an inner surface. The inner surface defines a cannulation that extends into the proximal end towards the distal end. The nail defines a bone-anchor fixation hole that extends into the outer surface and entirely through the nail. The nail also defines a receptacle that is proximate to the bone-anchor fixation hole and open to the cannulation such that the receptacle is configured to receive a locator of a targeting system therein from the cannulation, where the locator includes at least one of a sensor and a field generator. The receptacle is at least partially defined by a stop that limits an insertion depth of the locator within the nail along the distal direction.

An orientation sensor that includes a user input device that is configured to set a heading of the orientation sensor based on an orientation of the orientation sensor. The orientation sensor may include a memory that is configured to store the heading. The orientation sensor may include a display that is configured to display the at least one orientation value. The orientation sensor may include a processor that is configured to generate orientation information based on the heading. The user input device may include a button, and in response to pressing the button the heading may be set based on the current orientation of the orientation sensor. For example, the at least one orientation value may be associated with orientation data detected by an orientation sensing component, and the at least one orientation value may be displayed based on the heading.

The present invention relates to a laser assisted surgical resection alignment guide for performing joint resection surgery. The present invention includes a base plate containing a switch which activates orthogonal laser assemblies when the laser assisted surgical resection alignment guide is inserted into a surgical block. The orthogonal laser assemblies each project beams which are each refracted by lenses to project two laser lines onto a human who has been prepared for surgery.