A depth gauge device including a body extending a central longitudinal axis and including a channel and a light-passing hole, the light passing hole open to the channel, a light source mounted in the body for generating a light beam, the light beam passing through the light-passing hole toward a surface of a drill-bit extending through the channel, the light beam forming an incident light beam when reflected away from the drill-bit surface, an image sensor mounted in the body for sensing the incident light beam and generating a plurality of successive images of the drill-bit surface to detect variations in the position of the drill-bit moving through the channel and an clamp coupled to the body, the clamp including a plurality of adjustable arms configured to clamp the device to a protection sleeve.

Described herein include embodiments of devices, systems and methods for measuring drill depth, such as drill depths in bone material. For example, embodiments of drill depth measuring systems and associated methods are described. Some drill depth measuring systems can utilize at least resistance, capacitance, optical and/or acoustic sensing features for assisting the drill depth measuring system with determining drill depths and types of tissue being drilled into. Various other related features, devices and methods are also described.

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.

According to one embodiment, a medical insertion apparatus includes a screw nail body inserted into a human body and an electrode which is provided in the screw nail body and includes an externally exposed portion. Here, a through hole may be formed in the screw nail body or the electrode. According to one embodiment, a medical insertion apparatus includes a screw nail body inserted into a human body and an electrode which is provided in the screw nail body and exposed outside the screw nail body. Here, the screw nail body and the electrode may be provided as a combinable or separable structure. According to one embodiment, a medical insertion apparatus includes a screw nail body inserted into a human body, a driver engaged with the screw nail body to tighten or loosen the screw nail body, and a conductor portion which may be provided in the screw nail body or the driver and may include an externally exposed portion.

An apparatus for positioning an orthopedic implant, the apparatus includes a magnetic receiver, a processor, and a personal display device. The magnetic receiver is configured to sense respective components of one or more magnetic fields generated by a field-generating device coupled to the orthopedic implant, and to produce corresponding electrical signals indicative of the sensed components of the one or more magnetic fields. The processor is configured to calculate, based on the electrical signals, a position of the orthopedic implant within an organ of a patient. The personal display device is configured to display at least part of the orthopedic implant overlaid on a scene, based on the position calculated by the processor.

An apparatus for positioning an orthopedic implant, the apparatus includes a flexible substrate, at least first and second field-generating coils, and circuitry. The flexible substrate is formed into a three-dimensional (3D) shape and is coupled to a predefined location on the orthopedic implant. The at least first and second field-generating coils are formed in the flexible substrate, such that in the 3D shape the first and second field-generating coils have first and second respective axes that are not parallel to one another. The circuitry is mounted on the flexible substrate and electrically connected to the at least first and second field-generating coils, and is configured to drive the at least first and second field-generating coils with respective signals.

A system for implanting a prosthetic device with an opening into a bone includes a plug that is removably received within the opening of the prosthetic device. The system also includes a bone removal tool that advances into the bone from outside the bone and that removes a portion of the bone while advancing into the bone to reveal the plug. The bone removal tool includes a plug engaging portion that engages with the plug. The bone removal tool at least partially removes the plug from the opening of the prosthetic device while engaged with the plug. Moreover, the system includes an alignment system that detects whether the bone removal tool and the plug are substantially axially aligned.

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.

The invention relates in particular to a system for attaching a first bone segment to a second bone segment, the two segments belonging to the same bone, in which the first and second segments are held together via a hinge resulting from the partial transverse cutting of said bone, characterized by the fact that said system comprises: two targets suitable for attaching to the two segments of said bone; a navigation system suitable for acquiring the three-dimensional positions and orientations of the targets; a processing system suitable for calculating, based on the data sent from the navigation system, the angles corresponding to the three-dimensional alignment of said two segments; a display unit suitable for displaying the information to the surgeon; at least one milling guide; a plurality of implants of different sizes.

An assembly for use in knee surgery includes a patella sensor component having a backing plate which can be fitted to the patella and which has at least one sensor which can generate a signal corresponding to the compressive load applied to the backing plate, and at least first and second shims which provide a patella bearing surface for articulation against a surface on the patient's femur, and which can be positioned individually or in one or more combinations between the backing plate and the patient's patella to define first and second positions of the bearing surface relative to the patella. The assembly includes a clamp for a patella having opposing jaws which can be moved towards one another to clamp the patella between them, the clamp providing a reference surface for engaging the posterior surface of the patella and a support surface for supporting the cutting head of a cutting instrument, thereby locating the cutting instrument relative to the clamp. First and second locator inserts can be mounted individually or in one or more combinations on or relative to the clamp, providing a physical connection between the reference and support surfaces which define first and second positions of the support surface relative to the reference surface, and thereby define first and second positions for the resection plane relative to posterior surface of the patella. The increment between the first and second positions of the bearing surface on the bearing plate relative to the patella matches the increment between the first and second positions of the support surface relative to the reference surface.