WO2025112021A1

WO2025112021A1 - Installation for positioning markers

Info

Publication number: WO2025112021A1
Application number: PCT/CN2023/135764
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shuhao Chang
Original assignee: Fu Jen Catholic University
Current assignee: Fu Jen Catholic University
Priority date: 2023-12-01
Filing date: 2023-12-01
Publication date: 2025-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2026-06-01

Abstract

An installation for positioning markers is provided. The installation includes: a plurality of clamping plates, configured to that every clamping plate is structurally separated from each other, and by bringing together every two clamping plates to clamp a surgical tool that is required to be installed the positioning marker; a tightness adjustment module, configured to be coupled to the plurality of clamping plates for adjusting a distance between every two clamping plates; and a plurality of engaging grooves, configured between every two clamping plates for accommodating the surgical tool.

Description

INSTALLATION FOR POSITIONING MARKERS

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to an installation for a positioning marker and, more particularly, to an installation for a positioning marker that is flexibly adjusted to accommodate surgical tools with different shapes, sizes, and specifications.

BACKGROUND

In medical systems that utilize surgical navigation systems, medical image recognition systems, or other systems requiring the installation of positioning markers such as the visual markers, the positioning markers play a crucial role. It is necessary to securely affix the positioning markers at specific points to provide accurate guidance when performing a location marker. However, currently available positioning markers cannot adapt flexibly to surgical tools with various specifications, significantly reducing convenience in use. Therefore, enhancing the flexibility of fixation devices for positioning markers while maintaining stable fixation is an important issue in the art.

SUMMARY

In view of the shortcomings in the art, some implementations of the present disclosure may provide an installation for securing a positioning marker onto various surgical tools. The installation may be flexibly adjusted to accommodate surgical tools with different shapes, sizes, and specifications, ensuring a more secure attachment of the positioning markers to the surgical tools.

In a first aspect of the present disclosure, an installation for a positioning marker is provided. The installation for a positioning marker includes: a plurality of clamping plates, configured to that every clamping plate is structurally separated from each other, and by bringing together every two clamping plates to clamp a surgical tool that is required to be installed the positioning marker; a tightness adjustment module, configured to be coupled to the plurality of clamping plates for adjusting a distance between every two clamping plates; and a plurality of engaging grooves, configured between every two clamping plates for accommodating the surgical tool.

According to an implementation of the first aspect, the installation further includes a containment module disposed between every two clamping plates, for containing the plurality of engaging grooves and adjusting positions of the plurality of engaging grooves between every two clamping plates.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, the containment module further includes a slide groove and a slide element, wherein the slide element be used for containing the plurality of engaging grooves and may further include a slide block coupled to the slide groove to adjust the positions of the plurality of engaging grooves between every two clamping plates.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, the installation may include two clamping plates, and one end of the two clamping plates may be coupled together as a central angle of a sector, allowing the two clamping plates to rotate along the end to approach each other for clamping the surgical tool.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, the tightness adjustment module may include a nut and a bolt, and the distance between every two clamping plates or the two clamping plates may be adjusted by rotating the nut along the bolt.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, one end of the bolt may penetrate through a perforation of every two clamping plates or one of the two clamping plates and then is assembled with the nut.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, the tightness adjustment module may further include a fixing pin for restricting a range of rotating the nut along the bolt.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, the installation may further include a marker mounting module, wherein the marker mounting module may be disposed on every two clamping plates or one of the two clamping plates or may be coupled to an installation structure of every two clamping plates or one of the two clamping plates.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, the marker mounting module may further include a universal joint, and a mounting head may be disposed at one end of the universal joint for being coupled to the installation structure.

According to another implementation of the first aspect, the other end of the universal joint may be coupled to the positioning marker.

The installation of the present disclosure may secure a positioning marker onto surgical tools, without being restricted by the specific tools defined in different medical systems. Depending on the specific tools or locations where the positioning marker needs to be placed, the fixation may be achieved by adjusting the parallel distance or opening angle of every two clamping plates. Alternatively, it may only require arranging a standardized installation structure on the surgical tools, allowing for easy placement and replacement of the installation to secure the positioning markers. The installation of the present disclosure greatly enhances convenience and flexibility in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present description is better understood from the following detailed description when read in light of the accompanying drawings. It is evident that the drawings in the description below are only some implementations of the present description, and changes can be made in the details within the scope of the claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installation, in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a marker mounting module, in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the marker mounting module, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an installation, in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure.

FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an installation, in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure contains specific information pertaining to exemplary implementations in the present disclosure. The drawings in the present disclosure and their accompanying detailed disclosure are directed to merely exemplary implementations. However, the present disclosure is not limited to merely these exemplary implementations. Other variations and implementations of the present disclosure will occur to those skilled in the art. Unless noted otherwise, like or corresponding elements among the figures may be indicated by like or corresponding reference designators. Moreover, the figures and illustrations in the present disclosure are generally not to scale and are not intended to correspond to actual relative dimensions.

For the purposes of consistency and ease of understanding, like features are identified (although, in some examples, not shown) by reference designators in the exemplary figures. However, the features in different implementations may be different in other respects, and thus shall not be narrowly confined to what is shown in the figures.

Terms such as “at least one implementation” , “one implementation” , “multiple implementations” , “different implementations” , “some implementations, ” “present implementation” , and the like may indicate that an implementation of the present disclosure so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every possible implementation of the present disclosure must include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrases “in one implementation” , “in this implementation” , and so on does not necessarily refer to the same implementation, although they may be identical. Furthermore, the use of phrases such as “implementations” in connection with “the present disclosure” does not imply that all implementations of the present disclosure necessarily include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and should be understood as “at least some implementations of the present disclosure” includes the particular feature, structure or characteristic described.

The term “coupled” used in the description of the disclosure is defined as connected, directly or indirectly through intervening components and is not necessarily limited to physical connections.

The terms “first” , “second” and “third” in the description of the present disclosure are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order.

The term “comprising” and any variations thereof used in the description of the disclosure are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, which specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the combination, group, series and the equivalent. For example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules is not limited to the listed steps or modules, but optionally also includes steps or modules that are not listed, or optionally also includes other steps or modules that are inherent to those processes, methods, products, or devices.

Additionally, for the purposes of explanation and non-limitation, specific details such as functional entities, techniques, protocols, standards, and the like are set forth for providing an understanding of the described technology. In other examples, detailed disclosure of well-known methods, technologies, systems, architectures, and the like are omitted so as not to obscure the disclosure with unnecessary details.

The present disclosure will be described in further detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and implementations.

The present disclosure is generally related to an installation for a positioning marker and, more particularly, to an installation that secures the positioning marker onto any kinds of surgical tools (such as bone screws or surgical knives) . The installation may comprise a tightness adjustment module and a plurality of engaging grooves, allowing the installation to be flexibly adjusted to accommodate surgical tools with varying shapes, sizes, and specifications, ensuring a more stable attachment of the positioning marker to the surgical tools.

In some implementations, the installation of the present disclosure may be utilized in medical systems, including surgical navigation systems, medical image recognition systems, or other systems that require the installation of positioning markers such as visual markers, to assist in accurately and securely installing and fixing the positioning markers in specific positions, allowing for more precise tracking and positioning of individual body parts or surgical instruments used during the operation. This is beneficial for pre-operative planning, intraoperative tracking, and post-operative observation. In some implementations, the visual marker may be a one-dimensional barcode or a two-dimensional barcode, such as a QR code or PDF 417.

In some implementations, the installation of the present disclosure may be used in surgical navigation systems for procedures such as hip replacement surgery, knee replacement surgery, corrective osteotomy for malunion of an arm bone, distal femoral and proximal tibial osteotomy, peri-acetabular osteotomy, elbow ligament reconstruction, knee ligament reconstruction, ankle ligament reconstruction, shoulder acromioclavicular joint reconstruction, total shoulder replacement, reverse shoulder replacement, total ankle arthroplasty. In some implementations, the installation of the present disclosure may be used in surgical navigation systems based on augmented reality (AR) , virtual reality (VR) , or mixed reality (MR) .

The following will take a navigation system for hip replacement surgery as an example, to further describe the installation of the present disclosure in detail with reference to the implementations of the accompanying drawings.

In the navigation system for hip replacement surgery, at least one positioning marker needs to be installed on an individual's pelvis as a reference point. The pelvic bone drilling tools may be used for the purpose, allowing the individual's pelvis to be tracked as a reference point even when in motion. The installation of the present disclosure may assist in securely attaching the positioning marker to the pelvic bone drilling tool. In clinical practice, a surgical tool consisting of two bone screws is often used for installation. However, the distance between the two bone screws may vary depending on the individual, and the specifications of the bone screws themselves, such as the shape and size, may also differ. Therefore, the installation of the present disclosure may be flexibly adjusted to accommodate different scenarios of bone drilling tool usage.

Refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an installation, in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure, while FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure. In the implementation, the installation 100 of the present disclosure may be used in conjunction with two bone screws (P1, P2) to secure the positioning marker in place, thus firmly affixing the positioning marker at a specific point (such as the individual's pelvis) .

In some implementations, the installation 100 of the present disclosure may be generally shaped like a long plate, with either the long side or short side roughly parallel to the bone screws (P1, P2) to clamp and secure the two bone screws (P1, P2) . It is preferred for the short side to be roughly parallel to the two bone screws (P1, P2) . In some implementations, the installation 100 of the present disclosure may take on any shape, such as a flat rectangle, a flat trapezoid, or a flat circle, as long as it is capable of clamping and securing the two bone screws (P1, P2) .

In some implementations, the installation 100 of the present disclosure may include: at least two clamping plates (111, 112) , a tightness adjustment module (121, 122, 123) , and a plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) .

In some implementations, each of the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) may be structurally separable from each other, and every two clamping plates may be brought close to each other to clamp the two bone screws (P1, P2) , thereby compressing and securing the two bone screws (P1, P2) . In some implementations, the installation 100 may include two clamping plates, which may simultaneously clamp the two bone screws (P1, P2) by bringing the two clamping plates close to each other. In some implementations, the installation 100 may include three clamping plates, and the two of them may be brought close to another one to separately clamp the two bone screws (P1, P2) . In some implementations, the installation 100 may include four clamping plates, and they may be paired up to be brought close to each other to separately clamp the two bone screws (P1, P2) .

In some implementations, the overall shape of the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) may be roughly long and plate-like, with either the long side or the short side roughly parallel to the bone screws (P1, P2) , so as to clamp and secure the two bone screws (P1, P2) . In some implementations, the overall shape of the at least two clamping plates may take on any shape, such as a flat rectangle, a flat trapezoid, or a flat circle, as long as they are capable of clamping and securing the two bone screws (P1, P2) . In some implementations, the shapes and sizes of the at least two clamping plates may be similar or dissimilar, as long as they are capable of clamping and securing the two bone screws (P1, P2) .

In some implementations, the tightness adjustment module (121, 122, 123) may be coupled to the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) to adjust the distance between the clamping plates in pairs, allowing to adjust the tightness of the clamping plates when clamping the two bone screws (P1, P2) for clamping and securing the two bone screws (P1, P2) between the clamping plates. In some implementations, the tightness adjustment module (121, 122, 123) may be implemented in the form of threaded fasteners. More specifically, the tightness adjustment module (121, 122, 123) may include a bolt 122 and a cooperated nut 121, allowing the distance between the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) to be adjusted by rotating the nut along the bolt.

In some implementations, the tightness adjustment module (121, 122, 123) may further include a fixing pin 123 to restrict the range of rotating the nut 121 along the bolt 122, thereby preventing excessive rotation that leads to the separation of the nut 121 from the bolt 122. In some implementations, the fixing pin 123 may be structurally separable from the bolt 122. More specifically, the fixing pin 123 may be assembled onto the bolt 122 only after the bolt 122 and the nut 121 are assembled together. Alternatively, in another implementation, the tightness adjustment module may be implemented in the form of other fasteners, such as adjustable (including segmented adjustment) pins or rivets.

In some implementations, one end of the bolt 122 may be coupled to one side of a clamping plate 112, and the other end may penetrate through a perforation 124 of the other clamping plate 111 before being assembled with the nut 121. In this way, the distance between the two clamping plates (111, 112) may be adjusted by rotating the nut 121 along the bolt 122, so as to compress and secure the two bone screws (P1, P2) between the two clamping plates (111, 112) . In some implementations, the fixing pin 123 may be disposed at the other end of the bolt 122 (closer to the clamping plate 112) . In some implementations, the fixing pin 123 may be assembled on the bolt 122 after the other end of the bolt 122 is passed through the perforation 124 of the clamping plate 111 and then assembled with the nut 121.

In some implementations, the tightness adjustment module may be implemented in the form of two or more sets of threaded fasteners and may be used in conjunction with at least two clamping plates. For example, two sets of threaded fasteners may be used in conjunction with two clamping plates to adjust the distance between the two clamping plates on different sides separately; two sets of threaded fasteners may be used in conjunction with three clamping plates to adjust the distance between two clamping plates and another clamping plate separately; or two sets of threaded fasteners may be used in conjunction with four clamping plates to adjust the distance between two pairs of clamping plates separately.

In some implementations, the installation 100 of the present disclosure may further include a plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) configured between the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) to accommodate the two bone screws (P1, P2) , making the two bone screws (P1, P2) not easy to move or shake when they are compressed and secured between the clamping plates (111, 112) . In some implementations, the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be configured on at least one of the clamping plates (111, 112) , and each engaging groove may be connected to each other or spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. In some implementations, the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be configured on additional containment elements, which may be coupled to at least one of the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) . In some implementations, the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be elongated grooves that match the bone screws (P1, P2) , so that when the bone screws (P1, P2) are clamped, the parts in contact with the installation 100 of the present disclosure may be accommodated in the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) to restrict the range of movement of the bone screws (P1, P2) and achieve fixation.

In some implementations, when the overall shape of the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate and clamp the bone screws (P1, P2) with either the long side or short side roughly parallel to the bone screws (P1, P2) , the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be elongated grooves that are generally parallel to the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) , so as to be generally parallel to the bone screws (P1, P2) . Preferably, the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be elongated grooves that penetrate through their long side or short side, meaning that the length of the elongated groove is preferably equal to the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) . The plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be disposed along the two long sides or along the two short sides of the clamping plates (111, 112) to flexibly adjust the position of the bone screws (P1, P2) between the clamping plates (111 and 112) . In some implementations, the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be configured generally parallel to each other. In a preferred implementation, when the overall shape of the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate and clamp the bone screws (P1, P2) with short side roughly parallel to the bone screws (P1, P2) , the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be elongated grooves that are generally parallel to and penetrate through the short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) .

In some implementations, the elongated grooves formed by the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be recessed inward from one side of the clamping plate, which is used for clamping, with various cylinders or prisms, such as a rectangular prism, or a trapezoidal prism, preferably a triangular prism. In some implementations, the elongated grooves formed by the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) are recessed inward from one side of the clamping plate, which is used for clamping, with a triangular prism shape, preferably a right-angled triangular prism, and more preferably an isosceles right-angled triangular prism. In a preferred implementation, as shown in FIG. 3, which is a top view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 1, when the diameter of the bone screws (P1, P2) is 3.14 mm, the elongated grooves formed by the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be isosceles right-angled triangular prisms recessed inward from one side of the clamping plate 112 used for clamping, and the height of the base triangle (i.e., the depth of the recess) may be 1.28 to 1.92 mm, preferably 1.6 mm. In this way, when the two bone screws (P1, P2) are compressed and secured between the clamping plates (111, 112) , the engaging grooves (131, 132) and the clamping plate 111 may form a three-point fixation on the bone screws (P1, P2) , thereby achieving a stable clamping effect.

In some implementations, the plurality of engaging grooves may be disposed on one or two of the paired clamping plates (111, 112) , especially on the side of the clamping plates (111, 112) used for clamping the bone screws (P1, P2) . More specifically, the plurality of engaging grooves may be disposed only on one clamping plate 111 or one clamping plate 112; or the plurality of engaging grooves may be disposed on two clamping plates (111, 112) , and the engaging grooves disposed on the clamping plate 111 and the engaging grooves disposed on the clamping plate 112 may correspond to each other or not correspond to each other.

In some implementations, the installation 100 of the present disclosure may further include a containment module (141, 142, 143, 144, 151, 152) disposed between the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) , and the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be disposed on the containment module. The containment module (141, 142, 143, 144, 151, 152) may be used to flexibly adjust the position of the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) between the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) , to match the positions of the two bone screws (P1, P2) in different usage scenarios. In this case, only two engaging grooves (131, 132) corresponding to the two bone screws (P1, P2) may be provided. In some implementations, the center-to-center distance between the two engaging grooves (131, 132) may be flexibly adjusted to be 17-37 mm; for example, when the overall shape of the at least two clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate and clamp the bone screws (P1, P2) with short side roughly parallel to the bone screws (P1, P2) , the two engaging grooves (131, 132) may move along the long side of the clamping plates (111, 112) to flexibly adjust to any range between the two short sides.

In some implementations, the containment module (141, 142, 143, 144, 151, 152) may be implemented in a slide track assembly. More specifically, the containment module (141, 142, 143, 144, 151, 152) may include one or more slide grooves (141, 142) and one or more slide elements (151, 152) , and the one or more slide elements (151, 152) may include one or more slide blocks (143, 144) corresponding to the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) . The one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may be slightly engaged with the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) , and may slide freely within them to adjust the position of the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) . In some implementations, the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may be detachably engaged with the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) . In some implementations, the two ends of the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may be additionally provided with protrusions to prevent the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) from disengaging when sliding.

In some implementations, the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may slide within the range set by the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) to adjust their positions. In some implementations, the length of the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may be smaller than the length of the slide grooves (141, 142) , allowing the slide blocks (143, 144) to effectively adjust their positions when sliding within the slide track grooves. In some implementations, considering that a too short length of the slide blocks may affect their structural stability, but a too long length may reduce the sliding range, the length of the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may be configured in proportion to the length of the slide grooves (141, 142) at a ratio of 0.05 to 0.67 to optimize the sliding range of the slide blocks while ensuring structural stability. For example, the length of the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may be configured between 15 to 40 millimeters to ensure effective sliding space without making the overall component too large and heavy. In this case, the length of the slide blocks (143, 144) may be configured between 2 to 10 millimeters to ensure stability in engaging with the slide track grooves, while avoiding the issues of too small sliding range or excessive sliding friction.

In some implementations, the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may be disposed on one of the paired clamping plates (111, 112) , for example, on clamping plate 111 or clamping plate 112, and the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be disposed on the one or more slide elements (151, 152) . In some implementations, each of the slide elements (151, 152) may be equipped with the one or more engaging grooves. In some implementations, when the clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate, the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may be disposed on the clamping plates (111, 112) at positions equidistant from the upper and lower edges of their long or short sides.

In some implementations, a plurality of slide elements may be used with a single slide groove, and the single slide groove may be disposed on one clamping plate and used in conjunction with another one or more clamping plates. For example, when the clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate, the single slide groove may be disposed on one clamping plate and used with another clamping plate and two sets of threaded fasteners. In this case, the length of the single slide groove may be roughly equal to or slightly smaller than the length of the clamping plate. Alternatively, the single slide groove may be disposed on one clamping plate and used with two additional clamping plates and two sets of threaded fasteners. In this case, the length of the single slide groove may be roughly equal to or slightly smaller than the length of the clamping plate.

In some implementations, the plurality of slide elements may be used with multiple slide grooves, and the multiple slide grooves may be disposed on one clamping plate and used in conjunction with another one or more clamping plates. For example, when the clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate, the multiple slide grooves may be simultaneously disposed on one clamping plate and used with another one or more clamping plates and one or more sets of threaded fasteners. The multiple slide grooves may be structurally separated by each set of threaded fasteners. In this case, the length of the multiple slide grooves may be roughly equal to or slightly smaller than half the length of the clamping plate.

In some implementations, the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be simultaneously disposed on one of the paired clamping plates, as well as on one slide element. For example, when the clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate, the plurality of engaging grooves may be directly disposed on one side (for example, the right or left side) of clamping plate 111 or clamping plate 112, and on the other side, the engaging grooves may be disposed using a containment module that allows for adjustable sliding. That is, one bone screw P1 may be clamped within the plurality of engaging grooves directly disposed on the clamping plate, while another bone screw P2 may be clamped using the containment module. In this case, the length of the multiple slide grooves may be roughly equal to or slightly smaller than half the length of the clamping plate.

In some implementations, when the clamping plates (111, 112) are generally shaped like a long plate, the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may be elongated grooves roughly parallel to the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) , and the one or more slide elements (151, 152) may be cylinders or prisms roughly perpendicular to the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) , such as a rectangular prism, or a trapezoidal prism, allowing the one or more engaging grooves to be elongated grooves roughly parallel to the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) when disposed on the one or more slide elements (151, 152) . In some implementations, the height of the cylinders or prisms formed by the one or more slide elements may be equal to or different from the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) . In some implementations, the height of the cylinders or prisms formed by the one or more slide elements may be greater or smaller than the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) .

In some implementations, when the height of the cylinders or prisms formed by the one or more slide elements (151, 152) is equal to or smaller than the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) , the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may be protrusions that extend outward from the side that contacts one clamping plate, and the plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be disposed on the other side relative to the side that contacts one clamping plate. The height of the engaging groove may be equal to the height of the cylinders or prisms.

In some implementations, please referring to FIG. 4, which is a side view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 1, when the height of the cylinders or prisms formed by the one or more slide elements (151, 152) is greater than the long side or short side of the clamping plates (111, 112) , the cylinders or prisms may be recessed from the side that contacts one clamping plate to relatively form the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) and protrusions at both ends that may engaged contacted with the clamping plate, thereby increasing the clamping force between the one or more slide elements (151, 152) and the clamping plate, making it less likely for the slide grooves (141, 142) and slide blocks (143, 144) to detach or separate when assembled together. Additionally, the protrusions may serve as convenient points for the user to grip when adjusting the slide elements (151, 152) . The plurality of engaging grooves (131, 132) may be disposed on the other side relative to the side that contacts one clamping plate, and the height of the engaging grooves may be equal to the height of the cylinders or prisms.

In some implementations, the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may form elongated grooves with an opening (also referred to herein as a neck) where the width is smaller than the overall groove width. More specifically, the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may be elongated grooves with an overall width of 4 to 6 millimeters and an inwardly recessed depth of 2.4 to 3.6 millimeters from the side of a clamping plate, and may form an opening with a width of 1.6 to 2.4 millimeter near the side of the clamping plate. In a preferred implementation, the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) may form elongated grooves with an overall width of 5 millimeters and an inwardly recessed depth of 3 millimeters from the side of a clamping plate; the head to neck may be a ratio of 100%± 20%within the 3 millimeters, for example, with the head being 1.6 millimeters and the neck being 1.4 millimeters; and may form an opening with a width of 2 millimeter near the side of the clamping plate. The dimensional difference created by the elongated grooves with an opening narrower than the overall groove width makes it less likely for the one or more slide grooves (141, 142) and the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) to detach and separate when assembled together, and also allows the slide blocks (143, 144) to slide smoothly in the slide grooves (141, 142) without getting stuck.

In some implementations, the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may form a structure where the front is wider than the back along the direction from the side contacting a clamping plate to the side not in contact to match the slide grooves with a smaller opening width. More specifically, the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may roughly form blocks with a head width greater than the neck width, allowing them to slightly engage in the slide grooves (141, 142) with a smaller opening width and slide freely to adjust the positions of the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) .

In some implementations, the slide blocks (143, 144) may be blocks with an overall width of 3.76 to 5.64 millimeters, and the head width thereof may be 3.76 to 5.64 millimeters, and the neck width thereof may be 1.59 to 2.39 millimeters to match the slide grooves with smaller opening widths. In some implementations, the head and neck of the slide blocks (143, 144) may have different thicknesses to correspond to the recess depth and opening of the aforementioned slide grooves. For example, the head thickness may be 0.96 to 1.44 millimeters, and the neck thickness may be 1.36 to 2.04 millimeters, resulting in an overall thickness of the slide blocks of 2.32 to 3.48 millimeters. In a preferred implementation, the one or more slide blocks (143, 144) may form blocks with an overall width of 4.7 millimeters, where the head width is 4.7 millimeters, the neck width is 2.0 millimeters, the head thickness is 1.7 millimeters, and the neck thickness is 1.2 millimeters.

This type of blocks with a wider front and narrower back in conjunction with the slide grooves with a smaller opening width allows the slide blocks to slide freely in the slide grooves before being tightly locked with the tightness adjustment module (121, 122, 123) , and when they are tightly locked together, the friction between the slide elements (151, 152) and the contact surface of the clamping plate is increased, allowing the slide elements to be more securely fixed on the clamping plate. Additionally, due to force transfer, the stress on the slide blocks may be reduced, thus preventing deformation and prolonging the lifespan of the slide blocks.

In some implementations, the positioning markers used for pelvic positioning may be integrally formed on one of the clamping plates of the installation 100. In some implementations, refer to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, where FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a marker mounting module, in accordance with an implementation of the present disclosure, and FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the marker mounting module, in accordance with the implementation. The installation 100 of the present disclosure may further include a marker mounting module 410 for coupling the positioning marker to one of the clamping plates. In some implementations, the marker mounting module may include a universal joint 411, one end of which may include a mounting head 412, and the other end may be coupled to the positioning marker. In some implementations, the marker mounting module 410 may further include a marking element 413 for adhering or engraving the positioning marker, and the marking element 413 may be coupled to the other end of the universal joint 411.

In some implementations, the marking element 413 may be coupled to the universal joint 411 in the form of a universal joint. In a preferred implementation, one end of the marking element 413 coupled to the universal joint 411 may be a sphere, and the other end of the universal joint 411 may be a hollow cylinder large enough to accommodate part or all of the sphere, allowing the sphere to rotate freely inside. The sphere may be firmly secured in a specific position by multiple screws (411A, 411B) penetrating through the side wall of the hollow cylinder, preventing the positioning marker from easily shifting with movement.

In some implementations, the marking element 413 may form a sphere with a radius of 7.9 millimeters to be coupled to one end of the universal joint 411, while the other end of the universal joint 411 may form a hollow cylinder with an inner diameter of 16 millimeters, an outer diameter of 22 millimeters, and a thickness of 3.0 millimeters, to accommodate part or all of the sphere. In some implementations, two screws (411A, 411B) may be used to penetrate through the hollow cylinder formed at the other end of the universal joint 411 to secure the sphere formed by the marking element 413, where the two screws (411A, 411B) may be the same or different. In some implementations, both screws (411A, 411B) may have a shaft diameter of M5 and a length of 10 millimeters.

In some implementations, the other end of the marking element 413 (i.e., the end not coupled to the universal joint 411) may be used for adhering or engraving the positioning marker and may be implemented in the form of a cube, a cuboid, a triangular trapezoid, or the like. In a preferred implementation, the positioning marker may be adhered or engraved on five faces of the cube to increase the likelihood of identification and tracking. In some implementations, the marking element 413 may further include a marking shaft 4131 and a marking carrier 4132; where one end of the marking shaft 4131 may be coupled to the universal joint 411 and may form the aforementioned sphere; the marking carrier 4132 may be removably coupled to the other end of the marking shaft 4131, and used for adhering or engraving the positioning marker, allowing for replacement of any positioning markers by disassembling the marking carrier 4132.

In some implementations, referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the at least two clamping plates may further include an installation structure 161, which correspond to the mounting head 412 in structure and may be tightly coupled together. In some implementations, the installation structure 161 may be configured with its center point located at the center or either end of one of the at least two clamping plates, allowing the user to operate more conveniently. In some implementations, the installation structure 161 and the mounting head 412 may be implemented in a tenon-and-mortise structure. More specifically, the installation structure 161 may be a cylinder or prism, such as a rectangular prism, or straight cylinder, while the mounting head 412 may be a structure complementary to the cylinder or prism, such as a rectangular prism hole or a straight cylinder hole. Alternatively, the mounting head 412 may be a cylinder or prism, while the installation structure 161 may be a structure complementary to the cylinder or prism. In a preferred implementation, the mounting head 412 may be a hexagonal prism, and the installation structure 161 may be a structure complementary to the hexagonal prism, such as a hexagonal prism hole. Assembling with a hexagonal prism structure not only provides sufficient stability when coupling the marker mounting module 410 to the clamping plate, but also reduces the likelihood of breakage at the coupling site, and the interlocking of hexagonal prism structures prevents vertical or rotational displacement due to movement during surgery. In another preferred implementation, the height of the hexagonal prism may be 5.6 to 8.4 millimeters, and each side length of the bottom surface may be HEX 4.8 to 6.0. In another more preferred implementation, the height of the hexagonal prism may be 7 millimeters, and each side length of the bottom surface may be HEX 5.0. In another preferred implementation, the depth range of the hexagonal prism hole may be 5 to 15 millimeters to optimize the stability when coupling.

In the navigation system for hip replacement surgery, at least one positioning marker needs to be installed on an acetabular cup impactor to track the position of the acetabular cup impactor in real-time, thereby improving the accuracy of the surgery. In addition, other surgical tools such as positioning marker registration pointer may also be needed to assist in surgical navigation. The installation of the present disclosure may assist in securely fastening the positioning marker to these surgical tools. However, these surgical tools may have different shapes, sizes, and specifications, and the same type of surgical tool from different manufacturers may also have different specifications. Therefore, the installation of the present disclosure may be flexibly adjusted to accommodate the surgical tools with different specifications or from different manufacturers.

Please refer to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an installation, in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure, while FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the installation, in accordance with the implementation of the present disclosure. In the implementation, the installation 200 of the present disclosure may be used in conjunction with a surgical tool P3 that is partially or entirely shaped like a columnar to secure the positioning marker in place, thus firmly affixing the positioning marker at a specific point (such as the acetabular cup impactor or the positioning marker registration pointer) .

In some implementations, the installation 200 of the present disclosure may be generally shaped like a long plate, with either the long side or short side roughly parallel to the long axis of the surgical tool P3 to clamp and secure the surgical tool P3. It is preferred for the short side to be roughly parallel to the long axis of the surgical tool P3. In some implementations, the installation 200 of the present disclosure may take on any shape, such as a flat rectangle, a flat trapezoid, or a flat circle, as long as it is capable of clamping and securing the surgical tool P3.

In some implementations, the installation 200 of the present disclosure may include: two clamping plates (211, 212) , a tightness adjustment module (221, 222, 223) , and a plurality of engaging grooves (231, 232) .

In some implementations, the two clamping plates (211, 212) may be structurally separate from each other, and one end of the two clamping plates (211, 212) may be coupled together as a central angle of a sector, allowing the two clamping plates (211, 212) to rotate along the central angle, thereby approaching each other to compress and secure the surgical tool P3 for clamping the surgical tool P3.

In some implementations, the overall shape of the two clamping plates (211, 212) may be roughly long and plate-like, with either the long side or the short side roughly parallel to the long axis of the surgical tool P3, so as to clamp and secure the surgical tool P3.In some implementations, the overall shape of the two clamping plates (211, 212) may take on any shape, such as a flat rectangle, a flat trapezoid, or a flat circle, as long as they are capable of clamping and securing the surgical tool P3. In some implementations, the shapes and sizes of the two clamping plates may be similar or dissimilar, as long as they are capable of clamping and securing the surgical tool P3. In some implementations, the thickness of the two clamping plates (211, 212) may be at least 6 millimeters, to more effectively transmit the clamping force when the surgical tool P3 is clamped and secured by the two clamping plates (211, 212) .

In some implementations, the installation 200 of the present disclosure may further include a pivot module (271, 272, 273) to couple one end of the two clamping plates (211, 212) together, and allow them to rotate along the central angle of the sector formed by the coupled end to adjust the opening range of the two clamping plates (211, 212) . In some implementations, the pivot module (271, 272, 273) may include a first hole 271 disposed at one end of the clamping plate 211, a second hole 272 disposed at one end of the clamping plate 221, and a pivot 273 penetrating through both the first hole 271 and the second hole 272. After aligning the first hole 271 and the second hole 272, the pivot 273 is penetrated through both the first hole 271 and the second hole 272 to couple the two clamping plates (211, 212) together, allowing them to rotate along the coupled end to adjust the distance between the two clamping plates (211, 212) .

In some implementations, the first hole 271 and the second hole 272 may be generally cylindrical holes, and the pivot 273 may be generally cylindrical in shape. In some implementations, the first hole 271 and the second hole 272 may each be a single cylindrical hole, and the first hole 271 may be staggered vertically from the second hole 272, and thus, when they are aligned and assembled with the pivot 273, the two clamping plates (211, 212) may still have sufficient contact area to clamp the surgical tool P3. In some implementations, the first hole 271 may be a single cylindrical hole, and the second hole 272 may consist of two separate cylindrical holes, and the first hole 271 may be disposed between the two cylindrical holes formed by the second hole 272, and thus, when they are aligned and assembled with the pivot 273, the two clamping plates (211, 212) are more securely coupled together, while still have sufficient contact area to clamp the surgical tool P3.

In some implementations, the tightness adjustment module (221, 222, 223) may be coupled to the two clamping plates (211, 212) to adjust the distance between the two clamping plates (211, 212) , allowing to adjust the tightness of the clamping plates when clamping the surgical tool P3 for clamping and securing the surgical tool P3 between the two clamping plates (211, 212) . In some implementations, the tightness adjustment module (221, 222, 223) may be implemented in the form of threaded fasteners. More specifically, the tightness adjustment module (221, 222, 223) may include a bolt 222 and a cooperated nut 221, allowing the distance between the two clamping plates (211, 212) to be adjusted by rotating the nut along the bolt.

In some implementations, the tightness adjustment module (221, 222, 223) may further include a fixing pin 223 to restrict the range of rotating the nut 221 along the bolt 222, thereby preventing excessive rotation that leads to the separation of the nut 221 from the bolt 222. In some implementations, the fixing pin 223 may be structurally separable from the bolt 222. More specifically, the fixing pin 223 may be assembled onto the bolt 222 only after the bolt 222 and the nut 221 are assembled together. Alternatively, in another implementations, the tightness adjustment module may be implemented in the form of other fasteners, such as adjustable (including segmented adjustment) pins or rivets.

In some implementations, one end of the bolt 222 may be coupled to one side of a clamping plate 212, and the other end may penetrate through a perforation 224 of the other clamping plate 211 before being assembled with the nut 221. Alternatively, in some implementations, one end of the bolt 222 may penetrate through a perforation 225 of a clamping plate 212, and the other end may penetrate through the perforation 224 of another clamping plate 211 before being assembled with the nut 221. In this way, the distance between the two clamping plates (211, 212) may be adjusted by rotating the nut 221 along the bolt 222, so as to compress and secure the surgical tool P3 between the two clamping plates (211, 212) . In some implementations, the fixing pin 223 may be disposed at the other end of the bolt 222 (closer to the clamping plate 212) . In some implementations, the fixing pin 223 may be assembled on the bolt 222 after the other end of the bolt 222 is passed through the perforation 224 of the clamping plate 211 and then assembled with the nut 221.

In some implementations, the size of the perforation 224 may be equal to or different from the size of the perforation 225. In some implementations, the perforation 224 may be a long-stripped hole formed along the short side or long side of the clamping plate 211, allowing the bolt 222 to slide between the long-stripped hole to provide different levels of tension on the surgical tool P3 when clamped by the two clamping plates (211, 212) . When used in connection with the bolt 222 with a longer effective threaded length, the overall opening distance between the two clamping plates (211, 212) may be increased to at least 10 millimeters to accommodate the surgical tool P3 with different sizes, and by increasing the effective thread length of the bolt 222 may further increase the range of the overall opening distance between the two clamping plates (211, 212) .

In some implementations, the installation 200 of the present disclosure may further include one or more engaging grooves (231, 232) configured between the two clamping plates (211, 212) to accommodate the surgical tool P3, making the surgical tool P3 not easy to move or shake when they are compressed and secured between the clamping plates (211, 212) . In some implementations, the one or more engaging grooves (231, 232) may be elongated grooves that match the surgical tool P3, so that when the surgical tool P3 are clamped, the parts in contact with the installation 200 of the present disclosure may be accommodated in the one or more engaging grooves (131, 132) .

In some implementations, when the overall shape of the two clamping plates (211, 212) are generally shaped like a long plate and clamp the surgical tool P3 with either the long side or short side roughly parallel to the long axis of the surgical tool P3, the one or more engaging grooves (231, 232) may be elongated grooves that are generally parallel to the long side or short side of the two clamping plates (211, 212) , and preferably, the elongated grooves that penetrate through their long side or short side, meaning that the length of the elongated groove is preferably equal to the long side or short side of the two clamping plates (211, 212) . In some implementations, the more engaging grooves (231, 232) may be configured generally parallel to each other.

In some implementations, the one or more engaging grooves may be disposed on one or two of the two clamping plates (211, 212) , especially on the side of the two clamping plates (211, 212) used for clamping the surgical tool P3. More specifically, the one or more engaging grooves may be disposed only on one clamping plate 211 or one clamping plate 212; or the one or more engaging grooves may be disposed on both two clamping plates (211, 212) , and the engaging grooves disposed on the clamping plate 211 and the engaging grooves disposed on the clamping plate 212 may correspond to each other or not correspond to each other.

In some implementations, the two clamping plates may further include an installation structure 261 that corresponds to the mounting head 412 in structure and may be coupled together to assemble the universal joint 411 on the two clamping plates. The installation structure 261 has a similar composition and structure to the previously mentioned installation structure 161, so it is not repeated herein.

Refer to FIG. 9, which is a perspective view of an installation, in accordance with another implementation of the present disclosure. Alternatively, in some implementations, the installation structure 363 may be directly disposed on a surgical tool P4 such as an acetabular cup impactor or a positioning marker registration pointer. The positioning marker may be fixed on the surgical tool P4 through the mounting head 412 of the universal joint 411. The installation structure 363 has a similar composition and structure to the previously mentioned installation structures 161 and 261, so it is not repeated herein.

In summary, the present disclosure achieves an optimal balance between stability and lightweight design by optimizing the structure or proportions of each component. As a result, the installation of the present disclosure may secure a positioning marker onto surgical tools, without being restricted by the specific tools defined in different medical systems. Depending on the specific tools or locations where the positioning marker needs to be placed, the fixation may be achieved by adjusting the parallel distance or opening angle of every two clamping plates. Alternatively, it may only require arranging a standardized installation structure on the surgical tools, allowing for easy placement and replacement of the installation to secure the positioning markers. The installation of the present disclosure greatly enhances convenience and flexibility in use.

The implementations shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described herein. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the details. It will therefore be appreciated that the implementation described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.

Claims

An installation of a positioning marker, comprising:

a plurality of clamping plates, configured to that every clamping plate is structurally separated from each other, and by bringing together every two clamping plates to clamp a surgical tool that is required to be installed the positioning marker;

a tightness adjustment module, configured to be coupled to the plurality of clamping plates for adjusting a distance between every two clamping plates; and

a plurality of engaging grooves, configured between every two clamping plates for accommodating the surgical tool.
The installation according to claim 1, further comprising a containment module disposed between every two clamping plates, for containing the plurality of engaging grooves and adjusting positions of the plurality of engaging grooves between every two clamping plates.
The installation according to claim 2, wherein: the containment module further comprising a slide groove and a slide element; wherein the slide element is used for containing the plurality of engaging grooves and further comprises a slide block coupled to the slide groove to adjust the positions of the plurality of engaging grooves between every two clamping plates.
The installation according to claim 1, wherein: the installation comprises two clamping plates, and one end of the two clamping plates is coupled together as a central angle of a sector, allowing the two clamping plates to rotate along the end to approach each other for clamping the surgical tool.
The installation according to claim 1 or 4, wherein: the tightness adjustment module comprises a nut and a bolt, and the distance between every two clamping plates or the two clamping plates is adjusted by rotating the nut along the bolt.
The installation according to claim 5, wherein: one end of the bolt penetrates through a perforation of every two clamping plates or one of the two clamping plates and then is assembled with the nut.
The installation according to claim 5, wherein: the tightness adjustment module further comprises a fixing pin for restricting a range of rotating the nut along the bolt.
The installation according to claim 1 or 4, further comprising a marker mounting module, wherein the marker mounting module is disposed on every two clamping plates or one of the two clamping plates or is coupled to an installation structure of every two clamping plates or one of the two clamping plates.
The installation according to claim 8, wherein: the marker mounting module further comprises a universal joint, and a mounting head is disposed at one end of the universal joint for being coupled to the installation structure.
The installation according to claim 8, wherein: the other end of the universal joint is coupled to the positioning marker.