Abstract: Systems and methods for planning surgical procedures involving custom medical implants that can involve the selection, design and/or creation of custom medical implants and/or the selection, modification, and/or design of custom surgical procedures related to those implants. Certain embodiments allow implants to be selected, designed, created, or otherwise customized and then placed in patients using non-standard surgical techniques. The invention provides greater flexibility in implant use by allowing a surgeon to revise, create, or otherwise select surgical techniques for custom implants and, ultimately, provide better treatment in a greater variety of medical circumstances. Certain embodiments of the invention involve computer assisted surgery to provide for implant-related surgery involving non-standard surgical steps and/or implants.

Abstract: A surgical tool with an electric motor. The motor rotor includes a bore in which a number of magnets are disposed. Each magnet has an outer surface and two inner surfaces that extend inwardly towards a corner. One pole of each magnet is along the outer surface; the opposed pole is at the corner. The magnets are disposed in the rotor bore so that the corners of arcuately adjacent magnets have opposed magnetic polarities.

Abstract: Systems and methods for planning surgical procedures involving custom medical implants that can involve the selection, design and/or creation of custom medical implants and/or the selection, modification, and/or design of custom surgical procedures related to those implants. Certain embodiments allow implants to be selected, designed, created, or otherwise customized and then placed in patients using non-standard surgical techniques. The invention provides greater flexibility in implant use by allowing a surgeon to revise, create, or otherwise select surgical techniques for custom implants and, ultimately, provide better treatment in a greater variety of medical circumstances. Certain embodiments of the invention involve computer assisted surgery to provide for implant-related surgery involving non-standard surgical steps and/or implants.

Abstract: A surgical tool with an electric motor. The motor rotor includes a bore in which a number of magnets are disposed. Each magnet has an outer surface and two inner surfaces that extend inwardly towards a corner. One pole of each magnet is along the outer surface; the opposed pole is at the corner. The magnets are disposed in the rotor bore so that the corners of arcuately adjacent magnets have opposed magnetic polarities.

Abstract: A surgical tool system including a handpiece with a motor and a cutting accessory with a shaft that is rotated by the handpiece motor. The handpiece includes a coupling assembly with plural locking elements for holding the accessory shaft to an output drive shaft that is actuated by the handpiece motor. The locking elements are longitudinally spaced apart from each other. The accessory shaft is formed with retention features against which the handpiece locking elements engage. The shaft retention features are in columns. The retention features in adjacent retention features are longitudinally offset from each other. This allows the coarse or fine adjustment of the extent to which the accessory shaft extends forward from the handpiece coupling assembly.

Abstract: Systems and methods for planning surgical procedures involving custom medical implants that can involve the selection, design and/or creation of custom medical implants and/or the selection, modification, and/or design of custom surgical procedures related to those implants. Certain embodiments allow implants to be selected, designed, created, or otherwise customized and then placed in patients using non-standard surgical techniques. The invention provides greater flexibility in implant use by allowing a surgeon to revise, create, or otherwise select surgical techniques for custom implants and, ultimately, provide better treatment in a greater variety of medical circumstances. Certain embodiments of the invention involve computer assisted surgery to provide for implant-related surgery involving non-standard surgical steps and/or implants.

Abstract: Systems and methods for planning surgical procedures involving custom medical implants that can involve the selection, design and/or creation of custom medical implants and/or the selection, modification, and/or design of custom surgical procedures related to those implants. Certain embodiments allow implants to be selected, designed, created, or otherwise customized and then placed in patients using non-standard surgical techniques. The invention provides greater flexibility in implant use by allowing a surgeon to revise, create, or otherwise select surgical techniques for custom implants and, ultimately, provide better treatment in a greater variety of medical circumstances. Certain embodiments of the invention involve computer assisted surgery to provide for implant-related surgery involving non-standard surgical steps and/or implants.

Abstract: Devices and processes for use in computer aided or computer navigated surgery include one or more fault interfaces interposed between an indicium and an item to be used during surgery such as a body part, tool, implant, trial or other structure or component. After the indicia have been registered into the system and surgery begun, it is sometimes the case that indicia can be inadvertently moved or dislodged in position and/or orientation relative to the body part. Fault interfaces according to various embodiments are designed to fail first, so that the indicia can be repositioned relative to the item without the need to reregister the indicia into the system relative to the item. The fault interfaces preferably include structure that allows the indicium to be repositioned relative to the item so that it does not need to be reregistered into the system. Frame attachments which can by easily manufactured at relatively low cost, are disposable, and which are manufactured for single use are disclosed.

Abstract: Devices and processes for use in computer aided or computer navigated surgery include one or more fault interfaces interposed between an indicium and an item to be used during surgery such as a body part, tool, implant, trial or other structure or component. After the indicia have been registered into the system and surgery begun, it is sometimes the case that indicia can be inadvertently moved or dislodged in position and/or orientation relative to the body part. Fault interfaces according to various embodiments are designed to fail first, so that the indicia can be repositioned relative to the item without the need to reregister the indicia into the system relative to the item. The fault interfaces preferably include structure that allows the indicium to be repositioned relative to the item so that it does not need to be reregistered into the system. Frame attachments which can by easily manufactured at relatively low cost, are disposable, and which are manufactured for single use are disclosed.

Abstract: A surgical tool system including a handpiece with a motor and a cutting accessory with a shaft that is rotated by the handpiece motor. The handpiece includes a coupling assembly with plural locking elements for holding the accessory shaft to an output drive shaft that is actuated by the handpiece motor. The locking elements are longitudinally spaced apart from each other. The accessory shaft is formed with retention features against which the handpiece locking elements engage. The shaft retention features are in columns. The retention features in adjacent retention features are longitudinally offset from each other. This allows the coarse or fine adjustment of the extent to which the accessory shaft extends forward from the handpiece coupling assembly.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for providing a reference array input device for use with a computer-aided surgical navigation system. A reference array input device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to provide a plurality of fiducial members comprising portions capable of being sensed by at least two sensors associated with the computer-aided surgical navigation system in order to determine position and orientation of the reference array input device by the system. The reference array input device can include a plurality of indicator detectors adapted to facilitate selection of a corresponding instruction associated with the computer-aided surgical navigation system. The reference array input device can also include a mount adapted to support the reference array input device adjacent to an object, a surgical instrument, or a joint replacement prosthesis.

Abstract: A system and method for determining tibial rotation is disclosed. The system includes a first fiducial, a second fiducial, a position and orientation sensor, a computer, and a monitor. The first fiducial is connected to a first part, and the second fiducial is connected to a second part. The position and orientation sensor tracks the first fiducial and the second fiducial. The computer has a memory, a processor, and an input/output device. The input/output device receives data from the position and orientation sensor. The processor processes the data to identify a first axis of the first part and a second axis of the second part. The processor constructs a reference plane through the second axis and orthogonal to the first axis. The monitor is connected to the input/output device and displays a rendering of the reference plane.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting a surgical saw blade to a housing of a surgical instrument. The connector assembly allows a surgeon to align, insert and lock the surgical blade in the collet of the surgical instrument without any special tools, and further provides a stable and robust platform for mounting the surgical saw blade thereto. The connector assembly includes a cam lever assembly for allowing the user to apply a clamping force to the surgical saw blade with minimum actuation force.

Abstract: A cannula having a bore extending along a length thereof. The cannula includes a vent hole. A plug with an air passage may be inserted within the vent hole such that the air passage is in fluid communication with the bore of the cannula.

Abstract: A cannula having a bore extending along a length thereof. The cannula includes a vent hole. A plug with an air passage may be inserted within the vent hole such that the air passage is in fluid communication with the bore of the cannula.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting a surgical saw blade to a housing of a surgical instrument. The connector assembly allows a surgeon to align, insert and lock the surgical blade in the collet of the surgical instrument without any special tools, and further provides a stable and robust platform for mounting the surgical saw blade thereto. The connector assembly includes a cam lever assembly for allowing the user to apply a clamping force to the surgical saw blade with minimum actuation force.

Abstract: A replaceable rotary patient tissue working tool and a high speed rotational surgical handpiece having a centrifugal chuck for axial push-in chucking and pull-out release of such a tool includes a chuck including a centrifugal locking member with a mass portion located on one side of a rotational axis of a drive shaft. The centrifugal locking member is pivoted on an axis transverse to the drive shaft axis and has a leg extending past said rotational axis. The leg has tool gripping structure on the opposite side of such rotational axis for receiving a tool rear shank rearward axially therepast and for more strongly radially gripping such a tool shank in response to faster rotation of the drive shaft. The invention, in another aspect, includes a tool having an elongate shank, patient tissue working structure at a front end of the shank and mounting structure at the rear end of the shank. The mounting structure includes a radially depressed plateau engageable by such centrifugal locking member.

Abstract: A replaceable rotary patient tissue working tool and a high speed rotational surgical handpiece having a centrifugal chuck for axial push-in chucking and pull-centrifugal locking member having a mass portion located on one side of a rotational axis of a drive shaft. The centrifugal locking member is pivoted on an axis transverse to the drive shaft axis and has a leg extending past said rotational axis. The leg has tool gripping structure on the opposite side of such rotational axis for receiving a tool rear shank rearward axially therepast and for more strongly radially gripping such a tool shank in response to faster rotation of the drive shaft. The invention, in another aspect, includes a tool having an elongate shank, patient tissue working structure at a front end of the shank and mounting structure at the rear end of the shank. The mounting structure includes a radially depressed plateau engageable by such centrifugal locking member.

Abstract: A replaceable rotary patient tissue working tool and a high speed rotational surgical handpiece having a centrifugal chuck for axial push-in chucking and pull-out release of such a tool includes a chuck including a centrifugal locking member with a mass portion located on one side of a rotational axis of a drive shaft. The working tool includes an elongate shank, patient tissue working structure at a front end of the shank and mounting structure at the rear end of the shank. The mounting structure includes several plateaus and a ramped hill. One radially depressed plateau is engageable by the centrifugal locking member.