Patents by Inventor Jienan Ding

Jienan Ding has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20260047902
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods involve a robotic manipulator configured to support and move a surgical tool, and a control system coupled to the robotic manipulator. The control system obtains a bone mineral density (BMD) map of a target bone and controls the robotic manipulator to move the surgical tool into contact with the bone at one or more points. Using the BMD map, the control system determines predicted BMD values of the target bone at the contact points. The control system calculates an estimated operational parameter of the surgical tool based on the predicted BMD values. The control system measures an actual operational parameter of the tool during interaction with the bone and compares it to the estimated operational parameter to identify any discrepancy. Upon detecting a discrepancy, the control system generates a corrective action or alert.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2025
    Publication date: February 19, 2026
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Hyosig Kang, Jienan Ding, Snehal Kasodekar, Peter L. Ebbitt
  • Publication number: 20260041506
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods involve a robotic manipulator with a force sensor and a surgical tool that holds a screw. The screw has a known thread geometry. A navigation system tracks a pose of a target anatomy. Controller(s) store the known thread geometry and control the robotic manipulator to maintain the rotational axis on a planned trajectory with respect to the target anatomy based on the tracked pose of the target anatomy. The controller(s) detect, with the force sensor, a force applied by a user. The controller(s) control a rotational rate of the surgical tool to rotate the screw about a rotational axis and an advancement rate of the surgical tool to linearly advance the screw along the planned trajectory. The rotational rate and the advancement rate are based on the force applied by the user and are proportional to the known thread geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2025
    Publication date: February 12, 2026
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Hyosig Kang, Jienan Ding, David Gene Bowling, Christopher W. Jones, Gregory McEwan, Lucas Gsellman
  • Publication number: 20260033900
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods involve manipulation of a bone. A robotic manipulator supports and moves a surgical tool. Controller(s) define a virtual boundary to guide movement of the surgical tool to an entry point on a surface of the bone structure. The controller(s) define an operational limit on the surgical tool that limits a cutting speed and/or a feed rate of the surgical tool. The controller(s) control the robotic manipulator to facilitate movement of the surgical tool along a length of the virtual boundary and towards the entry point. The controller(s) detect that the surgical tool is located along the length of the virtual boundary, and in response, activate the operational limit for the surgical tool, e.g., to mitigate skiving of the surgical tool at the entry point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2025
    Publication date: February 5, 2026
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Jamil Elbanna, Michael Prieto, Vijay Subramanian, Jienan Ding
  • Patent number: 12478442
    Abstract: Spinal surgery systems and methods include a manipulator with a robotic arm and an end effector. A navigation system with a localizer tracks a patient and the manipulator. A control system registers, with the navigation system, a desired trajectory for a vertebra of the patient and detects that the end effector is within a predetermined distance to the desired trajectory. In response to the end effector being within the predetermined distance and detection of a user input, the control system autonomously moves the robotic arm to align the end effector to the desired trajectory. The end effector is constrained to the desired trajectory with a line haptic object and can exit the line haptic object in response to being moved along the line haptic object until the end effector reaches an exit point defined relative to the line haptic object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2025
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Hyosig Kang, Jienan Ding, Snehal Kasodekar, Peter L. Ebbitt
  • Patent number: 12472017
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods involve a robotic manipulator with a force sensor and a surgical tool that holds a screw. The screw has a known thread geometry. A navigation system tracks a pose of a target anatomy. Controller(s) store the known thread geometry and control the robotic manipulator to maintain the rotational axis on a planned trajectory with respect to the target anatomy based on the tracked pose of the target anatomy. The controller(s) detect, with the force sensor, a force applied by a user. The controller(s) control a rotational rate of the surgical tool to rotate the screw about a rotational axis and an advancement rate of the surgical tool to linearly advance the screw along the planned trajectory. The rotational rate and the advancement rate are based on the force applied by the user and are proportional to the known thread geometry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2025
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Hyosig Kang, Jienan Ding, David Gene Bowling, Christopher Wayne Jones, Greg McEwan, Lucas Gsellman
  • Patent number: 12465442
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods involve manipulation of a bone. A robotic manipulator supports and moves a surgical tool that has a cutting bur rotatable about a cutting axis. Controller(s) control the manipulator to align the cutting axis to a target axis associated with the bone and advance the cutting bur along the target axis towards a cortical region of the bone. The controller(s) control the surgical tool to rotate the cutting bur about the cutting axis and contact the cortical region. The controller(s) detect, from sensor(s), forces applied to the cutting bur by the cortical region and compare the sensed forces to a threshold indicative of skiving of the cutting bur relative the cortical region. In response to the sensed forces exceeding the threshold, the controller(s) adjust control of the manipulator and/or surgical tool to reduce forces applied to the cutting bur by the cortical region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2025
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Jamil Elbanna, Michael Prieto, Vijay Subramanian, Jienan Ding
  • Publication number: 20250288364
    Abstract: A method for intraoperatively augmenting a revision implant includes removing a primary implant from a bone, intraoperatively determining a size of a defect of the bone, intraoperatively cutting a bone filler material to the size of the defect, installing the bone filler material at the defect, and installing the revision implant on the bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Viktor Krebs, Hyosig Kang, Snehal Kasodekar, Matt Harrow, Jienan Ding, Ta-Cheng Chang, Min Wu, Jean Gonzalez, Peter Ebbitt
  • Patent number: 12343093
    Abstract: A method for intraoperatively augmenting a revision implant includes removing a primary implant from a bone, intraoperatively determining a size of a defect of the bone, intraoperatively cutting a bone filler material to the size of the defect, installing the bone filler material at the defect, and installing the revision implant on the bone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Viktor Krebs, Hyosig Kang, Snehal Kasodekar, Matt Harrow, Jienan Ding, Ta-Cheng Chang, Min Wu, Jean Gonzalez, Peter Ebbitt
  • Publication number: 20240299109
    Abstract: Spinal surgery systems and methods include a manipulator with a robotic arm and an end effector. A navigation system with a localizer tracks a patient and the manipulator. A control system registers, with the navigation system, a desired trajectory for a vertebra of the patient and detects that the end effector is within a predetermined distance to the desired trajectory. In response to the end effector being within the predetermined distance and detection of a user input, the control system autonomously moves the robotic arm to align the end effector to the desired trajectory. The end effector is constrained to the desired trajectory with a line haptic object and can exit the line haptic object in response to being moved along the line haptic object until the end effector reaches an exit point defined relative to the line haptic object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2024
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Hyosig Kang, Jienan Ding, Snehal Kasodekar, Peter L. Ebbitt
  • Publication number: 20240268904
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods involve manipulation of a bone. A robotic manipulator supports and moves a surgical tool that has a cutting bur rotatable about a cutting axis. Controller(s) control the manipulator to align the cutting axis to a target axis associated with the bone and advance the cutting bur along the target axis towards a cortical region of the bone. The controller(s) control the surgical tool to rotate the cutting bur about the cutting axis and contact the cortical region. The controller(s) detect, from sensor(s), forces applied to the cutting bur by the cortical region and compare the sensed forces to a threshold indicative of skiving of the cutting bur relative the cortical region. In response to the sensed forces exceeding the threshold, the controller(s) adjust control of the manipulator and/or surgical tool to reduce forces applied to the cutting bur by the cortical region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Jamil Elbanna, Michael Prieto, Vijay Subramanian, Jienan Ding
  • Publication number: 20240180639
    Abstract: Surgical systems and methods involve a robotic manipulator with a force sensor and a surgical tool that holds a screw. The screw has a known thread geometry. A navigation system tracks a pose of a target anatomy. Controller(s) store the known thread geometry and control the robotic manipulator to maintain the rotational axis on a planned trajectory with respect to the target anatomy based on the tracked pose of the target anatomy. The controller(s) detect, with the force sensor, a force applied by a user. The controller(s) control a rotational rate of the surgical tool to rotate the screw about a rotational axis and an advancement rate of the surgical tool to linearly advance the screw along the planned trajectory. The rotational rate and the advancement rate are based on the force applied by the user and are proportional to the known thread geometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2024
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Hyosig Kang, Jienan Ding, David Gene Bowling, Christopher Wayne Jones, Greg McEwan, Lucas Gsellman
  • Patent number: 11944392
    Abstract: A method for intraoperative planning and facilitating a revision arthroplasty procedure includes displaying a virtual model of a bone, capturing positions of a tracked probe as the tracked probe contacts points at a perimeter of a primary implant component coupled to the bone, generating a virtual representation of an interface between the primary implant component and the virtual model of the bone using the positions of the tracked probe, planning a bone resection using the virtual representation of the interface, and guiding execution of the bone resection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Viktor Krebs, Hyosig Kang, Snehal Kasodekar, Matt Harrow, Jienan Ding, Ta-Cheng Chang, Min Wu, Jean Gonzalez, Peter Ebbitt
  • Patent number: 11937889
    Abstract: A robotic system and methods for performing spine surgery are disclosed. The system comprises a robotic manipulator with a tool to hold a screw and to rotate the screw about a rotational axis. The screw is self-tapping and has a known thread geometry that is stored by one or more controllers. A navigation system tracks a position of a target anatomy. Movement of the robotic manipulator is controlled to maintain the rotational axis of the surgical tool along a planned trajectory with respect to the target anatomy based on the tracked position of the target anatomy. In autonomous or manual modes of operation, the rotational rate of the screw about the rotational axis and/or an advancement rate of the screw linearly along the planned trajectory is controlled to be proportional to the known thread geometry stored in the memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Hyosig Kang, Jienan Ding, David Gene Bowling, Christopher Wayne Jones, Greg McEwan, Lucas Gsellman
  • Publication number: 20240008934
    Abstract: A method for intraoperatively augmenting a revision implant includes removing a primary implant from a bone, intraoperatively determining a size of a defect of the bone, intraoperatively cutting a bone filler material to the size of the defect, installing the bone filler material at the defect, and installing the revision implant on the bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Viktor Krebs, Hyosig Kang, Snehal Kasodekar, Matt Harrow, Jienan Ding, Ta-Cheng Chang, Min Wu, Jean Gonzalez, Peter Ebbitt
  • Patent number: 11857270
    Abstract: A method of performing a procedure includes preparing a subject, gaining access to a portion of the subject with a first instrument, removing a first portion of the portion of the subject with the first instrument, gaining access to the portion of the subject with a tracked instrument, moving the tracked instrument to a surface revealed by removal of at least the first portion from the portion of the subject, tracking the tracked instrument while moving at least the tracked instrument to the surface, and determining a representation of the surface based on the tracking the tracked instrument.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Viktor Krebs, Hyosig Kang, Snehal Kasodekar, Matt Harrow, Jienan Ding, Ta-Cheng Chang, Min Wu, Jean Gonzalez, Peter Ebbitt
  • Patent number: 11819294
    Abstract: A fiber optic tracking sensor includes an outer tube, a plurality of optical fibers within the outer tube and including a central optical fiber and a plurality of additional optical fibers, and one or more structural members within the outer tube and configured to provide a spacing between the plurality of optical fibers such that the central optical fiber is positioned along a central longitudinal axis of the outer tube and the plurality of additional optical fibers are spaced apart from one another and from the central optical fiber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Jienan Ding, Joseph J. Bos, Tim Perez, Min Wu, Saul Najera, Robert A. Brindley
  • Publication number: 20230000569
    Abstract: A fiber optic tracking sensor includes an outer tube, a plurality of optical fibers within the outer tube and including a central optical fiber and a plurality of additional optical fibers, and one or more structural members within the outer tube and configured to provide a spacing between the plurality of optical fibers such that the central optical fiber is positioned along a central longitudinal axis of the outer tube and the plurality of additional optical fibers are spaced apart from one another and from the central optical fiber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Publication date: January 5, 2023
    Applicant: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Jienan Ding, Joseph J. Bos, Tim Perez, Min Wu, Saul Najera, Robert A. Brindley
  • Patent number: 11484368
    Abstract: A method for intraoperatively planning and facilitating a revision arthroplasty procedure. The method includes capturing positions of a tracked probe as the tracked probe contacts an interface area between a bone and a primary implant component implanted on the bone, intraoperatively generating a virtual boundary corresponding to a portion of the interface area to be removed to detach the primary implant component from the bone using the positions of the tracked probe and without use of pre-operative medical imaging, facilitating removal of the primary implant component from the bone by providing a constraint on operation of a cutting tool while the cutting tool removes the portion of the interface area, the constraint based on a relationship between the cutting tool and the virtual boundary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Viktor Krebs, Hyosig Kang, Snehal Kasodekar, Matt Harrow, Jienan Ding, Ta-Cheng Chang, Min Wu, Jean Gonzalez, Peter Ebbitt
  • Patent number: 11478307
    Abstract: A fiber optic tracking sensor includes at least three optical fibers, each optical fiber having a plurality of fiber optic sensors along a length of a sensing portion of the sensor. A shape-memory member is coupled to the three optical fibers and provides support to the sensor. The at least three optical fibers are arranged in a spaced apart relationship, each offset from a central longitudinal axis of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Jienan Ding, Joseph J. Bos, Tim Perez, Min Wu, Saul Najera, Robert A. Brindley
  • Patent number: 11337766
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for preparation of a bone structure wherein a robotically controlled cutting bur is utilized for both milling the entry point at the outer cortical region and cannulation of the cancellous bone region for receipt of an implant. A robotic manipulator supports and moves the cutting bur and one or more controllers analyze measurements from sensors and, in response, control the robotic manipulator and/or the cutting bur for purposes such as landmark detection to determine entry point, avoiding tool skiving at entry point, and avoidance of cortical wall breach during cannulation. Also described are techniques for managing feed rate, rotational cutting speed, or mode of operation depending on operational conditions surrounding various stages of cannulation. A control interface is also provided to enable the user to manage or adjust cutting bur operation and feed rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: MAKO Surgical Corp.
    Inventors: Jamil Elbanna, Jienan Ding, Michael Prieto, Vijay Subramanian