Method of designing and positioning a medical implant and an implant comprising a positioning mark

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for designing an implant comprising designing a contour curvature of the implant so that an articulating surface of the implant is designed to correspond to a simulated healthy articulating surface of a damaged articulating surface of a joint. The implant is provided with at least one positioning mark designed to be used for determining the orientation in which the implant is to be placed in a recess made in a damaged articulating surface of a joint. Further, the present invention relates to methods for positioning and inserting a medical implant in a recess.

1 : A method for designing an implant, comprising:
 designing a contour curvature of the implant so that an articulating surface of the implant is designed to correspond to a simulated healthy articulating surface of a damaged articulating surface of a joint;   providing at least two substantially circular shapes such that each of said substantially circular shapes is partly overlapping at least one other substantially circular shape; and   providing at least one positioning mark on at least one of said at least two substantially circular shapes such that said at least one positioning mark is designed to be used for determining the orientation in which the implant is to be placed in a recess made in a damaged articulating surface of a joint.   
     
     
         2 : The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing at least one of said at least one positioning mark on the articulating surface of one of said at least two substantially circular shapes. 
     
     
         3 : The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing said at least one positioning mark on the side edge of one of said at least two substantially circular shapes. 
     
     
         4 : The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 designing the contour curvature of the implant so that the articulating surface of the implant corresponds to a simulated healthy articulating surface reconstructed from a 3D model based on one or more images taken with MRI or CT-scanning of a damaged articular surface.   
     
     
         5 : The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 designing the contour curvature of the implant to be patient customized in that the articulating surface of the implant corresponds to a simulated healthy articulating surface reconstructed from a 3D model based on one or more images taken with MRI or CT-scanning of the damaged articulating surface in which the implant is to be placed in a recess.   
     
     
         6 : The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 designing the shape and size of the implant dependent on the size and shape of the damage in the articulating surface and dependent on the curvature of the simulated healthy contour of the articulating surface in the area substantially coinciding with the damage; and   designing the positioning mark to point out the same direction, or joint axis, as at least one of a mark made, or to be made, on the side of a recess in a damaged articulating surface of a joint and a positioning mark on a guide tool to be used for facilitating placement of said implant in the recess.   
     
     
         7 : An implant designed using the design method according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 : A method for inserting an implant in a joint, comprising:
 providing an implant having at least one positioning mark, wherein said at least one positioning mark is positionally adapted on the surface of the implant to be visible for detection by a vision system;   detecting, by the vision system, said at least one positioning mark in relation to at least one of at least one mark made on the side of a recess made in the articulating surface of the joint and at least one pre-determined anatomic dependent direction; and   inserting the implant in the recess by directing the at least one implant positioning mark in a direction dependent on the direction of at least one of at least one mark made on the side of a recess made in the articulating surface of the joint and at least one pre-determined anatomic dependent direction, wherein said inserting is aided by said detecting by the vision system.   
     
     
         9 : The method for inserting an implant in a joint according to  claim 8 , wherein said detecting by said vision system comprises detecting an implant positioning mark on the articulating surface of one substantially circular shape among at least two partly overlapping substantially circular shapes of said implant. 
     
     
         10 : The method for inserting an implant in a joint according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 inserting the implant in the recess by directing the at least one implant positioning mark in the direction of at least one of at least one mark made on the side of the recess on the articulating surface.   
     
     
         11 : The method for inserting an implant in a joint according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 making a recess, by one of a surgeon and a mechanical arm such as a robot arm, in an articulating surface of the joint where the implant is to be inserted; and   making a mark, by one of a surgeon and a mechanical arm such as a robot arm, on an articulating surface on a side of said recess on the articulating surface.   
     
     
         12 : The method for inserting an implant in a joint according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 providing a guide tool comprising a positioning feature/mark; and   making, by one of a surgeon and a mechanical arm such as a robot arm, a mark on the side of a recess made in an articulating surface of the joint in the direction of the positioning mark of said guide tool, thereby determining the future placement orientation of the implant.   
     
     
         13 : A method for inserting an implant in a joint, comprising:
 providing an implant having at least one positioning mark, wherein said at least one positioning mark is located on the surface of the implant to be visible for detection;   providing a storage unit, e.g. a box, for storing an implant prior to inserting the implant in a recess of a human joint, wherein said storage unit comprises at least one of a mechanical recess structure and/or holding means adapted for positioning the implant in a rotationally fixed position in the storage unit, and wherein said storage unit further comprises at least one reference feature;   detecting said at least one positioning mark in relation to said at least one reference feature; and   placing the implant in the storage unit by directing the at least one implant positioning mark on the surface of the implant in a specific, e.g. pre-determined, rotational direction in relation to said at least one reference feature of the storage unit,   gripping the implant in the storage unit, wherein the implant is rotationally oriented in accordance with said specific rotational direction of the at least one implant positioning mark in relation to said at least one reference feature of the storage unit,   removing the implant from the storage unit, wherein the implant is rotationally oriented in accordance with said specific rotational direction of the at least one implant positioning mark in relation to said at least one reference feature of the storage unit when removed from the storage unit, and   inserting the implant in a recess made in a human joint in a correct placement orientation, wherein said correct placement orientation is determined by how the implant is rotationally positioned in said storage unit in relation to said at least one reference feature of the storage unit.   
     
     
         14 : A medical implant comprising at least two substantially circular shapes such that each of said circular shapes is partly overlapping at least one other circular shape, and wherein at least one of the at least substantially circular shapes is provided with at least one positioning mark on its surface. 
     
     
         15 : The medical implant according to  claim 14 , wherein said at least one positioning mark is parted from the center of the articulating surface of at least one of said at least two substantially circular shapes of the implant, thereby being adapted to be used for positioning the medical implant in a recess. 
     
     
         16 : The medical implant according to  claim 14 , wherein only one of the at least two circular shapes is provided with a positioning mark and the other circular shape(s) is not provided with a positioning mark, thereby facilitating the identification of the positioning mark when rotationally positioning the implant. 
     
     
         17 : The medical implant according to  claim 14 , wherein said positioning mark is provided on the articulating surface of at least one of the at least two substantially circular shapes. 
     
     
         18 : The medical implant according to  claim 14 , wherein only one of the at least two circular shapes is provided with at least one positioning mark on its articulating surface and the other circular shape(s) is not provided with a positioning mark on its articulating surface, thereby facilitating the identification of the positioning mark when rotationally positioning the implant. 
     
     
         19 : The medical implant according to  claim 14 , wherein said positioning mark is provided on the cartilage contacting surface of at least one of the at least two substantially circular shapes. 
     
     
         20 : The medical implant according to  claim 14 , wherein only one of the at least two circular shapes is provided with at least one positioning mark on its cartilage contacting surface and the other circular shape(s) is not provided with a positioning mark, thereby facilitating the identification of the positioning mark when rotationally positioning the implant.