Tibial Insert

Abstract

Disclosed herein are joint implants with sensors and methods for manufacturing joint implants with sensors. A knee joint implant according to the present disclosure may include a femoral implant, a tibial implant and a tibial insert disposed therebetween. The tibial implant may include a medial side with a medial central region defined around a medial center, a lateral side with a lateral central region defined around a lateral center and a central region disposed between the medial central region and the lateral central region. At least one sensor and a battery may be disposed within the tibial insert. The medial central region and the lateral central region may be defined by solid volumes extending from a proximal surface to a distal surface of the tibial insert.

1 . A knee implant comprising:
 a femoral implant configured to be coupled to a femur;   a tibial implant configured to be coupled to a tibia, and   a tibial insert disposed between the femoral implant and the tibial implant, the tibial insert comprising:   a medial side with a medial central region defined around a medial center;   a lateral side with a lateral central region defined around a lateral center;   a central region disposed between the medial central region and the lateral central region, and   at least one sensor and a battery disposed within the tibial insert,   wherein the medial central region and the lateral central region are defined by solid volumes extending from a proximal surface to a distal surface of the tibial insert.   
     
     
         2 . The knee implant of  claim 1 , wherein the medial central region and the lateral central region extend from an anterior surface to a posterior surface of the tibial insert. 
     
     
         3 . The knee implant of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor and the battery are located away from the medial central region and the lateral central region. 
     
     
         4 . The knee implant of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor and the battery are disposed within the central region. 
     
     
         5 . The knee implant of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one sensor and the battery are disposed around a periphery of the tibial insert. 
     
     
         6 . The knee implant of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor and the battery are disposed around a periphery of the tibial insert. 
     
     
         7 . The knee implant of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one sensor includes a Hall sensors and the femoral implant includes a magnet, the Hall sensor configured to track a location of the magnet. 
     
     
         8 . The knee implant of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor including a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors including at least one load sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The knee implant of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sensors include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a pH sensor. 
     
     
         10 . The knee implant of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one battery includes a plurality of batteries. 
     
     
         11 . The knee implant of  claim 9 , wherein the tibial insert further includes a printed circuit board assembly, a processor, a charging coil, and an antenna, all of which are located away from the medial central region and the lateral central region. 
     
     
         12 . A method for manufacturing an implant, the method comprising:
 determining expected loading levels on an implant during implant life;   identifying high load regions on the implant, the high load regions representing implant regions determined to experience greater loading force than non-high load regions on the implant, and   placing at least one sensor and at least one battery within the implant,   wherein the at least one sensor and at least one battery are placed away from the identified high load regions.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of determining loading levels is performed by a computer simulation of an implant model. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the computer simulation comprises of a finite element analysis. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the implant is a tibial insert, the tibial insert being configured to be located between a femoral implant and a tibial implant. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , further including a step of configuring the high load regions as solid volumes. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further including a step of placing the at least one sensor and the at least one battery in a cavity of the implant and hermetically sealing the cavity. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , the at least one sensor includes a Hall sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the at least one sensor including a plurality of sensors, the plurality of sensors including at least one load sensor. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of sensors include a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, and a pH sensor.