US 12,167,859 B2
Intramedullary nail with wire or magnet for targeting of a bone-anchor locking hole
Christof Dutoit, Solothurn (CH); and René Haag, Berwyn, PA (US)
Assigned to DePuy Synthes Products, Inc., Raynham, MA (US)
Filed by DePuy Synthes Products, Inc., Raynham, MA (US)
Filed on Sep. 6, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/929,774.
Application 17/929,774 is a continuation of application No. 16/043,352, filed on Jul. 24, 2018, granted, now 11,457,934.
Prior Publication US 2022/0409221 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 17/17 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/56 (2006.01); A61B 17/72 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/1707 (2013.01) [A61B 17/7233 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00039 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0011 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00526 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00876 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00929 (2013.01); A61B 2017/564 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of targeting a distal locking hole of an intramedullary nail that is implanted within a bone, the method comprising:
producing, with the intramedullary nail, at least one of an electrical current and a magnetic field, wherein the intramedullary nail comprises:
a nail body formed from a first material that is biocompatible;
a second material that is supported by the nail body and different from the first material and produces the at least one of the electrical current and the magnetic field; and
an electrically insulative third material that is different from the first and second materials and supported by the nail body,
wherein the third material encapsulates at least a portion of the second material such that the third material surrounds the portion of the second material in a cross-sectional plane, the first material surrounds the third material in the cross-sectional plane, and the first and third materials extend between the distal locking hole and the portion of the second material along a radial direction that extends radially from a central axis the distal locking hole;
sensing the at least one of the electrical current and the magnetic field; and
detecting a location of the distal locking hole based on the sensed at least one of the electrical current and the magnetic field.