SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ASSISTING WITH ARRANGEMENT OF A STOCK INSTRUMENT WITH RESPECT TO A PATIENT ISSUE

摘要

A stock instrument includes at least one guide interacting feature. A lower instrument surface of the stock instrument is placed into contact with the patient tissue. A guide has a lower guide surface contoured to substantially mate with at least a portion of an upper instrument surface of the stock instrument. A predetermined instrument orientation upon the patient tissue is defined, which is preselected responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue. The guide and instrument are mated in a predetermined relative guide/instrument orientation wherein at least one guide interacting feature of the instrument is placed into engagement with at least one instrument guiding feature of the guide. The guide is moved into a predetermined guide orientation with respect to the patient tissue and concurrently the instrument is moved into a predetermined instrument orientation with respect to the patient tissue.

主权项

1. A method of arranging a stock instrument with respect to a patient tissue, the stock instrument including at least one guide interacting feature, the method comprising the steps of:
placing a lower instrument surface of the stock instrument into contact with the patient tissue; providing a guide having a lower guide surface contoured to substantially mate with at least a portion of an upper instrument surface of the stock instrument, an upper guide surface spaced longitudinally apart from the lower guide surface by a guide body, and at least one instrument guiding feature at a predetermined feature location with respect to the guide body; defining a predetermined instrument orientation upon the patient tissue, the predetermined instrument orientation being preselected responsive to preoperative imaging of the patient tissue; placing the lower guide surface into mating contact with at least a portion of the upper instrument surface in a predetermined relative guide/instrument orientation wherein at least one guide interacting feature of the instrument is placed into engagement with at least one instrument guiding feature of the guide; and moving the guide into a predetermined guide orientation with respect to the patient tissue and concurrently moving the instrument into a predetermined instrument orientation with respect to the patient tissue.