Archus Orthopedics: Accelerating Spinal Implant Development with IoT
Technology Category
- Sensors - Infrared Sensors
- Wearables - Implants
Applicable Industries
- Life Sciences
Applicable Functions
- Product Research & Development
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Digital Twin
- Virtual Reality
Services
- Testing & Certification
About The Customer
Archus Orthopedics is a privately held biomedical company based in the U.S.A. Founded in July 2001, the company is dedicated to developing a family of reconstructive implants to treat a variety of spine disorders resulting from degenerative changes in the facet joints. One of their key products is the Total Facet Arthroplasty System™ (TFAS®), a novel, patented spinal implant designed to treat spinal stenosis. This condition, characterized by degenerative changes in the facet joints leading to compression of spinal nerves, produces neurological symptoms in the legs. The TFAS® replaces the degenerative facet joints with a prosthetic joint implant intended to restore stability and normal motion to the spine, eliminating the need for fusion.
The Challenge
Archus Orthopedics, a biomedical company, was faced with the challenge of predicting the nonlinear motion of the spine when fitted with an implant. This is a crucial aspect in the development of their Total Facet Arthroplasty System™ (TFAS®), a patented spinal implant designed to treat spinal stenosis. The traditional method of determining this motion was through cadaveric testing, a process that was not only time-consuming but also ineffective for performing design iterations on new motion-restoring spinal implant designs. The company needed a more efficient and accurate method to simulate the quality of motion of the natural spine and predict the nonlinear motion of the spine with an implant.
The Solution
Archus Orthopedics turned to ANSYS Mechanical to address this challenge. ANSYS Mechanical was used to simulate the quality of motion of the natural spine and accurately predict the nonlinear motion of the spine outfitted with an implant. This was achieved by using an anisotropic hyperelastic material model for the intervertebral disc tissues. To further improve the simulation efficiency of the full spine model, ANSYS AI*Environment was used to create an all hexahedral mesh of the spine. This innovative approach allowed Archus Orthopedics to accelerate the development of new spinal implants by providing a more accurate simulation of the naturally nonlinear quality of motion of the spine.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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