System and method for providing a searchable database of surgical information

Abstract

Systems and methods of creating, managing, and using a database, comprising surgical data may involve receiving input signals from a plurality of surgical data sources, the input signals being representative of surgical data associated with a plurality of patients, storing the surgical data in the database, and sending one or more output signals to one or more authorized users in response to one or more queries, the output signals being representative of one or more portions of the surgical data. Among other uses, the systems and methods may be used to improve the performance of surgical procedures, rate surgeons, train surgeons, and establish insurance rates for surgeons and patients.

1 - 33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . An article of manufacture comprising a computer program embodied in a computer readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for:
 receiving surgical data via a computer, said surgical data associated with an orthopedic surgical procedure performed on each of a plurality of patients by a plurality of surgeons;
 said surgical data comprising, for each of said plurality of patients, information regarding said surgical procedure and information regarding results of said surgical procedure; 
 said information regarding said surgical procedure comprising, for each of said plurality of patients, information regarding one or more patient characteristics and information regarding an implant used in said surgical procedure; 
 said information regarding results of said surgical procedure comprising information regarding at least one of range of motion, pain level, pain medication used, movement of implant, loosening of implant, degradation of implant, instances of repeated or additional operations, and elapsed time between operations; 
   storing said surgical data in a computer-searchable database;   receiving a query from an authorized user via a computer,
 said query comprising one or more criteria associated with at least one of patient characteristics, implant information, and surgical results, 
 said authorized user having no relationship with at least some of said plurality of patients; and 
   sending a search result to said authorized user via a computer in response to said query,
 said search result comprising a portion of said surgical data that meets said one or more criteria or a statistic of said portion, 
 said search result being configured to protect the privacy of said at least some of said plurality of patients with respect to said authorized user. 
   
     
     
         35 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said information regarding said surgical procedure comprises information regarding a location or orientation of said implant with respect to an anatomy of each of said plurality of patients. 
     
     
         36 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said information regarding said surgical procedure comprises information regarding a resection. 
     
     
         37 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said information regarding said surgical procedure comprises information regarding a size of said implant. 
     
     
         38 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said information regarding said surgical procedure comprises information regarding a material of said implant. 
     
     
         39 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said information regarding said surgical procedure comprises information regarding pressure on a surface of said implant. 
     
     
         40 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said information regarding said surgical procedure comprises information regarding a pressure distribution on a surface of said implant. 
     
     
         41 . The article of  claim 40  wherein said instructions further comprise:
 computing an optimum pressure distribution on said surface of said implant based on said surgical data. 
 
     
     
         42 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said receiving surgical data comprises receiving surgical data from each of a plurality of authorized users, and wherein said instructions further comprise:
 associating said surgical data in said database with respective ones of said plurality of authorized users. 
 
     
     
         43 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said receiving surgical data comprises receiving surgical data generated by one or more sensors or transducers. 
     
     
         44 . The article of  claim 43  wherein said one or more sensors or transducers comprises a piezoelectric sensor. 
     
     
         45 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said query comprises a predefined query that is executed periodically. 
     
     
         46 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said search result is comparative of two or more searches. 
     
     
         47 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said one or more patient characteristics are selected from patient's name, genus, species, identification number, birth date, age, height, weight, gender, heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, blood oxygen level, medical condition, medical history, diagnosis, genetic history, and pre-surgery range of motion. 
     
     
         48 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said search result comprises at least one of said one or more patient characteristics and at least one of said results of said surgical procedure. 
     
     
         49 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said search result comprises at least one of said information regarding said implant and at least one of said results of said surgical procedure. 
     
     
         50 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said search result comprises at least one of said results of said surgical procedure associated with a selected one of said plurality of surgeons. 
     
     
         51 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said search result comprises a statistic of at least one of said results of said surgical procedure associated with a selected one of said plurality of surgeons. 
     
     
         52 . The article of  claim 34  wherein said search result comprises a statistic of at least one of said results of said surgical procedure associated with said plurality of surgeons.