How a Mixed Reality System Helps Plan Orthopedic Surgery
This patent describes a surgical planning system that uses a wearable mixed reality device to project a 3D virtual model of a patient's anatomy directly onto their real body, allowing surgeons to plan procedures without physical markers.
Original patent title: “Soft tissue modeling and planning system for orthopedic surgical procedures”
This patent describes a surgical planning system that uses a wearable mixed reality device to project a 3D virtual model of a patient's anatomy directly onto their real body, allowing surgeons to plan procedures without physical markers. Granted in 2026.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The system creates a detailed virtual surgical plan, including a 3D virtual model of the body part needing surgery, like a bone or joint. A surgeon wears a special visualization device, similar to smart glasses, which projects this 3D virtual model directly into their view of the real patient. This allows the surgeon to precisely align, or 'register', the virtual model with the actual body part. This alignment happens without needing any physical tracking markers on the patient or in the operating room, making the process quicker and potentially more accurate for orthopedic procedures.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover surgical planning systems that rely on physical tracking markers placed on the patient or instruments.
- Does not cover the actual surgical tools or robots used to perform the operation, only the planning and visualization.
- Does not cover procedures outside of orthopedic surgery or those not involving soft tissue modeling.
- Does not cover systems that do not use a wearable visualization device for projecting the virtual plan.
- Does not cover systems that cannot achieve registration between the virtual model and real anatomy.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
The truly clever part is achieving accurate 'registration' – aligning the virtual 3D model with the real patient's anatomy – without needing any physical markers. This simplifies the setup, reduces potential sources of error, and allows the surgeon to see the plan directly on the patient's body through the mixed reality device.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Microsoft HoloLens used in medical training and surgical visualization
Augmented reality platforms for orthopedic implant placement
Mixed reality systems for pre-operative planning in joint replacement surgery
Surgical navigation systems that overlay patient data onto the surgical field
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This technology aims to improve the precision and efficiency of orthopedic surgeries. By providing a direct, markerless overlay of a virtual surgical plan onto the patient, surgeons can visualize complex procedures more clearly before making any incisions. This could lead to better patient outcomes and potentially reduce operating room time by streamlining the planning and setup phases.
Filed
December 11, 2019
Granted
September 15, 2026
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Major medical device companies like Stryker, Zimmer Biomet, and Medtronic are actively exploring and integrating augmented and mixed reality into their surgical platforms. Tech giants such as Microsoft, with its HoloLens, also provide foundational hardware and software that enable such medical applications. Startups specializing in surgical visualization are also innovating in this space.
Market impact
This technology contributes to the growing field of digitally-assisted surgery, promising to enhance surgical precision and potentially reduce recovery times. Its markerless approach could simplify operating room workflows, making advanced navigation more accessible. It enables a new generation of surgical planning tools that integrate virtual information directly into the surgeon's real-world view, potentially setting new standards for pre-operative visualization and intraoperative guidance.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The system creates a detailed virtual surgical plan, including a 3D virtual model of the body part needing surgery, like a bone or joint. A surgeon wears a special visualization device, similar to smart glasses, which projects this 3D virtual model directly into their view of the real patient. This allows the surgeon to precisely align, or 'register', the virtual model with the actual body part. This alignment happens without needing any physical tracking markers on the patient or in the operating room, making the process quicker and potentially more accurate for orthopedic procedures.
The clever bit
The truly clever part is achieving accurate 'registration' – aligning the virtual 3D model with the real patient's anatomy – without needing any physical markers. This simplifies the setup, reduces potential sources of error, and allows the surgeon to see the plan directly on the patient's body through the mixed reality device.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover surgical planning systems that rely on physical tracking markers placed on the patient or instruments.
- Does not cover the actual surgical tools or robots used to perform the operation, only the planning and visualization.
- Does not cover procedures outside of orthopedic surgery or those not involving soft tissue modeling.
- Does not cover systems that do not use a wearable visualization device for projecting the virtual plan.
- Does not cover systems that cannot achieve registration between the virtual model and real anatomy.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
0/40
No citations yet
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
20/20
Granted within 5 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$26K – $84K
Midpoint $53K · 13.2 yr remaining · industry ×2.2
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Claim text not yet imported for this patent
Concepts involved
Cite this patent
(2026). How a Mixed Reality System Helps Plan Orthopedic Surgery (U.S. Patent No. 12,733,978). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12733978/soft-tissue-modeling-and-planning-system-for-orthopedic-surgical-procedures
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="US12733978"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
More to explore
More in Biotech & Medicine
US 4683195 · 1987 · Cetus Corp
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
US 8697359 · 2014 · Massachusetts Institute of Technology
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
US 4733665 · 1988 · Expandable Grafts Partnership
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
US 4965188 · 1990 · Cetus Corp
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How a Mixed Reality System Helps Plan Orthopedic Surgery cover?
This patent describes a surgical planning system that uses a wearable mixed reality device to project a 3D virtual model of a patient's anatomy directly onto their real body, allowing surgeons to plan procedures without physical markers.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on September 15, 2046, when the invention enters the public domain.
What problem does this patent solve?
This technology aims to improve the precision and efficiency of orthopedic surgeries. By providing a direct, markerless overlay of a virtual surgical plan onto the patient, surgeons can visualize complex procedures more clearly before making any incisions. This could lead to better patient outcomes and potentially reduce operating room time by streamlining the planning and setup phases.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover surgical planning systems that rely on physical tracking markers placed on the patient or instruments.
Patent monitoring