Exactech Secures Groundbreaking Patent, Paving the Way for the Next Generation of Personalized Surgical Planning

GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Exactech, a global medical technology leader, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued U.S. patent 12,239,384, further expanding its intellectual property portfolio around the Newton^® soft tissue balancing technology. This newly granted patent originates from a series of dedicated patent applications that enable the software-driven evolution of the Newton technology, marking a significant advancement toward autonomous, personalized surgical planning.

The new patent builds upon previously awarded patents by leveraging a multitude of technologies to develop, execute and assess a patient-specific surgical protocol. While the patent uses a knee-centric workflow, the intellectual property applies to all joints, making the technology adaptable across various partial or total joint replacement procedures.

"This patent represents a major milestone in our mission to revolutionize surgical planning through data-driven technologies," said Laurent Angibaud, Senior Vice President of Advanced Surgical Technologies Development at Exactech. "Newton empowers surgeons by seamlessly integrating anatomical landmarks, dynamic joint alignment and laxity acquisitions, and real-time adjustments. This advanced technology is poised to make a significant impact by expanding its abilities to deliver personalized, patient-specific planning across all joints."

This achievement strengthens Exactech's impressive portfolio of nearly 50 patents dedicated to advancing soft tissue management. Powered by Active Intelligence^®, the Newton Knee technique integrates with the GPS system to deliver dynamic soft tissue analytics, pre-resection insights and full-range personalized planning for balanced total joint replacement surgery.

"Incorporating soft-tissue data as an intrinsic input greatly streamlines the set-up of surgical planning, potentially decreasing cognitive burden¹," said James Huddleston, MD, of Stanford University. "Pending patent applications further leverage the joint laxities by disclosing machine learning-based methods for classifying patients predicated on dynamic acquisitions. This classification enables the potential for issuing personalized planning recommendations tailored to each patient."

For more information on the company's AI-driven solutions, visit www.ExactechAI.com. 

Reference:

1. L. Angibaud et al. Full motion arc, laxity-based planning for total knee arthroplasty: The next milestone for enabling technology. Knee Society Members' Meeting. London 2024.

About Exactech 
Exactech is a global medical technology leader that empowers orthopaedic surgeons with innovative implants, surgical instruments and the Active Intelligence^® (AI) ecosystem of smart technologies to give patients EXACTLY what they need to regain mobility. Visit www.exac.com for more information and connect with us on LinkedIn, Vumedi, YouTube, Instagram and X.

SOURCE Exactech, Inc