Published Technical Disclosure Archive

Modular Humeral Prosthesis for Enhanced Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention

Publication ID: 24-11857428_0007_PTD
Published: October 28, 2025
Category:New Applications & Use Cases

Legal Citation

pr1or.art Inc., “Modular Humeral Prosthesis for Enhanced Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention,” Published Technical Disclosure No. 24-11857428_0007_PTD, Published October 28, 2025, available at https://archive.pr1or.art/24-11857428_0007_PTD
This technical disclosure describes improvements that would be readily apparent to a Person Having Ordinary Skill In The Art (PHOSITA) when considered in combination with the foundational architecture disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 11,857,428.

Summary of the Inventive Concept

A novel application of the modular humeral prosthesis technology to track and analyze athletic performance, predict and prevent sports-related injuries, and provide real-time feedback for enhanced athletic performance and rehabilitation.

Background and Problem Solved

The original modular humeral prosthesis was designed for anatomical shoulder prostheses, respecting the orientation and center of rotation of actual joints. However, this technology has limitations in terms of its applicability to other fields. The new inventive concept addresses the problem of tracking and analyzing athletic performance, predicting and preventing sports-related injuries, and providing real-time feedback for enhanced athletic performance and rehabilitation.

Detailed Description of the Inventive Concept

The modular humeral prosthesis is adapted to track and record movement patterns of the shoulder joint, enabling the analysis of athletic performance and the prediction of potential injury risks. The prosthesis can be integrated with wearable devices, providing real-time feedback to athletes and enabling personalized coaching. The inventive concept also includes a system for rehabilitating athletes with shoulder injuries, generating personalized rehabilitation plans based on the movement patterns tracked by the prosthesis.

Novelty and Inventive Step

The new claims introduce a novel application of the modular humeral prosthesis technology to the field of athletic performance and injury prevention, which is non-obvious and distinct from the original patent's focus on anatomical shoulder prostheses.

Alternative Embodiments and Variations

Alternative embodiments may include integrating the modular humeral prosthesis with other wearable devices, such as smartwatches or fitness trackers, or developing specialized software for data analysis and feedback generation. Variations may include adapting the technology for use in other joints, such as the knee or elbow.

Potential Commercial Applications and Market

The inventive concept has significant commercial potential in the sports technology and healthcare industries, with potential applications in professional sports teams, athletic training facilities, and rehabilitation centers.

CPC Classifications

SectionClassGroup
A A61 A61F2/4014
A A61 A61F2/30767
A A61 A61F2/4059
A A61 A61F2/40
A A61 A61F2002/3054
A A61 A61F2002/3071
A A61 A61F2002/30355
A A61 A61F2002/30428
A A61 A61F2002/30433
A A61 A61F2002/30604
A A61 A61F2002/30617
A A61 A61F2002/30774
A A61 A61F2002/30828
A A61 A61F2002/30879
A A61 A61F2002/4022
A A61 A61F2002/4051
A A61 A61F2002/4074
A A61 A61F2250/0089
A A61 A61F2250/0097

Field of Art

Orthopedic medical devices, specifically shoulder prosthesis and biomechanical tracking systems, requiring advanced knowledge of biomechanical engineering, medical device design, and sports medicine technologies

Person of Ordinary Skill (PHOSITA) Profile

A biomedical engineer with expertise in orthopedic implant design, experience with modular prosthetic systems, understanding of sports biomechanics, and familiarity with sensor integration and data tracking technologies

Obviousness Rationale

A PHOSITA would recognize that extending the modular humeral prosthesis design to incorporate performance tracking and injury prevention is a natural technological progression, leveraging existing prosthetic structural elements with emerging sensor and data analysis technologies. The core mechanical design of the prosthesis remains fundamentally unchanged, while adding computational and tracking capabilities represents an incremental innovation within the medical device domain. The integration of movement tracking with prosthetic design is a predictable evolution given the increasing trend of quantitative biomechanical monitoring in medical and athletic contexts.

Obvious Combinations & Variations

Source Patent Element
Modular humeral prosthesis with precise angular measurement capabilities
PTD Variation
Adding digital movement tracking and data transmission features to the prosthesis
Obviousness Reasoning
Integrating sensor technologies into medical devices is a known technique, and the prosthesis's existing precise measurement capabilities naturally support digital tracking extensions
Source Patent Element
Anatomical stem with flared metaphyseal portion designed for precise joint positioning
PTD Variation
Using the prosthesis's precise positioning capabilities to enable athletic performance analysis
Obviousness Reasoning
The inherent biomechanical precision of the original design makes it well-suited for capturing nuanced movement data, representing a predictable application of existing technological capabilities
Source Patent Element
Method for measuring shoulder retroversion angle
PTD Variation
Expanding angle measurement technique to generate injury risk assessments and rehabilitation protocols
Obviousness Reasoning
Applying existing measurement methodologies to generate predictive and diagnostic insights is a logical extension of the original technological framework
Source Patent Element
Modular prosthesis with multiple rotational configuration options
PTD Variation
Developing software-driven personalization of prosthesis tracking and feedback mechanisms
Obviousness Reasoning
The inherent modularity of the original design naturally supports software-based customization and expanded functional capabilities
35 U.S.C. § 103 Summary: Based on US Patent 11857428's disclosure of a modular humeral prosthesis with precise angular measurement capabilities, the present publication demonstrates that extending such a prosthesis to include performance tracking and injury prevention technologies would be obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art. The variations represent predictable technological improvements that combine known medical device design principles with emerging biomechanical monitoring techniques, thus rendering potential derivative claims obvious and non-patentable.

Original Patent Information

Patent NumberUS 11,857,428
TitleModular humeral prosthesis for an inverted shoulder prosthesis
Assignee(s)DEPUY IRELAND UNLIMITED COMPANY