Prior art

Prior Art Analysis for US Patent 12268428

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 12268428, I will examine the patent's cited references.

Cited Patent References:

1. US 9,622,805 B2

   • Full Citation: US 9,622,805 B2, titled “Bone positioning and preparing guide systems and methods.”
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: April 18, 2017. Filing date: December 28, 2015.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes bone positioning and cutting guide systems and methods, particularly for use in correcting anatomically misaligned bones, such as in the foot or hand. It covers devices and methods for positioning a bone from an anatomically misaligned position to an anatomically aligned position, and preparing the ends of bones, potentially in more than one plane.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US 9,622,805 B2 potentially anticipates elements of Independent Claim 1 (method of correcting bunion deformity) as it describes methods for positioning and preparing bones to correct anatomical misalignments. Specifically, it details moving a bone from a misaligned to an aligned position and preparing bone ends, which are core components of Claim 1. The concept of correcting alignment in multiple planes by applying force at a single location, leading to both translation and rotation, is also present.
     It also potentially anticipates aspects of Independent Claim 12 and Claim 15 in a broader sense, by disclosing general "systems and methods" for bone positioning. While it may not explicitly detail the specific fulcrum structures of Claims 12 and 15, the underlying principles of bone manipulation and correction using instruments are highly relevant.

2. US 10,342,590 B2

   • Full Citation: US 10,342,590 B2, titled "Tarsal-metatarsal joint procedure utilizing fulcrum."
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: July 9, 2019. Filing date: August 14, 2016.
   • Brief Description: This patent describes methods and devices for positioning and/or preparing bones, specifically focusing on tarsal-metatarsal joint procedures. It explicitly mentions methods for correcting bunion deformities, including inserting a fulcrum between metatarsals, preparing bone ends, and moving a distal portion of the first metatarsal to pivot the proximal portion about the fulcrum, reducing the intermetatarsal angle.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US 10,342,590 B2 is a direct antecedent to US 12268428 B2, being a parent application in the continuation chain. Therefore, it directly anticipates almost all aspects of Independent Claim 1 as it describes the identical method of correcting a bunion deformity using a fulcrum, including the steps of inserting the fulcrum, preparing bone ends, and moving the metatarsal to pivot around the fulcrum and reduce the intermetatarsal angle. It also explicitly discusses the use of a fulcrum in a bone realignment procedure, making it highly relevant to Independent Claims 12 and 15 by disclosing the fundamental concept and context for such a fulcrum.

3. US 2016/0192970 A1

   • Full Citation: US 2016/0192970 A1, titled “Bone Plating System and Method.”
   • Publication/Filing Date: Publication date: July 7, 2016. Filing date: January 7, 2016.
   • Brief Description: This publication describes a bone plating system and method for fracture fixation. It includes bone plates with both locking and non-locking holes, and corresponding screws, designed to compress the bone plate against the bone and hold fracture reduction. It specifically mentions that example bone plates described in this publication can be used as first bone plate 310 and/or second bone plate 320 in US12268428.
   • Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US 2016/0192970 A1 primarily focuses on bone plating systems for fixation. While US 12268428 B2 mentions the use of bone plates for permanent fixation after the bone realignment procedure (e.g., in the steps following the fulcrum use), the core inventive claims (Claims 1, 12, and 15) of US 12268428 B2 are directed to the method of correcting the bunion using a fulcrum and the fulcrum device itself. Therefore, US 2016/0192970 A1 does not directly anticipate the methods or the fulcrum device of Claims 1, 12, or 15. It may be relevant as prior art for the overall surgical technique in a broader sense, particularly for the final fixation step, but not for the specific fulcrum-utilizing steps or the fulcrum device itself described in the independent claims.

Note: The patent 12268428 B2 is a continuation of application Ser. No. 18/323,138, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 17/888,272 (now US Pat. No. 11,690,659), which is a continuation of Ser. No. 16/448,357 (now US Pat. No. 11,413,081), which is a divisional of Ser. No. 15/236,464 (now US Pat. No. 10,342,590), which claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 62/293,189 and is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 14/981,335 (now US Pat. No. 9,622,805), which claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 62/205,338. This complex lineage highlights that US 10,342,590 B2 and US 9,622,805 B2 are closely related and share significant overlap in subject matter with US 12268428 B2.