Adjustable implant, system and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12564429-B2
Application number	US-202418668804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2024
Priority date	Feb 23, 2021
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure relate to an adjustable implant configured to be implanted into a patient that includes an adjustable portion moveable relative to a housing. The adjustable implant may include various smart components for enhancing operation of the implant. Smart components may include a controller for managing operations and a transducer for communicating ultrasound data with an external interface device. Additional smart components may include a load cell within the housing for measuring an imparted load; a sensor for measuring angular position of the adjustable portion; a dual sensor arrangement for measuring imparted forces; a reed switch; a half piezo transducer; and an energy harvester.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
providing an adjustable implant including:
a housing,
an adjustable portion movable relative to the housing,
an actuator positioned within the housing and configured to cause movement of the adjustable portion relative to the housing,
a sensor positioned adjacent to the actuator and configured to monitor an angular position of the actuator, and a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to receive angular position data from the sensor, wherein the hall effect sensor includes one of a unidirectional hall effect sensor, a rotary hall effect sensor and a rotary hall effect sensor having a 4-hall element arrangement; implanting the adjustable implant; and adjusting the adjustable implant by rotating the actuator causing the adjustable portion to move relative to the housing.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine a number of rotations of the actuator in response to processing the angular position data.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a distraction length or a compression length of the adjustable implant based on the number of rotations of the actuator.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
a transducer configured to send data including at least one of the number of rotations, distraction length and compression length to an external interface device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor includes a hall effect sensor that detects a magnetic field of an actuator magnet.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a reed switch configured to power on the controller in response to an external device being within a threshold distance of the adjustable implant and power off the controller in response to the external device being outside the threshold distance of the adjustable implant.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a load cell having a strain gauge for measuring a linear force imparted on the housing.

8 . A method comprising:
providing an adjustable implant, the adjustable implant including:
a housing,
an adjustable portion moveable relative to the housing,
an actuator positioned within the housing and configured to cause movement of the adjustable portion relative to the housing,
a sensor positioned adjacent to the actuator and configured to monitor an angular position of the actuator, and
a transducer positioned within the housing for sending data;
implanting the adjustable implant; adjusting the adjustable implant by rotating the actuator causing the adjustable portion to move relative to the housing; determining a number of rotations of the actuator based on monitoring of the angular position; calculating a distraction length or a compression length of the adjustable implant based upon the number of rotations of the actuator; sending data that includes at least one of the number of rotations, the distraction length or the compression length to an external interface device.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the adjustable implant further includes a controller positioned within the housing and communicatively coupled to the sensor.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the sensor includes a hall effect sensor.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving treatment instructions from the external interface device to adjust the adjustable portion.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the treatment instructions are based on a calculated distraction length or compression length.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising a controller, wherein the controller and sensor are activated and deactivated by a reed switch in response to a proximity of an external device.

Assignees

• Nuvasive Specialized Orthopedics Inc
• Nuvasive Inc

Inventors

• Smidth Niels
• Bae Youngsam
• Pham Khoa

Classifications

• A61B2017/00362

  Packages or dispensers for MIS instruments (A61B2017/0479 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G16H20/40

  relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture · CPC title

• A61B2017/681

  Alignment, compression, or distraction mechanisms · CPC title

• A61B2562/0261

  Strain gauges · CPC title

• A61B2562/0252

  Load cells · CPC title