Wirelessly powered sensors for orthopedic implants

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023233145-A1
Application number	US-202318101324-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2023
Priority date	Jan 26, 2022
Publication date	Jul 27, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A surgical sensor system for collecting internal patient data comprises a prosthetic implant comprising a housing, a sensor disposed within the housing and an internal power device connected to the sensor; and an external interrogation device comprising a wireless power signal generator for activating with the internal power device of the prosthetic implant. A method of remotely interacting with a sensor device implanted in anatomy with an orthopedic device comprises generating a wireless powering signal, activating the sensor device with the wireless power signal, collecting sensor data from the sensor device, and wirelessly communicating the sensor data from the sensor device using a low-power wireless signal. A method comprises generating wireless powering signals within an operating room using an interrogation device, activating electronics within a sensor-enabled orthopedic device with the signals, collecting data from the electronics, and wirelessly communicating data from the electronics to the interrogation device.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1 . A surgical sensor system for collecting internal patient data, the surgical sensor system comprising:
a prosthetic implant comprising:
a housing;
a sensor disposed within the housing; and
an internal power device connected to the sensor; and
an external interrogation device comprising:
a wireless power signal generator for activating the internal power device of the prosthetic implant.

2 . The surgical sensor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the prosthetic implant comprises a wireless communication device; and the external interrogation device comprises a wireless communication signal generator for exchanging data with the wireless communication device.

3 . The surgical sensor system of claim 2 , wherein the wireless communication device is configured to communicate using an IEEE 802.15.6-2012 protocol, a Medical Implant Communication Service (MICS) protocol, or a Medical Body Area Networks (MBANs) protocol.

4 . The surgical sensor system of claim 2 , wherein the external interrogation device further comprises a communications interface for the Internet.

5 . The surgical sensor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the internal power device comprises a radio frequency energy harvester; and the wireless power signal generator comprises a radio frequency signal generator.

6 . The surgical sensor system of claim 5 , wherein the internal power device comprises a capacitor to store energy generated by the radio frequency energy harvester.

7 . The surgical sensor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the internal power device comprises a battery; and the wireless power signal generator comprises a wireless charging signal generator.

8 . The surgical sensor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, an accelerometer and a gyroscope; and the prosthetic implant comprises a tibial bearing.

9 . The surgical sensor system of claim 1 , wherein:
the internal power device comprises a radio frequency energy harvester; the external interrogation device comprises a dongle configured to plug into a wireless router; and the wireless power signal generator is configured to generate a radio frequency signal.

10 . A medical implant sensor interrogation device comprising:
a communication interface configured to communicate with the Internet via a wired connection or wireless signal, a radio frequency signal generator configured to activate a radio frequency energy harvester; and a sensor communication device configured to generate a low-power, human anatomy compatible communication signal.

11 . The medical implant sensor interrogation device of claim 10 , wherein the sensor communication device is configured to generate an IEEE 802.15.6-2012 protocol compatible signal.

12 . A method of remotely interacting with a sensor device implanted in anatomy with an orthopedic device, the method comprising:
generating a wireless powering signal; activating the sensor device with the wireless powering signal; collecting sensor data from the sensor device; and wirelessly communicating the sensor data from the sensor device using a low-power wireless signal.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the low-power wireless signal comprises generating an IEEE 802.15.6-2012 compliant signal.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the low-power wireless signal comprises generating a signal compliant with a Medical Implant Communication Service (MICS) protocol or a Medical Body Area Networks (MBANs) protocol.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the wireless powering signal comprises generating an inductive charging signal.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein generating the wireless powering signal comprises generating a radio frequency signal.

17 . The method of claim 16 , the wireless powering signal is generated using a dongle connectable to an internet router.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein activating the sensor device with the wireless powering signal comprises generating power with an RF energy harvester.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising storing power in a capacitor electrically connected to the RF energy harvester.

20 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising activating the sensor device with ambient RF energy.

Assignees

• Orthosoft Ulc

Inventors

• Leveille Catherine
• Casaubon Jerome

Classifications

• H01Q1/2225

  used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal · CPC title

• G11C5/142

  Contactless power supplies, e.g. RF, induction, or IR · CPC title

• A61B2560/0204

  of power management · CPC title

• A61B5/68

  Arrangements of detecting, measuring or recording means, e.g. sensors, in relation to patient · CPC title

• A61B5/0002

  Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07) · CPC title