Prosthetic component for monitoring synovial fluid and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9289163-B2
Application number	US-201414202730-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2014
Priority date	Jun 30, 2009
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

An orthopedic system to monitor a parameter related to the muscular-skeletal system is disclosed. The orthopedic system includes electronic circuitry, a sensor, and a remote system to monitor and measure. The sensor is configured to measure color or turbidity. The electronic circuitry is coupled to and interfaces with the sensor. The electronic circuit includes a transmitter to transmit measurement data from the sensor to the remote system. The orthopedic system is configured to monitor color or turbidity of a fluid in proximity to the muscular-skeletal system. The orthopedic system can transmit a signal when a predetermined color is detected or when the turbidity of the fluid exceeds a predetermined value. Alternatively, the remote system includes a processor and software configured to analyze the measurement data from the sensor and transmit a signal when a predetermined color is detected or when the turbidity of the fluid exceeds a predetermined value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An orthopedic system comprising:
a sensor configured to measure color or turbidity;
electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor where the electronic circuitry includes a transmitter and where the orthopedic system is configured to monitor color or turbidity in proximity to the muscular-skeletal system; and
a remote system configured to receive measurement data from the sensor.

2. The orthopedic system of claim 1 where the system is configured to monitor a fluid and where the electronic circuitry is configured to transmit a signal when the color or turbidity indicates a presence of an infection.

3. The orthopedic system of claim 1 where the remote system is configured to receive color or turbidity measurement data and where the remote system includes a processor configured to process the measurement data.

4. The orthopedic system of claim 3 where the remote system is configured to initiate a response when a predetermined color is detected or when the turbidity is a predetermined value.

5. The orthopedic system of claim 1 where the orthopedic system monitors a rate of change of color or turbidity.

6. The orthopedic system of claim 1 where the orthopedic system is configured to illuminate a region of interest.

7. The orthopedic system of claim 6 further including at least one light emitting diode configured to illuminate the region of interest and at least one photo-detector configured to monitor color or turbidity.

8. The orthopedic system of claim 1 further including a housing where the electronic circuitry is in the housing and where the housing is configured to couple to the muscular-skeletal system.

9. The orthopedic system of claim 8 where the housing is a prosthetic component.

10. The orthopedic system of claim 1 where a housing of the sensor is configured to couple to the muscular-skeletal system.

11. An orthopedic system comprising:
a sensor configured to measure color and turbidity;
electronic circuitry coupled to the sensor where the electronic circuitry includes a transmitter and where the orthopedic system is configured to measure color and turbidity in proximity to the muscular-skeletal system; and
a remote system configured to receive measurement data from the sensor.

12. The orthopedic system of claim 11 where the electronic circuitry is configured to transmit a signal indicating when a predetermined color is detected or when turbidity is a predetermined value.

13. The orthopedic system of claim 11 where the remote system is configured to receive color or turbidity measurement data, where the remote system includes a processor configured to process the color or turbidity measurement data, and where the remote system is configured to transmit a signal when a predetermined color is detected or when turbidity is a predetermined value.

14. The orthopedic system of claim 11 where the orthopedic system is configured to measure a rate of change of color or turbidity.

15. The orthopedic system of claim 11 where the orthopedic system is configured to illuminate a region of interest.

16. The orthopedic system of claim 15 further including at least one light emitting diode configured to illuminate the region of interest and at least one photo-detector configured to monitor color or turbidity of the region of interest.

17. The orthopedic system of claim 11 further including a housing where the electronic circuitry is in the housing and where the housing is configured to couple to the muscular-skeletal system.

18. The orthopedic system of claim 17 where the housing is a prosthetic component.

19. The orthopedic system of claim 11 where the sensor is in a housing and where the sensor is configured to couple to the muscular-skeletal system.

20. An orthopedic system comprising:
an optical sensor configured to monitor color and turbidity;
electronic circuitry coupled to the optical sensor where the electronic circuitry includes a transmitter and where the orthopedic system is configured to measure color and turbidity in proximity to the muscular-skeletal system;
a light emitting diode configured to illuminate a region of interest; and
a remote system configured to receive measurement data from the optical sensor.

Assignees

• Orthosensor Inc

Inventors

• Stein Marc
• Chase Andrew
• Keggi John
• Bonnheim Noah
• Burkhard Natalie
• Henson Philip

Classifications

• A61B5/14507 Primary

  specially adapted for measuring characteristics of body fluids other than blood (devices for taking samples of body liquids A61B10/0045) · CPC title

• A61B5/6846

  specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive · CPC title

• A61B5/4528 Primary

  Joints (A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/4509

  Bone density determination · CPC title

• A61B5/1455

  using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters · CPC title