Breast implant with analyte sensors responsive to external power source

• US 10,034,743 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edward S., Della Rocca, Gregory J., Hawkins, Daniel, Hyde, Roderick A., Langer, Robert, Leuthardt, Eric C., Myckatyn, Terence, Parikh, Parag Jitendra, Rivet, Dennis J., Shimony, Joshua S., Smith, Michael A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweet, Thomas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bissing, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/809,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20150327989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6867 specially adapted to be attached or implanted in a specific body part A61B5/6847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0085 Identification means; Administration of patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0096 Markers and sensors for detecting a position or changes of a position of an implant, e.g. RF sensors, ultrasound markers

Abstract

Breast implants including sensor modules and related methods are described herein. Breast implants include those with: a shell configured to be substantially filled with a viscous material; and a plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell and positioned at a distance from each other, each of the plurality of sensor modules oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid adjacent to the shell, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier and is configured to utilize energy transmitted from an external source.

Claims

1. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material; and

a plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules attached to the shell and positioned at a distance from each other, wherein each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules includes a unique identifier specific to an individual chemiresistor sensor module of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules and is configured to utilize energy transmitted from an external source.

2. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules attached to the shell are attached in an even distribution.

3. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

at least two chemiresistor sensor units in each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules.

4. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

an energy harvesting unit.

5. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules are positioned within a plurality of cavities in the shell.

6. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are positioned within a plurality of apertures in the shell.

7. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules are configured to be replaceable.

8. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules comprises:

an alphanumeric code.

9. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules comprises:

a positional identifier.

10. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules is configured to utilize energy transmitted from an ex-vivo source.

11. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensors attached to the shell are oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid adjacent to the shell.

12. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensors attached to the shell are distributed in regions of unequal density around the shell.

13. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material;

a plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules attached to the shell and positioned at a distance from each other, wherein each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules includes a unique identifier specific to an individual chemiresistor sensor module of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules;

at least one antenna;

an energy harvesting unit attached to the at least one antenna; and

at least one connection between the energy harvesting unit and each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules.

14. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

at least two chemiresistor sensor units in each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules.

15. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules are positioned within a plurality of cavities in the shell.

16. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are positioned within a plurality of apertures in the shell.

17. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules are configured to be replaceable.

18. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules comprises:

an alphanumeric code.

19. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of chemiresistor sensor modules comprises:

a positional identifier.

20. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the energy harvesting unit attached to the at least one antenna comprises:

an optical energy harvesting unit.

21. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the energy harvesting unit attached to the at least one antenna comprises:

an inductive energy harvesting unit.

22. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensors attached to the shell are oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid adjacent to the shell.

23. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of chemiresistor sensors attached to the shell are distributed in regions of unequal density around the shell.