Apparatus and method for assessing loads on adjacent bones
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent bones, said apparatus comprising:
- a body for insertion between the adjacent bones;
at least one sensor associated with said body, said at least one sensor for generating an output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to said body through the adjacent bones; and
at least one telemetric device operatively coupled with said at least one sensor, said at least one telemetric device being operable to receive said output signal from said at least one sensor and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon said output signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus (10) that utilizes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to provide an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent bones (24 and 26) comprises a body (34) for insertion between the adjacent bones. At least one sensor (42) is associated with the body (34). The sensor (42) generates an output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to the body (34) through the adjacent bones (24 and 26). A telemetric device (40) is operatively coupled with the sensor (42). The telemetric device (40) is operable to receive the output signal from the sensor (42) and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon the output signal. According to various aspects of the invention, the sensor comprises a pressure sensor (42), a load cell (320), and/or at least one strain gauge (142).
246 Citations
77 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent bones, said apparatus comprising:
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a body for insertion between the adjacent bones;
at least one sensor associated with said body, said at least one sensor for generating an output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to said body through the adjacent bones; and
at least one telemetric device operatively coupled with said at least one sensor, said at least one telemetric device being operable to receive said output signal from said at least one sensor and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon said output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent bones to be fused together, said apparatus comprising:
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a graft for insertion between the adjacent bones;
at least one sensor associated with said graft, said at least one sensor for generating an output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to said graft through the adjacent bones; and
at least one telemetric device operatively coupled with said at least one sensor, said at least one telemetric device being operable to receive said output signal from said at least one sensor and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon said output signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 27)
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21. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent vertebrae to be fused together, the adjacent vertebrae being separated by an intervertebral space created by the removal of an intervertebral disc, said apparatus comprising:
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a bone graft for insertion into the intervertebral space;
at least one sensor associated with said bone graft, said at least one sensor for generating an output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to said bone graft through the adjacent pair of vertebrae; and
at least one telemetric device operatively coupled with said at least one sensor, said at least one telemetric device being operable to receive said output signal from said at least one sensor and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon said output signal. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29)
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30. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent bones to be fused together, said apparatus comprising:
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a bone graft for insertion between the adjacent bones;
a pressure sensor associated with said bone graft, said pressure sensor for generating a first output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to said bone graft through the adjacent bones; and
a load cell associated with said bone graft, said load cell for generating a second output signal in response to and indicative of the load being applied to said bone graft through the adjacent bones. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent bones to be fused together, said apparatus comprising:
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a graft for insertion between the adjacent bones;
at least one sensor associated with said graft, said at least one sensor for generating a first output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to said graft;
an implant connected with the adjacent bones for helping to stabilize the adjacent bones while the adjacent bones are fusing together; and
at least one strain gauge mounted on said implant, said at least one strain gauge for generating a second output signal in response to and indicative of the load being applied to said implant. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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47. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on adjacent bones to be fused together, said apparatus comprising:
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a body for insertion between the adjacent bones;
sensor means for sensing a load being applied to said body through the adjacent bones and for generating a corresponding output signal in response to and indicative of a sensed load; and
first circuit means operatively coupled with said sensor means for receiving said output signal from said sensor means, said first circuit means including antenna means for receiving energy to power said first circuit means and said sensor means and for transmitting an EMF signal dependent upon said output signal.
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52. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on and motion of one or more bones, said apparatus comprising:
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a member for placement adjacent a bone;
at least one sensor associated with said member, said at least one sensor for generating an output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to said member through the bone; and
at least one telemetric device operatively coupled with said at least one sensor, said at least one telemetric device being operable to receive said output signal from said at least one sensor and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon said output signal. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60)
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58. An apparatus for providing an in vivo assessment of loads on and motion of one or more bones, said apparatus comprising:
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at least one sensor attached to a bone, said at least one sensor for generating an output signal in response to and indicative of a load on the bone; and
at least one telemetric device operatively coupled with said at least one sensor, said at least one telemetric device being operable to receive said output signal from said at least one sensor and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon said output signal.
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61. A method for in vivo assessing the loads on adjacent vertebrae to be fused together, said method comprising the steps of:
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harvesting a bone graft;
removing an intervertebral disc between the adjacent vertebrae;
instrumenting the bone graft with at least one sensor for sensing a load on the bone graft and for generating an output signal indicative of a sensed load;
operatively coupling at least one telemetric device with the at least one sensor to receive the output signal and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon the output signal;
implanting the bone graft between the adjacent vertebrae; and
monitoring the EMF signal from the least one telemetric device. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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73. A method for in vivo assessing the loads on adjacent bones to be fused together, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a body for insertion between the adjacent bones;
instrumenting the body with at least one sensor for sensing a load on the body and for generating an output signal indicative of a sensed load;
operatively coupling at least one telemetric device with the at least one sensor to receive the output signal and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon the output signal;
implanting the body between the adjacent bones; and
monitoring the EMF signal from the least one telemetric device. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76)
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77. A method for in vivo assessing of loads on and motion of one or more bones, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing a member for placement adjacent a bone;
instrumenting the member with at least one sensor for generating an output signal in response to and indicative of a load being applied to the member through the bone;
operatively coupling at least one telemetric device with the at least one sensor to receive the output signal from the at least one sensor and to transmit an EMF signal dependent upon the output signal;
inserting the member adjacent the bone; and
monitoring the EMF signal from the least one telemetric device.
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Specification