SYSTEM, METHOD, AND DEVICE FOR MONITORING ORTHOPAEDIC IMPLANT DATA OVER A CELLULAR NETWORK

• US 20080133009A1
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Caylor, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,685,091 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 623/16.11
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30 Joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/32 for the hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/38 for elbows or knees
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/40 for shoulders
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30953 using a remote computer network, e.g. Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4658 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4666 for measuring force, pressure or mechanical tension
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4672 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/42 Transmitting or receiving remote control signals via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/61 Password, biometric

Abstract

A system, method, and device for monitoring implant sensor data over a cellular network includes a portable computing device, a controller, and an orthopaedic prosthesis configured to communicate with the controller over the cellular network. The orthopaedic prosthesis includes one or more implant sensors configured to generate implant sensor data and a cellular transmitter or transceiver configured to transmit the implant sensor data to the controller over the cellular network. The controller or the orthopaedic prosthesis may initiate the cellular communication. The implant sensor data is transmitted to the portable computing device by the controller. The portable computing device is configured to display the implant sensor data, or indicia thereof, to a user. The portable computing device and controller may also be used to update one or more programs executed by the orthopaedic prosthesis.

Claims

1. A medical device comprising:

an orthopaedic prosthesis having secured thereto a circuit, the circuit comprising;

(i) a sensor configured to generate implant sensor data;

(ii) a cellular transmitter configured to transmit data over a cellular network; and

(iii) a processor electrically coupled to the sensor and the cellular transmitter, the processor being configured to receive the implant sensor data from the sensor and transmit the implant sensor data over the cellular network using the cellular transmitter.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein:

(i) the cellular transmitter forms a portion of a cellular transceiver configured to receive data over the cellular network, and

(ii) the processor is configured to transmit the implant sensor data in response to a signal received from a controller over the cellular network via the cellular transceiver.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein:

(i) the cellular transmitter forms a portion of a cellular transceiver configured to receive programming data over the cellular network, and

(ii) the processor is configured to update a program of the orthopaedic prosthesis using the programming data.

4. The medical device of claim 1, wherein:

(i) the circuit further comprises a memory device having stored therein a first implant serial number associated with the orthopaedic prosthesis;

(i) the cellular transmitter forms a portion of a cellular transceiver configured to receive data over the cellular network, and

(ii) the processor is configured to retrieve the first implant serial number from the memory device and compare the first implant serial number to a second implant serial number received over the cellular network via the cellular transceiver.

5. The medical device of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the implant sensor data if the first implant serial number is equal to the second implant serial number.

6. The medical device of claim 1, further comprising a memory device, wherein the processor is configured to:

(i) store the implant sensor data in the memory device,

(ii) retrieve the stored implant sensor data, and

(iii) transmit the retrieved implant sensor data over the cellular network via the cellular transmitter.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

(i) compare the implant sensor data to a predetermined threshold value,

(ii) initiate cellular communication with a controller over the cellular network using the cellular transmitter based on the compare step; and

(iii) transmit the implant sensor data to the controller over the cellular network using the cellular transmitter subsequent to the initiate step.

8. The medical device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to retrieve implant sensor data from a memory device and transmit the retrieved implant sensor data to the controller over the cellular network using the cellular transmitter subsequent to the initiate step.

9. The medical device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to retrieve an implant serial number from the memory device and transmit the implant serial number to the controller over the cellular network using the cellular transmitter subsequent to the initiate step.

10. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the orthopaedic prosthesis comprises a prosthesis selected from the group consisting of:

a knee orthopaedic prosthesis, a hip orthopaedic prosthesis, and a shoulder orthopaedic prosthesis.

11. A system for monitoring implant data over a cellular network, the system comprising:

a controller; and

an orthopaedic prosthesis having a cellular transceiver configured to communicate with the controller over the cellular network.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the orthopaedic prosthesis includes a sensor configured to generate implant sensor data and wherein the cellular transceiver is configured to transmit the implant sensor data to the controller over the cellular network.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a portable computing device configured to communicate with the controller over a network, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the implant sensor data to the portable computing device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the portable computing device is configured to display indicia of the implant sensor data to a user of the portable computing device.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a portable computing device configured to communicate with the controller over a network.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the portable computing device is configured to transmit an implant serial number and a passcode to the controller over the network.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a database communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to verify an association between the implant serial number and the passcode using data stored in the database.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a database communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to retrieve contact data associated with the orthopaedic prosthesis from the database based on the implant serial number.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to initiate cellular communication with the orthopaedic prosthesis using the contact data.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to transmit programming data to the orthopaedic prosthesis over the cellular network and the orthopaedic prosthesis is configured to update a program of a processor of the orthopaedic prosthesis using the programming data.

21. A method of monitoring implant sensor data over a cellular network, the method comprising receiving the implant sensor data from a cellular transmitter secured to an orthopaedic prosthesis implanted in a patient.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving an implant serial number and a passcode from a portable computing device; and

verifying an association between the implant serial number and the passcode.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein verifying an association between the implant serial number and the passcode comprises retrieving data from a database and comparing the data to the implant serial number and the passcode.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

(i) retrieving contact data associated with the orthopaedic prosthesis from a database based on the implant serial number; and

(ii) initiating cellular communication with the orthopaedic prosthesis using the contact data.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(i) retrieving implant sensor data from a memory device of the orthopaedic prosthesis; and

(ii) transmitting the retrieved implant sensor data over the cellular network.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(i) receiving a first implant serial number over a cellular network;

(ii) retrieving a second implant serial number from a memory device of the orthopaedic prosthesis;

(iii) comparing the first implant serial number and the second implant serial number; and

(iv) transmitting the implant sensor data over the cellular network based on the comparing step.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising transmitting the implant sensor data to a portable computing device and displaying indicia of the implant sensor data on the portable computing device.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(i) receiving the implant sensor data from an implant sensor of the orthopaedic prosthesis;

(ii) comparing the implant sensor data to a predetermined threshold; and

(iii) transmitting the implant sensor data over the cellular network using a cellular transmitter of the orthopaedic prosthesis based on the comparing step.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(i) transmitting programming data to the orthopaedic prosthesis over the cellular network; and

(ii) updating a program of the orthopaedic prosthesis using the programming data.