Systems, devices, and methods including catheters having components that are actively controllable between transmissive and reflective states

• US 20110152752A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rivet, Dennis J., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C., Dacey, Ralph G. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/21
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0095 by applying light and detecting acoustic waves, i.e. photoacoustic measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/482 Electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/002 Implant devices for drainage of body fluids from one part of the body to another intraocular A61F9/00781; middle ear A61F11/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/205 for promoting a biological process
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3785 generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Systems, devices, methods, and compositions are described for providing an actively-controllable disinfecting implantable device configured to, for example, treat or prevent an infection in a biological subject.

Claims

1. An at least partially implantable catheter device, comprising:

a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways, the body structure having a plurality of actuatable regions that are independently actuatable between at least a first transmissive state and a second transmissive state;

one or more sensors configured to detect at least one characteristic associated with a biological sample proximate at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface of the body structure; and

one or more energy emitters configured to emit an energy stimulus based at least in part on at least one detected characteristic associated with the biological sample.

2. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuatable regions are energetically actuatable between the at least first transmissive state and the second transmissive state.

3. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuatable regions are configured to actuate electrochemically between the at least first transmissive state and the second transmissive state.

4. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuatable regions are UV-actuatable between the at least first transmissive state and the second transmissive state.

5. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuatable regions are photochemically actuatable between the at least first transmissive state and the second transmissive state.

7. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of actuatable regions are acoustically actuatable between the at least first transmissive state and the second transmissive state.

12. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more actively controllable reflective or transmissive components configured to outwardly transmit or internally reflect an energy stimulus propagated therethrough.

13. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, further comprising:

a computing device operably coupled to one or more of the plurality of actuatable regions, the computing device configured to cause a change between the at least first transmissive state and the second transmissive based on detected information from the one or more sensors.

14. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, further comprising:

a computing device operably coupled to one or more of the plurality of actuatable regions, the computing device configured to cause a change between a transmissive state and a reflective state based on detected information from the one or more sensors.

15. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one computing device operably coupled to one or more of the plurality of actuatable regions and configured to actuate one or more of the plurality of actuatable regions between the at least first transmissive state and the second transmissive state based on a comparison of a detected characteristic associated with the biological sample proximate at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface of the body structure.

20. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more Bayer sensors.

21. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more Foveon sensors.

23. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more density sensors.

29. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a light transmissive support and a reflective metal layer.

35. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more functionalized cantilevers.

36. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include a biological molecule capture layer.

37. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 36, wherein the biological molecule capture layer includes an array of different binding molecules that specifically bind one or more target molecules.

39. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more sensors is configured to detect at least one of an emitted energy or a remitted energy, and to generate a response based on the detected at least one of the emitted energy or the remitted energy.

41. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more optical materials on at least a portion of a body structure to internally reflect at least a portion of an emitted energy stimulus from the one or more energy emitters into an interior of at least one of the one or more fluid-flow passageways.

42. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes an optical material that internally directs at least a portion of an emitted energy stimulus along a substantially longitudinal direction of at least one of the one or more fluid-flow passageways.

43. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes an optical material that internally directs at least a portion of an emitted energy stimulus along a substantially lateral direction of at least one of the one or more fluid-flow passageways.

45. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes a reflective surface capable of reflecting at least about 50 percent of an energy stimulus emitted by the one or more energy emitters that impinges on the reflective surface.

46. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes a reflective surface that is reflective at a first wavelength and transmissive at a second wavelength different from the first wavelength.

47. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes one or more internally reflective components configured to manage a delivery of light, and to manage a collection of at least one of a reflected light, a scattered light, and emitted light from a biological sample proximate at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface of the body structure.

48. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes at least one of an outer surface or an inner surface that is reflective to at least one of electromagnetic energy, acoustic energy, or thermal energy.

52. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes a surface having a reflective coating.

55. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes a reflective material.

57. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein one or more of plurality of actuatable regions are independently actuatable between at least a first transmissive state and a second transmissive state via at least one acoustically active material.

58. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein one or more of plurality of actuatable regions are independently actuatable between at least a first transmissive state and a second transmissive state via at least one electro-mechanical switch.

59. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein one or more of plurality of actuatable regions are independently actuatable between at least a first transmissive state and a second transmissive state via at least one electro-optic switch.

60. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein one or more of plurality of actuatable regions are independently actuatable between at least a first transmissive state and a second transmissive state via at least one acousto-optic switch.

61. The at least partially implantable catheter device of claim 1, wherein one or more of plurality of actuatable regions are independently actuatable between at least a first transmissive state and a second transmissive state via at least one optical switch.

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