DEVICE FOR MONITORING A MEDICAL PROSTHESIS AND THE HUMAN BODY

• US 20130338455A1
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Published: 12/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lape Medical
• Original Assignee: Lape Medical, Reucirs
• Inventors: Gradel, Thomas, Weil, Grard, Piffault, Lionel, Gaucher, Fabien
• Granted Patent: US 9,629,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/309
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/56 Surgical instruments or methods for treatment of bones or joints; Devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/84 Fasteners therefor or fasteners being internal fixation devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/86 Pins or screws or threaded wires; nuts therefor A61B17/72 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00022 Sensing or detecting at the treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4851 Prosthesis assessment or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6878 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30721 Accessories
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/32 for the hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/4657 Measuring instruments used for implanting artificial joints for surgical instruments A61B90/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/488 Means for detecting or monitoring wear
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4658 for measuring dimensions, e.g. length
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4668 for measuring angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4672 : for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/4674 : for measuring the pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 : for data transfer

Abstract

A device for monitoring a medical prosthesis and the human body includes a sensor for generating signals depending on surrounding stresses, a processor for processing the signals emitted by the sensor in order to convert the signals into data, a storage device for storing the data, a device for wireless transmission of the stored data, and a supply of electrical energy. The device is included in at least one casing, which is made of biocompatible material and has a device for fixing to a bone.

Claims

1. A device (1) for monitoring a medical prosthesis and the human body, comprising:

sensor means (2), capable of generating signals according to surrounding stresses,

processing means (3), capable of processing the signals transmitted by the sensor means (2) to convert them into data,

storage means (4), capable of storing the data,

means (5) for wirelessly transmitting the stored data,

electrical energy power supply means (6),

in which said sensor (2), processing (3), storage (4), transmission (5) and power supply (6) means are included in at least one housing (7) made of biocompatible material,

wherein said at least one housing (7) is secured reversibly to fixing means (8, 14, 19) by locking means (16), said fixing means (8) being intended and designed to be fixed to a bone.

2. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) comprises a face (7a) intended to bear against the bone (13) by means of a shaping adapted to the external shape of the bone (13).

3. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, comprising a shim (12) comprising:

a first face (12a) intended to bear against the bone (13) by means of a shaping adapted to the external shape of the bone (13),

a second face (12b), substantially opposite the first face (12a), intended to bear against a face (7a) of said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) by means of a shaping adapted to the face (7a) of said at least one housing (7, 70, 700).

4. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fixing means (8) of said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) comprise:

a single screw (14) for securing said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) to the bone (13),

means for blocking the rotation (15) of said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) relative to the securing screw (14) or relative to the bone (13).

5. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the fixing means (8) comprise at least one securing screw (14) or, if appropriate, a single securing screw (14),

the securing screw (14) comprises a bottom part (14a) with thread (14b) with osteo-integration means,

the securing screw (14) comprises a top part (14c) designed to cooperate with the locking means (16) of said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) on the top part (14c) in order to retain said housing (7, 70, 700).

6. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) is a hollow tubular housing, extending in a longitudinal direction (I-I), capable of being locked in a substantially tubular sleeve (190) with outer wall (19) provided with an outer threading (20),

the tubular housing and/or substantially tubular sleeve (190) comprises an end (21) provided with means (22) for driving in rotation about the longitudinal direction (I-I).

7. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, comprising at least one first housing (70), containing the electrical energy power supply means (6), and which is linked to a second housing (700) by electrical conduction means.

8. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

it comprises at least one first housing (70) and one second housing (700),

at least one of the two housings (70, 700) comprises sensor means (2) designed to detect the relative position of the other housing (70, 700).

9. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

it comprises at least one first housing (70) and one second housing (700),

it comprises means for communication between the first and second housings (70, 700), enabling one and/or the other of the housings (70, 700) to receive data from the other housing (70, 700),

at least one of the housings (70, 700) comprises means (5) for wirelessly transmitting the stored data to transmit the data received from the other housing (70, 700).

10. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) are sensitive to electrical, chemical, mechanical or optical stresses.

11. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise a gyrometer.

12. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise an inclinometer, preferably of magnetometer type.

13. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise an accelerometer.

14. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise a pressure sensor.

15. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise a sensor for measuring the conductivity of the surrounding medium.

16. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise a temperature sensor.

17. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise a sensor for measuring the pH.

18. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor means (2) comprise an optical sensor designed to detect the color of the surrounding medium.

19. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical energy power supply means (6) comprise:

means for converting accelerations undergone by said at least one housing (7, 70, 700) to convert them into electrical energy,

means for storing the converted electrical energy.

20. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the device (1) comprises means (10) for disabling some sensor means (2) and/or processing means (3),

the disabling means (10) are configured to disable the operation of these sensor means (2) and/or processing means (3) during predetermined time bands.

21. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

it comprises means (10) for disabling some sensor means (2) and/or processing means (3),

the disabling means (10) are configured to allow the operation of the processing means (3) only after the non-disabled sensor means (2) have detected movements for a duration greater than a predetermined duration.

22. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the device (1) comprises means (10) for disabling some sensor means (2) and/or processing means (3),

the disabling means (10) are configured to allow the operation of the processing means (3) only after the non-disabled sensor means (2) have detected movements with an amplitude greater than a predetermined amplitude.

23. The device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the data storage means (4) contain predetermined reference data,

the device (1) comprises comparison means, designed to compare the data obtained from the processing of the signals transmitted by the sensor means (2) with the predetermined reference data,

in the event of nonconformity of the data obtained from the processing of the signals transmitted by the sensor means (2) with the predetermined reference data, an anomaly signal is generated and stored in the storage means (4).