Systems, devices, and methods including infection-fighting and monitoring shunts

• US 9,149,648 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Dacey, Ralph G. Jr., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Rivet, Dennis J., Smith, Michael A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEAK, LESLIE R
• Application Number:
  US13/715,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: 604/6.08, 604/8, 604/9, 604/20
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/20 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/0011 using physical methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/08 Radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/14 Plasma, i.e. ionised gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 : Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/403 : for thermotherapy, e.g. hyperthermia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0651 : Diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0652 : Arrays of diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0661 : ultraviolet
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/02 : using microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 : Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0624 : for eliminating microbes, germs, bacteria on or in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/10 : X-ray therapy; Gamma-ray therapy; Particle-irradiation therapy A61N5/01 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

Systems, devices, methods, and compositions are described for providing an actively controllable shunt configured to, for example, monitor, treat, or prevent an infection.

Claims

1. An implantable fluid management device, comprising:

a body structure defining one or more fluid-flow passageways configured to receive a biological fluid of a biological subject;

one or more sensors configured to detect at least one characteristic associated with the biological fluid;

a first actively controllable excitation component configured to deliver a first sterilizing energy stimulus to a biological fluid received within at least one of the one or more fluid-flow passageways;

a second actively controllable excitation component configured to deliver a second sterilizing energy stimulus to a tissue proximate an outer surface of the implantable fluid management device; and

a control means operable to actuate concurrent-delivery of the first sterilizing energy stimulus to a biological fluid received within at least one of the one or more fluid-flow passageways, and the second sterilizing energy stimulus to a tissue proximate an outer surface of the implantable fluid management device, responsive to a detected change in a parameter associated with a biological fluid received within the one or more fluid-flow passageways.

2. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein the first energy stimulus comprises an electromagnetic energy stimulus, an electrical energy stimulus, an ultrasonic energy stimulus, or a thermal energy stimulus, and the second energy stimulus comprises a different one of an electromagnetic energy stimulus, an electrical energy stimulus, an ultrasonic energy stimulus, or a thermal energy stimulus.

3. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes an inner surface that is internally reflective to electromagnetic radiation.

4. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes a surface that is internally reflective to ultraviolet radiation.

5. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes a surface that is internally reflective to infrared radiation.

6. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes a surface having a reflective coating.

7. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes an ultraviolet energy reflective material.

8. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more optical density sensors.

9. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more refractive index sensors.

10. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more refractive index sensors having one or more fiber optic refractive index sensors.

11. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include one or more surface plasmon resonance sensors.

12. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

one or more surface regions that are controllably actuatable between at least a first wettability state and a second wettability state.

13. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

one or more surface regions that are energetically actuatable between at least a first wettability state and a second wettability state.

14. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

one or more surface regions that are electro-chemically actuatable between at least a first wettability state and a second wettability state in the presence of an ultraviolent energy.

15. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

one or more surface regions that are photo-chemically actuatable between at least a first wettability state and a second wettability state in the presence of an ultraviolent energy.

16. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

one or more surface regions that are electrically actuatable between at least a first wettability state and a second wettability state in the presence of an ultraviolent energy.

17. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

one or more surface regions that are controllably switchable between a zwitterionic state and a non-zwitterionic state.

18. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

at least one of an antimicrobial coating and a non-fouling coating.

19. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, the body structure further comprising:

a surface region that is energetically actuatable between an antimicrobial state and a non-fouling state.

20. The implantable fluid management device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body structure includes at least one of poly(carboxybetaine methacrylate) (pCBMA), poly(carboxybetaine acrylic amide) (pCBAA), poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (pOEGMA), poly(N,N-dimethyl-N-(ethoxycarbonylmethyl)-N-[2′

-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]-ammonium bromide), cationic pC8NMA, switchable pCBMA-1 C2, and pCBMA-2.