Systems, devices, and methods including implantable devices with anti-microbial properties

• US 9,474,831 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2011
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edward S., Diaz, Roy P., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Downey, John R
• Application Number:
  US12/931,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20110275912A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: 424/423, 600/365, 607 88- 94
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 17/145 Coating
• 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 2/232 layered or coated
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/24 Apparatus using programmed or automatic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2202/14 Means for controlling sterilisation processes, data processing, presentation and storage means, e.g. sensors, controllers, programs
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/10 containing or releasing inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/108 Elemental carbon, e.g. charcoal
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/404 Biocides, antimicrobial agents, antiseptic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2300/606 Coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/28 Materials for coating prostheses
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/306 Other specific inorganic materials not covered by A61L27/303 - A61L27/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 27/54 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L27/227 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/00 Materials for catheters, medical tubing, cannulae, or endoscopes or for coating catheters shape or structure of catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/08 Materials for coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 29/16 Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L29/048 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/024 Carbon; Graphite
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/026 Ceramic or ceramic-like structures, e.g. glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/08 : Materials for coatings
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/14 : Materials characterised by their function or physical properties , e.g. injectable or lubricating compositions, shape-memory materials, surface modified materials
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 31/16 : Biologically active materials, e.g. therapeutic substances A61L31/047 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0045 : multi-layered, e.g. coated coating materials A61L29/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 : Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 : Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 40/00 : Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 5/00 : Nanobiotechnology or nanomedicine, e.g. protein engineering or drug delivery

Abstract

Systems, devices, methods, and compositions are described for providing an actively controllable implant configured to, for example, monitor, treat, or prevent microbial growth or adherence to the implant.

Claims

1. An insertable device system, comprising:

a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways;

at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure including a nanofiber of a surface switchable between a zwitterionic state and a non-zwitterionic state and projecting from at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface of the body structure; and

circuitry operably coupled to the nanofiber and configured to activate the nanofiber based on at least one signal from a sensor configured to determine the presence of at least one microorganism on at least one of the independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure of the body structure.

2. The insertable device system of claim 1, further including a controller operably coupled to the at least one sensor, the controller configured to actuate at least one of the independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure in response to at least one of a scheduled program, external command, history of a previous presence of a microorganism, or history of a previous activation.

3. The insertable device system of claim 1, further including circuitry configured for determining the presence of at least one microorganism on the body structure subsequent to a first round of activation of the at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure.

4. The insertable device system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry configured for determining the presence of at least one microorganism includes at least one sensor including an identification code.

5. The insertable device system of claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to implement instructions addressed to the at least one identification code.

6. The insertable device system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry configured for determining the presence of at least one microorganism includes at least one sensor operably coupled to a microorganism biomarker array.

7. The insertable device system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry configured for determining the presence of at least one microorganism includes at least one of an electrochemical transducer, optical transducer, biochemical transducer, ultrasonic transducer, piezoelectric transducer, or thermal transducer.

8. The insertable device system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry configured for determining the presence of at least one microorganism includes at least one thermal detector, photovoltaic detector, or photomultiplier detector.

9. The insertable device system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry configured for determining the presence of at least one microorganism includes at least one of a density sensor, refractive index sensor, surface plasmon resonance sensor, biomass sensor, electrochemical sensor, fluid-flow sensor, or biochemical sensor.

10. The insertable device system of claim 3, wherein the circuitry configured for determining the presence of at least one microorganism includes a microbial component capture layer.

11. The insertable device system of claim 10, wherein the microbial component capture layer includes an array of different binding molecules that specifically bind one or more components on at least one microorganism.

12. The insertable device system of claim 1, further including circuitry configured for altering the type of response of the independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure based on the determination of the presence of at least one microorganism on the body structure subsequent to a first round of activation.

13. The insertable device system of claim 1, further including electrically activating means for concurrently or sequentially electrically activating two or more of the at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure determined to have at least one microorganism present thereon.

14. The insertable device system of claim 1, further including at least one computing device.

15. The insertable device system of claim 14, wherein the at least one computing device is remote to the insertable device.

16. The insertable device system of claim 14, further including one or more instructions that when executed on the at least one computing device cause the at least one computing device to generate at least one output to a user.

17. The insertable device system of claim 16, wherein the at least one output includes at least one of a treatment protocol, identification of a detected microorganism, status of the insertable device, or location of a detected microorganism.

18. The insertable device system of claim 16, wherein the user includes at least one entity.

19. The insertable device system of claim 18, wherein the at least one entity includes at least one person or computer.

20. The insertable device system of claim 16, wherein the at least one output includes output to a user readable display.

21. The insertable device system of claim 20, wherein the user readable display includes a human readable display.

22. The insertable device system of claim 20, wherein the user readable display includes one or more active displays.

23. The insertable device system of claim 20, wherein the user readable display includes one or more passive displays.

24. The insertable device system of claim 20, wherein the user readable display includes one or more of a numeric format, graphical format, or audio format.

25. An insertable device system, comprising:

a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways;

at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure including a nanofiber of a surface switchable between a zwitterionic state and a non-zwitterionic state and projecting from at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface of the body structure;

at least one sensor configured to detect one or more microorganisms present on the body structure; and

means for determining the presence of at least one microorganism on at least one of the independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure of the body structure.

26. An insertable device system, comprising:

a computer-recordable medium bearing;

a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways;

at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure including a nanofiber of a surface switchable between a zwitterionic state and a non-zwitterionic state and; and

one or more instructions for determining the presence of at least one microorganism on at least one of the at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure of the body structure.

27. The insertable device system of claim 26, wherein the at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure is configured to be actuated by the presence of at least one microorganism.

28. An insertable device system, comprising:

a computer-recordable medium bearing;

a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways;

at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure including a nanofiber of a surface switchable between a zwitterionic state and a non-zwitterionic state; and

one or more instructions for controlling the at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure of the body structure.

29. A method of reducing microbial growth of at least a portion of an insertable device, comprising:

activating via control circuitry at least one independently addressable and actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure including a nanofiber of a surface switchable between a zwitterionic state and a non-zwitterionic state and projecting from at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface of a body structure of an insertable device, the body structure defining one or more fluid-flow passageways, based on at least one of an automatically detected biomarker or a heuristically determined parameter associated with at least one microorganism.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein activating the at least one actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure includes activating a spatially patterned anti-microbial nanostructure.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein activating the at least one actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure includes activating a temporally patterned anti-microbial nanostructure.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein activating the at least one actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure includes activating a spatially patterned anti-microbial nanostructure based on a detected pH.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein activating the at least one actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure includes activating a spatially patterned anti-microbial nanostructure based on a detected microbial component of at least one microorganism.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein activating the at least one actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure is initiated at least one of prior to, during, or subsequent to insertion of the insertable device into a biological subject.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the method includes electrically activating a computing device to execute the method.

37. The method of claim 29, further including generating at least one output to a user.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein generating at least one output to the user includes electrically activating at least one of a treatment protocol, identification of a detected microorganism, status of the insertable device, or location of a detected microorganism.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein generating at least one output to the user includes generating at least one output to at least one entity.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the at least one entity includes at least one person or computer.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the at least one output includes at least one output to a user readable display.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the user readable display includes a human readable display.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the user readable display includes one or more active displays.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the user readable display includes one or more passive displays.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the user readable display includes one or more of a numeric format, graphical format, or audio format.

32. The method of dam 29, wherein activating the at least one actively controllable anti-microbial nanostructure includes activating a spatially patterned anti-microbial nanostructure based on at least one of detected fluorescence, detected impedance, detected optical reflectance, detected thermal transfer, detected change in conductance, or detected change in index of refraction.