Intelligent medical implant and monitoring system

• US 10,248,525 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayer Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Original Assignee: Bayer Corporation (Bayer AG)
• Inventors: Mikkonen, Joonas, Jalkanen, Tero, Virtanen, Mikko, Tjader, Taina, El Sayed, Karym, Pakkalin, Arto
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Zhen Y
• Application Number:
  US15/729,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20180101460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 34053912
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00066 Proximal part of endoscope body, e.g. handles A61B1/0052 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00087 Tools A61B17/00234 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/397 electromagnetic other than visible, e.g. microwave
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3975 active
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• 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 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 6/20 Vas deferens occluders; Fallopian occluders
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0069 Devices for implanting pellets, e.g. markers or solid medicaments for introducing of radioactive sources for interstitial radiation therapy, i.e. brachytherapy A61N5/1027
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3013 where the computing system is an embedded system, i.e. a combination of hardware and software dedicated to perform a certain function in mobile devices, printers, automotive or aircraft systems testing or monitoring of control systems or parts thereof G05B23/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3058 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring environmental properties or parameters of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring of power, currents, temperature, humidity, position, vibrations thermal management in cooling arrangements of a computing system G06F1/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

An intelligent medical implant and monitoring system includes an implant with a communication device, an inserter for inserting the implant, a reader that operates to broadcast a signal specific to the particular communication device that causes the communication device to respond with a unique identifier, and an external database for storing and providing access to information keyed to the unique identifier of the communication device.

Claims

1. An intelligent medical implant and monitoring system comprising:

an implant with a communication device;

an inserter for inserting the implant;

a reader that operates to broadcast a signal specific to the communication device causing the communication device to respond with a unique identifier; and

an external database for storing and providing access to information keyed to the unique identifier from the communication device;

wherein the inserter comprises circuitry for communicating with the communication device and storing the unique identifier in the communication device during an insertion process.

2. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a semiconductor chip and an antenna for effecting communication with the reader.

3. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises a memory for storing the unique identifier.

4. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication device comprises a passive radio frequency identification tag configured to respond with the unique identifier when exposed to a radio frequency signal from the reader.

5. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is configured to utilize communication protocols in compliance with international data security regulations and guidelines.

6. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein one or more communication devices are located at one or more positions embedded within or mounted on the implant.

7. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is encapsulated with a covering or coating to protect the communication device from an environment when inserted in a body.

8. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the inserter comprises a handle coupled to an insertion tube and a mechanism for handling and placing the implant inside a body at a designated location.

9. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the inserter comprises a wireless interface for communicating with one or more display devices.

10. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the inserter comprises a camera and a light attached to an end of the insertion tube for providing visibility into a body for accurate implant placement.

11. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the reader is configured to broadcast a signal specific to a particular communication device, that when recognized by that particular communication device, causes the communication device to respond with a unique identifier specific to the particular communication device.

12. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the reader is configured to determine a location and orientation of the implant by measuring a signal strength from a plurality of communication devices incorporated with the implant.

13. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the reader comprises a module inserted into an external access port of a pre-existing device.

14. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the external database comprises a cloud based database system.

15. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the external database is configured to store and provide access to information keyed to the unique identifier assigned to the communication device.

16. An intelligent medical implant and monitoring system comprising:

an implant with a communication device;

an inserter for inserting the implant;

a reader that operates to broadcast a signal specific to the communication device causing the communication device to respond with a unique identifier; and

an external database for storing and providing access to information keyed to the unique identifier from the communication device;

wherein the inserter comprises a wireless interface for communicating with one or more display devices; and

wherein the inserter is configured to utilize the wireless interface to communicate with the reader for uploading the unique identifier to the external database.

17. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the communication device comprises a semiconductor chip and an antenna for effecting communication with the reader.

18. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises a memory for storing the unique identifier.

19. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the communication device comprises a passive radio frequency identification tag configured to respond with the unique identifier when exposed to a radio frequency signal from the reader.

20. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the communication device is configured to utilize communication protocols in compliance with international data security regulations and guidelines.

21. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein one or more communication devices are located at one or more positions embedded within or mounted on the implant.

22. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the communication device is encapsulated with a covering or coating to protect the communication device from an environment when inserted in a body.

23. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the inserter comprises a handle coupled to an insertion tube and a mechanism for handling and placing the implant inside a body at a designated location.

24. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the inserter comprises a wireless interface for communicating with one or more display devices.

25. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the inserter comprises a camera and a light attached to an end of the insertion tube for providing visibility into a body for accurate implant placement.

26. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the reader is configured to broadcast a signal specific to a particular communication device, that when recognized by that particular communication device, causes the communication device to respond with a unique identifier specific to the particular communication device.

27. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the reader is configured to determine a location and orientation of the implant by measuring a signal strength from a plurality of communication devices incorporated with the implant.

28. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the reader comprises a module inserted into an external access port of a pre-existing device.

29. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the external database comprises a cloud based database system.

30. The intelligent medical implant and monitoring system of claim 16, wherein the external database is configured to store and provide access to information keyed to the unique identifier assigned to the communication device.