Coded-sequence activation of surgical implants

• US 20080208010A1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Weaver, Thomas A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Boyden, Edward S., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Leuthardt, Eric C., Wood, Lowell L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile

Abstract

Implants responsive to spatiotemporal signal sequences, and methods of operating implants by transmitting spatiotemporal signal sequences.

Claims

1. A device for implantation in a body, comprising:

a receiver responsive to a trigger signal;

authentication circuitry coupled to the receiver and operative to distinguish an authentic trigger signal from a non-authentic trigger signal, the authentication circuitry being responsive to an authentic trigger signal to generate an actuation signal; and

an actuatable member coupled to receive the actuation signal, the actuatable member being responsive to the actuation signal to change configuration.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a physiological sensor configured to sense a physiological parameter in the body, wherein the authentication circuitry uses the sensed physiological parameter to determine whether to generate an actuation signal.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the authentication circuitry is configured to generate an actuation signal after receiving the trigger signal only if the sensed physiological parameter is indicative of an abnormal condition of the body.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the abnormal condition of the body is selected from the group consisting of loss of consciousness, altered consciousness, abnormal heart rhythm, abnormal breathing rhythm, abnormal blood pressure, abnormal blood chemistry, change in tissue perfusion, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, electrolyte disturbance, and hormone imbalance.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the authentication circuitry is configured to determine that the physiological parameter is indicative of an abnormal condition if the physiological parameter falls outside of a selected normal range.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the authentication circuitry is configured to accept a change in the selected normal range.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the receiver is configured to accept any one of a plurality of trigger signals, each trigger signal being associated with a respective permissions level, and wherein the authentication circuitry is configured to generate an actuation signal under different conditions for different permissions levels.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a bone implant, a spinal implant, a tooth implant, a tissue expander, an intralumenal device, a stent, a shunt, a gastrointestinal camera, a drug reservoir, a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a cochlear implant, a brain stimulator, an artificial joint, a gastric band, an artificial sphincter, an orthodontic appliance, a cosmetic implant, a lip augment, a breast augment, a pectoral augment, and a deltoid augment.

9. A device for implantation in a body, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first signal;

a transmitter configured to send a second signal; and

an actuatable member having a therapeutic function in the body, wherein the actuable member is configured to be actuated after both receipt of the first signal and sending of the second signal.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the transmitter is configured to send the second signal in response to receipt of the first signal by the receiver.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein actuation of the actuable member after both receipt of the first signal and sending of the second signal comprises actuation in response to a third signal determined by both the first signal and the second signal.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the transmitter configured to send the second signal is a passive transmitter.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the passive transmitter is an RFID.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the second signal includes identifying information for the device.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a bone implant, a spinal implant, a tooth implant, a tissue expander, an intralumenal device, a stent, a shunt, a gastrointestinal camera, a drug reservoir, a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a cochlear implant, a brain stimulator, an artificial joint, a gastric band, an artificial sphincter, an orthodontic appliance, a cosmetic implant, a lip augment, a breast augment, a pectoral augment, and a deltoid augment.

16. A method of accessing an implant in a body, comprising:

identifying a spatiotemporal signal sequence corresponding to an access code for the implant; and

providing the identified spatiotemporal signal sequence to the implant without physically contacting the implant.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein identifying a spatiotemporal signal sequence corresponding to an access code comprises identifying a spatiotemporal signal sequence corresponding to a command to the implant.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the command is selected from the group consisting of data retrieval commands, actuation commands, and reconfiguration commands.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the command is a data retrieval command that directs the implant to return a parameter selected from the group consisting of implant position, implant shape, implant identity, measurements of a physiological parameter, and measurements of an environmental parameter.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data retrieval command directs the implant to return a measurement of a physiological parameter selected from the group consisting of blood pressure, heart rhythm, breathing rhythm, neurological activity, blood flow, blood oxygenation, end tidal CO₂, pressure, viscosity, joint angle, vertebral angle, spinal angle, mechanical stress, shear, torque, distance between selected reference points, mechanical strain, modulus, and compressibility.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the data retrieval command directs the implant to return a measurement of an environmental parameter selected from the group consisting of temperature, pressure, chemical activity of a substance, chemical concentration of a substance, and acceleration.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the command is an actuation command that directs the implant to shift from a first mechanical configuration to a second mechanical configuration.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the implant engages a bony structure, and wherein the second mechanical configuration provides a different level of stress shielding to the bony structure from the first mechanical configuration.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the command is a reconfiguration command that modifies behavior of a logic circuit in the implant.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the implant is selected from the group consisting of a bone implant, a spinal implant, a tooth implant, a tissue expander, an intralumenal device, a stent, a shunt, a gastrointestinal camera, a drug reservoir, a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a cochlear implant, a brain stimulator, an artificial joint, a gastric band, an artificial sphincter, an orthodontic appliance, a cosmetic implant, a lip augment, a breast augment, a pectoral augment, and a deltoid augment.

26. A method of accessing an implant in a patient, comprising:

receiving identifying information for the patient or for the implant;

retrieving implant-specific data corresponding to the identifying information;

generating a coded signal responsive to the retrieved implant-specific data; and

transmitting the coded signal to the implant.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein receiving identifying information includes interrogating the implant in the patient.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein receiving identifying information includes accessing a compilation of identifying information.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the implant-specific data includes an access code for the implant.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the implant-specific data includes a location for the implant in the patient.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein generating the coded signal includes determining a signal operative to induce the implant to shift from a first mechanical configuration to a second mechanical configuration.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein generating the coded signal includes determining a signal operative to induce the implant to transmit information out of the body.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the implant includes logic circuitry, and wherein generating the coded signal includes determining a signal operative to induce the implant to modify its logic circuitry.

34. A method of operating an implant in a body, comprising:

receiving an implant-correlated spatiotemporal signal sequence; and

responding to the implant-correlated spatiotemporal signal sequence by performing an action.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein responding to the implant-correlated spatiotemporal signal sequence comprises determining whether the spatiotemporal signal sequence appears to originate from a sender having permission to actuate the implant.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein performing an action comprises shifting from a first mechanical configuration to a second mechanical configuration.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein performing an action comprises transmitting information out of the body.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the transmitted information includes a physiological parameter.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the transmitted information includes an environmental parameter.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the transmitted information includes identifying information for the implant.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein performing an action comprises determining a permission level for the implant-correlated spatiotemporal signal sequence.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein the implant comprises logic circuitry that determines response to spatiotemporal signal sequences, and wherein performing an action comprises modifying the logic circuitry.