Systems, devices, and methods including catheters having components that are actively controllable between two or more wettability states

• US 20110152789A1
• Filed: 11/10/2010
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Smith, Michael A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Leuthardt, Eric C., Dacey, Ralph G. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,647,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/265
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30 Joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/32 for the hip
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/48 Operating or control means, e.g. from outside the body, control of sphincters
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/481 Acoustic or audible means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/482 Electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30031 differing in wettability, e.g. in hydrophilic or hydrophobic behaviours
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30087 piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30668 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3067 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30677 Means for introducing or releasing pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics, into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0056 differing in wettability, e.g. in hydrophilic or hydrophobic behaviours
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2310/0097 Coating or prosthesis-covering structure made of pharmaceutical products, e.g. antibiotics
• 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 2202/24 Medical instruments, e.g. endoscopes, catheters, sharps
• 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

Abstract

Systems, devices, methods, and compositions are described for providing an actively-controllable disinfecting implantable device configured to, for example, treat or prevent an infection in a biological subject.

Claims

1. A catheter device, comprising:

a body structure having an outer surface and an inner surface defining one or more fluid-flow passageways, the body structure having one or more surface regions that are controllably actuatable between at least a first wettability state and a second wettability state; and

an actively controllable excitation component configured to deliver, in vivo, an energy stimulus to one or more regions proximate at least one of the outer surface or the inner surface of the body structure.

2. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the actively controllable excitation component is configured to concurrently or sequentially deliver at least a first energy stimulus and a second energy stimulus, the second energy stimulus different from the first energy stimulus;

wherein the first energy stimulus comprises an electromagnetic energy stimulus, an electrical energy stimulus, an acoustic 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 acoustic energy stimulus, or a thermal energy stimulus.

3. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are energetically actuatable between the first wettability state and the second wettability state.

4. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are configured to actuate between the first wettability state and the second wettability state in the presence of an ultraviolet energy.

5. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are configured to actuate between the first wettability state and the second wettability state in the presence of an applied potential.

6. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are configured to photochemically actuate between the first wettability state and the second wettability state in the presence of an ultraviolet energy.

7. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are UV-manipulatable between the first wettability and the second wettability.

8. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are configured to photochemically actuate between a substantially hydrophobic state and a substantially hydrophilic state.

9. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are configured to electrically actuate between a substantially hydrophobic state and a substantially hydrophilic state.

10. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions include at least one ZnO nano-rod film, coating, or material that is UV-manipulatable between a superhydrophobic state and superhydrophilic state.

11. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are energetically controllably actuatable between a substantially hydrophobic state and a substantially hydrophilic state.

12. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are energetically controllably actuatable between at least a first hydrophilic state and a second hydrophilic state.

13. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions are energetically controllably actuatable between a hydrophobic state and a hydrophilic state.

14. The catheter device of claim 1, wherein the one or more surface regions include a material that is switchable between a zwitterionic state and a non-zwitterionic state.

15. A method of inhibiting biofilm formation, comprising:

actuating one or more surface regions of a catheter device between at least a first wettability state and a second wettability state in response to a detected event associate with a microbial colonization proximate the one or more surface regions of a catheter device.

16. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes irradiating a photoactive coating with optical energy to change a surface functionality.

17. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes electrostatically changing a surface morphology of the one or more surface regions.

18. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes applying an electric potential to the one or more surface regions of a sufficient strength and duration to affect a liquid/solid interface fraction.

19. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes applying an electric potential to the one or more surface regions of a sufficient strength and duration to actuate a surface morphology change in the one or more surface regions.

20. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes applying an electric potential to a conductive polymer thin film laminate having a plurality of movable polymer microstructures, the electric potential sufficient to displace a plurality of movable polymer microstructures relative to an outer surface of the conductive polymer thin film laminate.

21. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes electro-chemically switching between the first wettability state and the second wettability state in the presence of an ultraviolet energy.

22. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes UV-manipulating the one or more surface regions between the first wettability state and the second wettability state.

23. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes photo-chemically switching the one or more surface regions between a substantially hydrophobic state and a substantially hydrophilic state.

24. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes electrically actuating the one or more surface regions between a substantially hydrophobic state and a substantially hydrophilic state

25. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes UV-manipulating at least one ZnO nano-rod film, coating, or material between the first wettability state and the second wettability state.

26. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes energetically controllably actuating the one or more surface regions between a substantially hydrophobic state and a substantially hydrophilic state.

27. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes energetically controllably actuating the one or more surface regions between at least a first hydrophilic state and a second hydrophilic state.

28. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes energetically controllably actuating the one or more surface regions between a substantially hydrophobic state and a substantially hydrophilic state.

29. The method of inhibiting biofilm formation of claim 15, wherein actuating the one or more surface regions of the catheter device includes switching the one or more surface regions between a substantially zwitterionic state and a substantially non-zwitterionic state.