Nanovibration coating process for medical devices using multi vibration modes of a thin piezo element
First Claim
1. A method for inhibiting biofilm formation associated with an indwelling medical device, the indwelling medical device comprising a piezo plate resonator with thickness polarization, the method comprising connecting the piezo plate resonator to an energy source for exciting the piezo plate resonator, controlling the energy source by a central processor unit for generating electrical signals which are transformed by the piezo plate resonator into mechanical vibrations and forming via the piezo plate resonator surface acoustic waves having nanometer amplitudes (nanovibration coating);
- the piezo plate oscillating at a main frequency and in second and higher harmonic frequencies within a frequency range from 0.02 to 50 MHz thereby creating over surfaces of the indwelling medical device mechanical vibration energy effective in inhibiting bacterial attachment to the indwelling medical device and consequently entry of microorganisms into a human body, and wherein the piezo plate resonator is operative to sense a magnitude of biofilm on the surfaces of the indwelling medical device.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method is provided for preventing biofilm formation associated with an indwelling medical device. The method involves applying nanovibrational acoustic waves to surfaces of a medical device utilizing a piezo resonator to generate the waves.
18 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for inhibiting biofilm formation associated with an indwelling medical device, the indwelling medical device comprising a piezo plate resonator with thickness polarization, the method comprising connecting the piezo plate resonator to an energy source for exciting the piezo plate resonator, controlling the energy source by a central processor unit for generating electrical signals which are transformed by the piezo plate resonator into mechanical vibrations and forming via the piezo plate resonator surface acoustic waves having nanometer amplitudes (nanovibration coating);
- the piezo plate oscillating at a main frequency and in second and higher harmonic frequencies within a frequency range from 0.02 to 50 MHz thereby creating over surfaces of the indwelling medical device mechanical vibration energy effective in inhibiting bacterial attachment to the indwelling medical device and consequently entry of microorganisms into a human body, and wherein the piezo plate resonator is operative to sense a magnitude of biofilm on the surfaces of the indwelling medical device.
- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- 22. An apparatus for inhibiting biofilm formation on surfaces of an indwelling medical device comprising a piezo plate resonator oscillating at a main frequency and in second and higher harmonic frequencies within a frequency range from 0.02 to 50 MHz and being operative to generate surface acoustic waves over surfaces of the medical device to thereby inhibit bacterial attachment to the surfaces, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for detecting a magnitude of any biofilm formation on surfaces of the indwelling medical device and adjusting oscillations of the surface acoustic waves generated by the piezo plate resonator in response to the magnitude of the biofilm formation.
Specification