Breast implant with analyte sensors responsive to external power source

• US 9,144,488 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Boyden, Edward S., Della Rocca, Gregory J., Hawkins, Daniel, Hyde, Roderick A., Langer, Robert, Leuthardt, Eric C., Myckatyn, Terence, Parikh, Parag Jitendra, Rivet, Dennis J., Shimony, Joshua S., Smith, Michael A., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sweet, Thomas J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schutte, Wade P
• Application Number:
  US13/495,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20130338769A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 623/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6867 specially adapted to be attached or implanted in a specific body part A61B5/6847 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0085 Identification means; Administration of patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0096 Markers and sensors for detecting a position or changes of a position of an implant, e.g. RF sensors, ultrasound markers

Abstract

Breast implants including sensor modules and related methods are described herein. Breast implants include those with: a shell configured to be substantially filled with a viscous material; and a plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell and positioned at a distance from each other, each of the plurality of sensor modules oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid adjacent to the shell, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier and is configured to utilize energy transmitted from an external source.

Claims

1. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material;

a plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell and positioned at a distance from each other, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier;

a porous cover positioned over at least one of the plurality of sensor modules, the at least one of the plurality of sensor modules oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid between the shell and the porous cover;

at least one antenna;

an energy harvesting unit attached to the at least one antenna, the energy harvesting unit configured to receive optical energy from an external source and convert the received energy into electrical energy; and

at least one connection between the energy harvesting unit and each of the plurality of sensor modules.

2. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises:

at least one silicone-based barrier layer filled with silicone gel.

3. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises:

at least two barrier layers.

4. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

at least one of the plurality of sensor modules configured to detect at least two analytes in the fluid adjacent to the shell, wherein the at least two of the one or more analytes are of different types.

5. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

at least two sensor units in each of the plurality of sensor modules.

6. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell comprise at least one of:

a hydrogel-based sensor, a CMOS sensor, or an optical-based sensor.

7. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

a plurality of reservoirs, each of the plurality of reservoirs including a removable cover.

8. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are configured to detect one or more biological analytes arising from biological tissue.

9. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are configured to be replaceable.

10. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

an alphanumeric code.

11. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

a positional identifier.

12. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting unit attached to the at least one antenna is configured to harvest energy originating ex-vivo when the breast implant is in use.

13. The breast implant of claim 1, comprising:

a switch operable attached to the at least one antenna.

14. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material;

a plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell, the plurality of sensor modules oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid adjacent to the shell and wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier;

at least one optically powered transducer configured to harvest optical energy from a source external to the breast implant; and

at least one connector operably connecting the at least one optically powered transducer and the plurality of sensor modules.

15. The breast implant of claim 14, wherein the shell comprises:

at least one silicone-based barrier layer filled with silicone gel.

16. The breast implant of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

at least one of the plurality of sensor modules configured to detect at least two analytes in fluid adjacent to the shell, wherein the at least two analytes are different types.

17. The breast implant of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

at least two sensor units in each of the plurality of sensor modules.

18. The breast implant of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell comprise:

a hydrogel-based sensor, a CMOS sensor, or an optical-based sensor.

19. The breast implant of claim 14, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

an alphanumeric code.

20. The breast implant of claim 14, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

a positional identifier.

21. A breast implant, comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material;

at least one energy-harvesting unit configured to receive optical energy from an external source and convert the received energy into electrical energy;

a plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell, the sensor modules configured to detect one or more biological analytes arising from biological tissue;

a connector between the at least one energy-harvesting unit and the plurality of sensor modules, the connector configured to transmit electrical energy from the at least one energy-harvesting unit to the plurality of sensor modules; and

at least one transmission unit attached to the plurality of sensor modules, the at least one transmission unit configured to initiate a signal in response to one or more of the plurality of sensor modules.

22. The breast implant of claim 21, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are positioned on the shell with a distance between the sensor modules.

23. The breast implant of claim 21, comprising:

at least one switch attached to both the at least one transmission unit and the plurality of sensor modules, the at least one switch configured to activate the transmission unit in response to a signal from one or more of the sensor modules.