Breast implant with analyte sensors and internal power source

• US 9,211,185 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• 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:
  US13/495,212
• Publication Number:
  US 20130338768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 623/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/12 Mammary prostheses and implants

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; a plurality of sensor modules attached to the shell, the sensor modules oriented to detect one or more analytes in a fluid adjacent to the shell, the sensor modules positioned at a distance from each other, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier; and at least one power source operably attached to the plurality of sensor modules.

Claims

1. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material in an interior region of the shell;

a plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell, the sensor modules including at least one chemiresistor oriented to detect one or more analytes indicative of abnormal cellular growth in a fluid adjacent to the exterior of the shell, the sensor modules positioned at a distance from each other, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier; and

at least one power source operably attached to the plurality of sensor modules.

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

at

least one silicone-based barrier layer at least partially 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 at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

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

5. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

at least two sensor types in each sensor module.

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

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

7. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to the exterior of the shell are configured to detect one or more biological analytes arising from biological tissue.

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

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

an alphanumeric code.

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

a positional identifier.

11. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the at least one power source is configured to be rechargeable.

12. The breast implant of claim 1, further comprising:

a porous cover positioned over at least one of the plurality of sensor modules.

41. The breast implant of claim 1, wherein the at least one chemiresistor includes a thiol-functionalized binding aptamer.

13. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material in an interior region of the shell;

a plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell, wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier, each of the plurality of sensor modules including at least one chemiresistor oriented to detect one or more analytes indicative of abnormal cellular growth in a fluid adjacent to the exterior of the shell;

at least one processor operably attached to the plurality of sensor modules; and

at least one power source operably attached to the at least one processor.

14. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the shell comprises:

at least two barrier layers.

15. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

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

16. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

at least two sensor types in each sensor module.

17. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

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

18. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell are configured to detect one or more biological analytes arising from biological tissue.

19. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are configured to be replaceable.

20. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

an alphanumeric code.

21. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

a positional identifier.

22. The breast implant of claim 13, wherein the at least one power source is configured to be rechargeable.

23. The breast implant of claim 13, further comprising:

a porous cover positioned over at least one of the plurality of sensor modules.

24. The breast implant of claim 13, further comprising:

a plurality of processors, each attached to one of the plurality of sensor modules.

25. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material in an interior region of the shell;

a plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell, the sensor modules including at least one chemiresistor oriented to detect one or more analytes indicative of abnormal cellular growth in a fluid adjacent to the exterior of the shell and wherein each of the plurality of sensor modules includes a unique identifier;

at least one processor operably attached to the plurality of sensor modules;

at least one power source operably attached to the at least one processor; and

at least one transmission unit operably attached to the at least one processor.

26. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the shell comprises:

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

27. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the shell comprises:

at least two barrier layers.

28. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

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

29. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

at least two sensor types in each sensor module.

30. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell comprise:

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

31. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell are configured to detect one or more biological analytes arising in biological tissue.

32. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are configured to be replaceable.

33. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

an alphanumeric code.

34. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the unique identifier for each of the plurality of sensor modules comprises:

a positional identifier.

35. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the at least one power source is configured to be rechargeable.

36. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the at least one transmission unit comprises:

a radio-frequency transmitter.

37. The breast implant of claim 25, wherein the at least one transmission unit comprises:

an infrared transmitter.

38. A breast implant comprising:

a shell configured to be filled with a viscous material in an interior region of the shell;

a plurality of sensor modules attached at least in part to an exterior of the shell, the sensor modules including at least one chemiresistor configured to detect one or more biological analytes indicative of abnormal cellular growth, adjacent to the exterior of the shell, arising from biological tissue;

at least one transmission unit attached to the plurality of sensor modules; and

at least one power source attached to the plurality of sensor modules and to the transmission unit.

39. The breast implant of claim 38, wherein the plurality of sensor modules are positioned on the exterior of the shell with a distance between the sensor modules.

40. The breast implant of claim 38, further 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.