Implant removal devices and methods of use thereof

An apparatus for facilitating separation of an implant from tissue, the apparatus comprising:

• a heating/cooling unit;
• a transducer probe in thermal connection with the heating/cooling unit;
• wherein the probe is sized and shaped to contact a surface of an orthopedic implant,
• wherein the heating/cooling unit and transducer probe in combination have a heat transfer capacity sufficient to cycle an orthopedic implant having a thermal capacity of ≤8000J/K over a temperature range of ≤100° C. at a frequency of 100Hz,
• wherein the heating/cooling unit and transducer probe are configured to lower a temperature of at least a portion of an orthopedic implant and of a region contacting a surface of the orthopedic implant from above 0° C. to below 0° C. such that the lower temperature is sufficient to freeze the region contacting the surface of the orthopedic implant, and
• wherein the heating/cooling unit and transducer probe are configured to raise the temperature of the portion of the orthopedic implant to above 0° C.,
• wherein the temperature increase occurs in a time sufficiently short to cause a thermal expansion differential between the portion of the orthopedic implant and the region contacting the surface of the orthopedic implant and wherein the thermal expansion differential is sufficient to cause physical separation of at least a portion of the surface of the orthopedic implant from the region contacting the surface of the orthopedic implant.