US 11,864,911 B2 · Methods, apparatuses, and systems for inductive heating of foreign metallic implants

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and implementations for inductive heating of a foreign metallic implant are disclosed. A foreign metallic implant may be heated via AMF pulses to ensure that the surface of the foreign metallic implant heats in a uniform manner. As the surface temperature of the foreign metallic implant rises, acoustic signatures may be detected by acoustic sensors that may indicate that tissue may be heating to an undesirable level approaching a boiling point. Once these acoustic signatures are detected, the AMF pulses may be shut off for a time period to allow the surface temperature of the implant to cool before applying additional AMF pulses. In this manner, the surface temperature of a foreign metallic implant may be uniformly heated to a temperature adequate to treat bacterial biofilm buildup on the surface of the foreign metallic implant without damaging surrounding tissue. The AMF pulse treatment can be combined with an antibacterial/antimicrobial treatment regimen to reduce the time and/or antibacterial dosage amount needed to remove the biofilm from the metallic implant.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system to treat a surface of a foreign metallic implant, the system comprising:

one or more external transmitter devices comprising an alternating magnetic field (AMF) transmitter configured to apply one or more AMF pulses to the foreign metallic implant;
a control system comprising at least one processor, the control system configured to:
(a) enable the one or more external transmitter devices to apply one or more AMF pulses to the foreign metallic implant with one or more of a predetermined time period, a predetermined pulse duration, a predetermined pulse repetition frequency, a predetermined power level, or combinations thereof;
(b) receive one or more signals from one or more acoustic sensors;
(c) determine that the one or more signals indicate a temperature of or around the foreign metallic implant is sufficient to disrupt a biofilm matrix on the surface of the foreign metallic implant;
and
(d) enable an adjusting of at least one of a duration, a frequency, an amplitude, or combinations thereof of the one or more AMF pulses in response to receiving the one or more signals.

4 more elements

A system to treat a surface of a foreign metallic implant, the system comprising:

one or more external transmitter devices comprising an alternating magnetic field (AMF) transmitter configured to apply one or more AMF pulses to the foreign metallic implant;
one or more acoustic sensor devices configured to sense acoustic energy having one or more acoustic emission signatures from tissue located in a vicinity of the foreign metallic implant;
and
a control system comprising at least one processor configured to perform operations comprising:
(a) enable the one or more external transmitter devices to apply one or more AMF pulses to the foreign metallic implant for one or more of a predetermined time period, a predetermined pulse duration, a predetermined pulse repetition frequency, a predetermined power level, or combinations thereof;
(b) receive one or more signals from the one or more acoustic sensor devices;
(c) determine that the one or more signals correspond to one or more first predetermined acoustic emission signatures;
(d) in response to determining that the one or more signals correspond to one or more first predetermined acoustic emission signatures, enable the one or more external transmitter devices to discontinue applying the one or more AMF pulses to the foreign metallic implant for a predetermined delay period after applying the one or more AMF pulses.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for inductive heating of foreign metallic implants

Life of this patent

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for inductive heating of foreign metallic implants

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20