Adjustable implant, system and methods
AssigneeNuVasive, Inc.
InventorsNiels Smidth, Youngsam Bae, Khoa Pham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Aspects of the disclosure relate to an adjustable implant configured to be implanted into a patient that includes an adjustable portion moveable relative to a housing. The adjustable implant may include various smart components for enhancing operation of the implant. Smart components may include a controller for managing operations and a transducer for communicating ultrasound data with an external interface device. Additional smart components may include a load cell within the housing for measuring an imparted load; a sensor for measuring angular position of the adjustable portion; a dual sensor arrangement for measuring imparted forces; a reed switch; a half piezo transducer; and an energy harvester.
Claims13
A method comprising:
- providing an adjustable implant including:
- a housing,
- an adjustable portion movable relative to the housing,
- an actuator positioned within the housing and configured to cause movement of the adjustable portion relative to the housing,
- a sensor positioned adjacent to the actuator and configured to monitor an angular position of the actuator, and
- a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and configured to receive angular position data from the sensor,
- wherein the hall effect sensor includes one of a unidirectional hall effect sensor, a rotary hall effect sensor and a rotary hall effect sensor having a 4-hall element arrangement;
- implanting the adjustable implant;
- and
- adjusting the adjustable implant by rotating the actuator causing the adjustable portion to move relative to the housing.
A method comprising:
- providing an adjustable implant, the adjustable implant including:
- a housing,
- an adjustable portion moveable relative to the housing,
- an actuator positioned within the housing and configured to cause movement of the adjustable portion relative to the housing,
- a sensor positioned adjacent to the actuator and configured to monitor an angular position of the actuator, and
- a transducer positioned within the housing for sending data;
- implanting the adjustable implant;
- adjusting the adjustable implant by rotating the actuator causing the adjustable portion to move relative to the housing;
- determining a number of rotations of the actuator based on monitoring of the angular position;
- calculating a distraction length or a compression length of the adjustable implant based upon the number of rotations of the actuator;
- sending data that includes at least one of the number of rotations, the distraction length or the compression length to an external interface device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.