Fixation device with electromagnetic pump
AssigneeUniversity of Oregon
InventorsKeat Ghee Ong, Robert Erling Guldberg, Eyerusalem A. Gebreyesus, Alice Park
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An assembly for promoting interstitial fluid flow can include an implant having first and second electrodes, a control unit, and one or more magnets. The implant can be disposed at a selected site of a subject, and the control unit can be electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes and can provide power to the first and second electrodes to generate an electric field at the selected site. The one or more magnets can be disposed adjacent to the selected site and can generate magnetic field in a direction orthogonal to the electric field in order to drive electrically conductive interstitial fluid flow at the selected site.
Claims20
An assembly for promoting interstitial fluid flow, comprising:
- an implant configured to be disposed at a selected site of a subject, the implant comprising spaced apart first and second electrodes;
- a control unit electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes, the control unit configured to provide power to the first and second electrodes to generate an electric field at the selected site, and measure an electrical impedance between the first and second electrodes;
- and
- one or more magnets disposed adjacent to the selected site, the one or more magnets configured to generate a magnetic field in a direction orthogonal to the electric field in order to drive interstitial fluid flow at the selected site at a specified flow rate and direction, and wherein the control unit is configured to adjust voltage applied to the first and second electrodes to adjust the electric field based on the measured electrical impedance to adjust the flow rate of the interstitial fluid flow.
An assembly for promoting interstitial fluid flow, comprising:
- a bone fixation implant comprising:
- a bone fixation plate configured to be coupled to a bone of a subject at a location of a fracture;
- first and second electrodes that are spaced apart from one another;
- and
- a control unit electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes, wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the first and second electrodes to generate an electric field at the fracture and adjust the generated electric field based on an electrical impedance measured between the first and second electrodes;
- and
- one or more magnets disposed adjacent to the fracture, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to generate a magnetic field in a direction orthogonal to the electric field in order to drive interstitial fluid flow at the fracture at a specified flow rate and direction for bone healing.
An assembly for promoting interstitial fluid flow, comprising:
- a bone fixation implant comprising:
- a bone fixation plate configured to be coupled to a bone of a subject at a location of a fracture;
- first and second electrodes that are spaced apart from one another;
- and
- a control unit electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes, wherein the control unit is configured to actuate the first and second electrodes to generate an electric field at the fracture;
- and
- one or more magnets disposed adjacent to the fracture, wherein the one or more magnets are configured to generate a magnetic field in a direction orthogonal to the electric field in order to drive interstitial fluid flow at the fracture, wherein the bone fixation plate comprises an elongated main body and first and second extension members extending in a same direction from opposite sides of the main body such that the first and second extension members are spaced apart from one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.