Method and apparatus for monitoring and/or controlling the curing of cements used in medical procedures
AssigneeSocpra Sciences Et Genie S.E.C.
InventorGamal Baroud
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for monitoring a cement that undergoes polymerization during curing such as most bone and dental cements by passing an electrical signal through the cement to determine the swelling phase, the initiation of polymerization of the cement and the effective working phase. The system further can control the swelling phase to reduce the time from the mixing of the cement to the initiation of the polymerization by using a ultrasonic signal or by heating the cement and can control the effective working phase after the polymerization has been initiated in order to prolong the working phase by cooling the cement.
Claims13
A method of determining an initiation point of a cure of bone cement, comprising monitoring a dielectric or electric property of the cement immediately after mixing, passing an electric signal through the cement, and detecting an initiation point of a polymerization of the cement as indicated by an abrupt change in the dielectric or electric property, the dielectric or electric property providing information on the swelling phase and on the polymerization phase of the cement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.