Implantable Sensor Bone Plate for Orthopedic Activity Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic implants lack effective means to assess patient activity levels, predict surgery outcomes, and estimate device lifespan, especially in cases where original surgical plans are not available, and there is a need for post-surgical care planning and assessment.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating sensors into orthopedic implants, such as bone plates, to collect data on forces, activity levels, and implant health, which can be used to generate surgical plans, assess implant performance, and provide real-time feedback to healthcare providers and patients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sensors are incorporated into orthopedic implants, then measurement precision of patient activity levels and implant health is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor types (accelerometer, gyroscope, strain gauge, temperature sensor) into a single integrated implantable device. The sensors are mounted on a bone plate or implant, and all sensor data is collected, processed, and transmitted through a single wireless communication system, reducing the complexity of having separate monitoring systems while maintaining comprehensive measurement capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system is designed to perform multiple functions: monitoring patient activity levels, assessing implant health, detecting forces and strains, measuring temperature, and providing real-time feedback. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for multiple separate devices and simplifies the overall system architecture while improving measurement precision across various parameters.
2Productivity
If real-time sensor data collection is implemented, then productivity of surgical planning and assessment is improved, but use of energy by the implant increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system employs periodic data transmission rather than continuous transmission. The implant collects and processes sensor data locally and transmits it wirelessly at predetermined intervals or when specific thresholds are exceeded. This periodic action significantly reduces energy consumption compared to continuous transmission while maintaining productivity by providing timely updates for surgical planning and assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The implant includes onboard processing capabilities that allow it to self-analyze sensor data, identify when transmission is necessary, and autonomously manage its own energy consumption. The system can detect patterns in the data and adjust transmission frequency accordingly, reducing unnecessary energy expenditure while maintaining efficient surgical planning and assessment productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Example implants, systems and methods using sensors for orthopedic surgical assessment and/or planning are described herein. An example system can include a wearable sensor device for pre-operative use by a patient before an orthopedic surgery to generate pre-operative sensor data. The system can also include an implantable sensor device (e.g., a bone implant) to generate and aggregate post-operative sensor data associated with the patient after the surgery. The system can retrieve the pre-operative sensor data and the post-operative sensor data and predict, analyze or assess an outcome of the surgery.