System and method for force, displacement, and rate control of shaped memory material implants

Abstract

An energy delivery device controls the transformation of the microstructure of shape memory material. A surgeon can use the energy delivery device to control the rate of implant shape change, the extent of implant shape change, as well as the force exerted on the surrounding tissue. The energy delivery device allows for the fine control of force when fixating osteoporotic bone and rate of bone transport when working near the spinal cord. The energy delivery device models or measures the heating profile of the implant and provides the surgeon a method to control the extent of microstructure phase transformation so that the rate, force or extent of implant shape change can be controlled individually or together. The invention is an implant controlled with an energy delivery device that transforms the microstructure of a shape memory material through heat generation in the implant. The implant is manufactured so that the energy delivery device achieves an implant temperature that controls the conversion of the microstructure for one of a plurality of members.

1 - 8 . (canceled)  
   
   
       9 : An implant, comprising: 
 a first bone locking member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the first bone locking member secures the implant to a first bone;    a second bone locking member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the second bone locking member secures the implant to a second bone; and    a first member comprised of shape memory material, the first member coupled at a first end with the first bone locking member and at a second end with the second bone locking member, whereby, upon application of energy, the first member moves such that the angular relationship of the first bone changes relative to the second bone.    
   
   
       10 : The implant according to  claim 9 , whereby, upon application of energy, the first bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the first bone.  
   
   
       11 : The implant according to  claim 9 , whereby, upon application of energy, the second bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the second bone.  
   
   
       12 : The implant according to  claim 9 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane substantially horizontal to the first member.  
   
   
       13 : The implant according to  claim 9 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane substantially vertical to the first member.  
   
   
       14 : The implant according to  claim 9 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane horizontal to the member and along a plane vertical to the first member.  
   
   
       15 : The implant according to  claim 9 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a common axis such that the first bone rotates relative to the second bone.  
   
   
       16 : The implant according to  claim 9 , whereby, upon application of energy, the first member moves such that the distance between the first bone and the second bone shortens or lengthens.  
   
   
       17 : The implant according to  claim 16 , whereby, upon application of energy, the first bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the first bone.  
   
   
       18 : The implant according to  claim 16 , whereby, upon application of energy, the second bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the second bone.  
   
   
       19 : The implant according to  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a third bone locking member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the third bone locking member secures the implant to the first bone;    a fourth bone locking member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the fourth bone locking member secures the implant to the second bone; and    a second member comprised of shape memory material, the second member coupled at a first end with the first member and the third bone locking member and at a second end with first member and the fourth bone locking member, whereby, upon application of energy, the second member moves such that the angular relationship of the first bone changes relative to the second bone.    
   
   
       20 : The implant according to  claim 19 , whereby, upon application of energy, the third bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the first bone.  
   
   
       21 : The implant according to  claim 19 , whereby, upon application of energy, the fourth bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the first bone.  
   
   
       22 : The implant according to  claim 19 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane substantially horizontal to the second member.  
   
   
       23 : The implant according to  claim 19 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane substantially vertical to the second member.  
   
   
       24 : The implant according to  claim 19 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane horizontal to the member and along a plane vertical to the second member.  
   
   
       25 : The implant according to  claim 19 , whereby the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a common axis such that the first bone rotates relative to the second bone.  
   
   
       26 : The implant according to  claim 19 , whereby, upon application of energy, the second member moves such that the distance between the first bone and the second bone shortens or lengthens.  
   
   
       27 : The implant according to  claim 26 , whereby, upon application of energy, the third bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the first bone.  
   
   
       28 : The implant according to  claim 26 , whereby, upon application of energy, the fourth bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the second bone.  
   
   
       29 : A method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone, comprising: 
 securing an implant to the first bone and to the second bone; and    applying energy to the implant, whereby the implant moves such that the angular relationship of the first bone changes relative to the second bone.    
   
   
       30 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 29 , wherein securing the implant comprises: 
 inserting a first bone locking member comprised of shape memory material into the first bone; and    inserting a second bone locking member comprised of shape memory material into the second bone.    
   
   
       31 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 30 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to a first member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the first member is coupled at a first end with the first bone locking member and at a second end with the second bone locking member, further whereby the first member moves such that the angular relationship of the first bone changes relative to the second bone.  
   
   
       32 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 30 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to the first bone locking member, whereby the first bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the first bone.  
   
   
       33 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 30 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to the second bone locking member, whereby the second bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the second bone.  
   
   
       34 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 29 , whereby, in applying energy to the implant, the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane substantially horizontal to the implant.  
   
   
       35 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 29 , whereby, in applying energy to the implant, the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane substantially vertical to the implant.  
   
   
       36 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 29 , whereby, in applying energy to the implant, the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a plane horizontal to the implant and along a plane vertical to the implant.  
   
   
       37 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 29 , whereby, in applying energy to the implant, the angular relationship of the first bone relative to the second bone changes along a common axis such that the first bone rotates relative to the second bone.  
   
   
       38 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 30 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to the first member whereby, upon application of energy, the first member moves such that the distance between the first bone and the second bone shortens.  
   
   
       39 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 31 , wherein securing the implant comprises: 
 inserting a third bone locking member comprised of shape memory material into the first bone; and    inserting a fourth bone locking member comprised of shape memory material into the second bone.    
   
   
       40 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 39 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to a second member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the second member is coupled at a first end with the first member and the third bone locking member and at a second end with the first member and the fourth bone locking member, further whereby the second member moves such that the angular relationship of the first bone changes relative to the second bone.  
   
   
       41 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 39 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to the third bone locking member, whereby the third bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the first bone.  
   
   
       42 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 39 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to the fourth bone locking member, whereby the fourth bone locking member moves to secure the implant to the second bone.  
   
   
       43 : The method of reorienting a first bone relative to a second bone according to  claim 40 , wherein applying energy to the implant comprises applying energy to the second member whereby, upon application of energy, the second member moves such that the distance between the first bone and the second bone shortens.  
   
   
       44 : An implant comprising a memory material having a shape changing transition temperature range that is designed to be controlled with an energy delivery device that creates heat in the implant causing a controlled change in shape.  
   
   
       45 : The implant according to  claim 44 , wherein the implant has a plurality of shape changing members that can be controlled independently or in a coordinated manner.  
   
   
       46 : The implant according to  claim 44 , wherein the implant is configured to be heated to varying degrees within the transition temperature range of the memory material so as to effect different shape changing members to cause varying degrees of shape change of those members.  
   
   
       47 : A method of controlling the shape change of an implant, comprising: 
 imparting to the implant a temperature range in which it will change shape; and    providing energy to the implant so as to cause the implant to reach a temperature over the temperature range in which the implant changes shape.    
   
   
       48 : The method of controlling the shape change of an implant according to  claim 47 , wherein the energy used to change the implant temperature is electrical current.  
   
   
       49 : The method of controlling the shape change of an implant according to  claim 47 , wherein the energy used to change the implant temperature is inductive.  
   
   
       50 : The method of controlling the shape change of an implant according to  claim 47 , wherein the energy used to change the implant temperature is conducted heat.  
   
   
       51 : An implant having multiple shape changing members where each member requires one of a plurality of different extents of heat energy delivered to that member thus requiring multiple locations on the implant to be heated systematically so as to provide for coordinate movement of the multiple shape changing members.  
   
   
       52 : An implant, comprising: 
 a shape memory material in a stress induced martensitic state having: 
 a first bone locking member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the first bone locking member secures the implant to a first bone,  
 a second bone locking member comprised of shape memory material, whereby the second bone locking member secures the implant to a second bone, and  
 a first member comprised of shape memory material having a hole, the first member moveably coupled at a first end with the first bone locking member and at a second end with the second bone locking member, whereby, upon application of energy to heat the implant, the first member moves through the change in shape of the hole such that the distance between the bone locking member changes.