Devices, systems and methods for monitoring hip replacements

Abstract

Hip replacement prosthesis are provided, comprising a femoral stem, a femoral head coupled to the femoral stem, and an acetabular assembly coupled to the femoral head, and a plurality of sensors coupled to at least of the femoral stem, femoral head, and acetabular assembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hip replacement prosthesis comprising:
 a femoral stem;   a femoral head coupled to the femoral stem;   an acetabular assembly coupled to the femoral head; and   a plurality of sensors coupled to at least one of the femoral stem, femoral head and the acetabular assembly.   
     
     
         2 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes a sensor on the femoral stem. 
     
     
         3 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes a sensor on the femoral head. 
     
     
         4 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes a sensor on the acetabular assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The hip replacement prosthesis according to any one of  claims 1  to  4  wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, pressure sensors, contact sensors, position sensors, chemical microsensors, tissue metabolic sensors, mechanical stress sensors and temperature sensors. 
     
     
         6 . The hip replacement prosthesis according to  claim 5  wherein said accelerometer detects acceleration, tilt, vibration, shock and or rotation. 
     
     
         7 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes contact sensors positioned between the femoral head and the acetabular assembly. 
     
     
         8 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes a plurality of contact sensors positioned on the outer surface of the acetabular assembly. 
     
     
         9 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes a plurality of contact sensors positioned on the outer surface of the acetabular assembly. 
     
     
         10 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes a plurality of strain sensors positioned between the femoral head the acetabular assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of sensors includes accelerometers positioned on the femoral stem. 
     
     
         12 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 1  wherein the acetabular assembly includes an acetabular shell and an acetabular liner. 
     
     
         13 . The hip replacement prosthesis of  claim 7  further including strain sensors positioned between the acetabular liner and the acetabular shell. 
     
     
         14 . A medical device, comprising a femoral stem and a plurality of sensors coupled to said femoral stem. 
     
     
         15 . A medical device, comprising a femoral head and a plurality of sensors coupled to said femoral head. 
     
     
         16 . A medical device, comprising an acetabular assembly and a plurality of sensors coupled to said acetabular assembly. 
     
     
         17 . The medical device according to any one of  claims 14  to  16 , wherein said sensors are placed within and on the surface of said medical device. 
     
     
         18 . The medical device according to any one of  claims 14  to  17  wherein said sensor is selected from the group consisting of accelerometers, pressure sensors, contact sensors, position sensors, chemical microsensors, tissue metabolic sensors, mechanical stress sensors and temperature sensors. 
     
     
         19 . The medical device according to  claim 18  wherein said accelerometer detects acceleration, tilt, vibration, shock and or rotation. 
     
     
         20 . The hip replacement prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  19 , further including:
 an electronic processor positioned inside the femoral stem that is electrically coupled to sensors. 
 
     
     
         21 . The hip replacement prosthesis or medical device according to  claim 20  wherein the electric coupling is a wireless coupling. 
     
     
         22 . The hip replacement prosthesis or medical device according to  claim 20  or  21  further including:
 a memory coupled to the electronic processor and positioned inside the femoral stem. 
 
     
     
         23 . The hip replacement or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  22  wherein said sensor is a plurality of sensors which are positioned on or within said hip replacement prosthesis or medical device at a density of greater than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 20 sensors per square centimeter. 
     
     
         24 . The hip replacement prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  22  wherein said sensor is a plurality of sensors which are positioned on or within said hip replacement at a density of greater than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 20 sensors per cubic centimeter. 
     
     
         25 . A method comprising:
 obtaining contact data from contact sensors positioned at a plurality of locations between a femoral head and an acetabular assembly located in-situ in the hip of a patient;   storing the data in a memory located in a femoral stem that is coupled to the femoral head; and   transferring the data from the memory to a location outside the femoral stem.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25  further including:
 obtaining strain data from strain sensors positioned at a plurality of locations between the femoral head and the acetabular assembly located in-situ in the hip of a patient; 
 storing the strain data in a memory located in the femoral stem that is coupled to the femoral head; and 
 transferring the strain data from the memory in the femoral stem to a memory in location outside the femoral stem. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25  further including:
 obtaining contact data from contact sensors positioned between the acetabular assembly and a pelvis bone of a patient while in-situ in the patient; 
 storing the contact data in a memory located in the femoral stem; and 
 transferring the data from the memory in the femoral stem to a memory in a location outside of the femoral stem. 
 
     
     
         28 . A method comprising:
 obtaining acceleration data from accelerometers positioned at a plurality of locations on a hip replacement assembly located in-situ in the hip of a patient;   storing the acceleration data in a memory located in a femoral stem that is coupled to the femoral head; and   transferring the acceleration data from the memory in the femoral stem to a memory in a location outside the femoral stem.   
     
     
         29 . A method comprising a) obtaining data from a sensor from a hip replacement prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  24 ; b) storing the data in memory at a storage site within a hip replacement prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  24 ; and c) transferring the data from the memory to a location outside of the storage site. 
     
     
         30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein said hip replacement prosthesis or medical device is implanted within a subject, and the data is transferred to a site outside of the subject. 
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein said data is transferred to a watch, wrist band, cell phone or glasses. 
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein said data is transferred to a residence or an office. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 30  wherein said data is transferred to a health care provider. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to any one of  claims 25  to  33 , further comprising the step of analyzing the data. 
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium whose stored contents configure a computing system to perform a method, the method comprising:
 identifying a subject, the identified subject having at least one wireless hip implant, said hip implant having one or more sensors;   detecting a wireless interrogation unit to collect sensor data from at least one of the respective sensors; and   receiving the collected sensor data.   
     
     
         36 . The storage medium according to  claim 35  whose stored contents configure a computing system to perform a method, the method further comprising:
 removing sensitive subject data from the collected sensor data; and 
 parsing the data according to the type or location of sensor. 
 
     
     
         37 . The storage medium according to  claim 35  or  36  wherein said hip implant is a hip replacement prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  24 . 
     
     
         38 . The storage medium according to any one of  claims 35  to  37  wherein said data is received on a watch, wrist band, cell phone or glasses. 
     
     
         39 . The storage medium according to any one of  claims 35  to  38  wherein said data is received within a subject's residence or office. 
     
     
         40 . The storage medium according to any one of  claims 35  to  39  wherein said data is provided to a health care provider. 
     
     
         41 . The storage medium according to any one of  claims 35  to  40  wherein said data is posted to one or more websites. 
     
     
         42 . A method according to any one of  claims 25  to  34  or storage medium according to any one of  claims 35  to  41 , wherein said data is plotted to enable visualization of change over time. 
     
     
         43 . The method or storage medium according to  claim 42  wherein said data is plotted to provide a two or three-dimensional image. 
     
     
         44 . The method or storage medium according to  claim 42  or  43  wherein said data is plotted to provide a moving two or three dimensional image. 
     
     
         45 . The method or storage medium according to anyone of  claims 42  to  44 , wherein said data is utilized to determine the range of motion of a subject with a hip implant prosthesis or medical device. 
     
     
         46 . The method or storage medium according to anyone of  claims 42  to  44 , wherein said data is utilized to determine or predict any deficiencies or malfunctions of the hip implant prosthesis or medical device. 
     
     
         47 . A method for detecting degradation in a hip replacement prosthesis or medical device, comprising the steps of a) providing to a subject a hip implant prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  24 ; and b) detecting a change in a sensor, and thus determining degradation of the hip implant prosthesis or medical device. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 47  wherein said sensor is capable of detecting one or more physiological and or locational parameters. 
     
     
         49 . A method for detecting an infection in a hip replacement prosthesis or medical device, comprising the steps of a) a) providing to a subject a hip implant prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  24 ; and b) detecting a change in a sensor, and thus determining infection of the hip implant prosthesis or medical device. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49  wherein said change in a sensor is a rise in temperature. 
     
     
         51 . A method for imaging a hip replacement prosthesis or medical device, comprising detecting the changes in sensors in, on, and or within a hip implant prosthesis or medical device according to anyone of  claims 1  to  24 , and wherein the hip implant prosthesis or medical device comprises sensors at a density of greater than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 20 sensors per square centimeter. 
     
     
         52 . A method for imaging a hip implant prosthesis or medical device, comprising detecting changes in sensors in, on, and or within a hip implant prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  24  over time, and wherein the hip implant prosthesis or medical device comprises sensors at a density of greater than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 or 20 sensors per cubic centimeter. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 51  or  52 , wherein said sensor is one or more of a fluid pressure sensor, contact sensor, position sensor, accelerometer, pressure sensor, blood volume sensor, blood flow sensor, blood chemistry sensor, blood metabolic sensor, mechanical stress sensor, a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         54 . A method for placing a hip implant prosthesis or medical device within a subject, comprising a) implanting a hip implant prosthesis or medical device according to any one of  claims 1  to  24 , and b) detecting placement of the hip implant prosthesis or medical device by detecting a sensor. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54  wherein the hip implant prosthesis or medical device comprises two or more sections, and wherein detection of said two or more sections can be determined by analysis of one or more sensors. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 54  or  55  wherein placement of the hip implant prosthesis or medical device can be visualized by a two or three dimensional representation or image of the one or more sensors on said hip implant prosthesis or medical device. 
     
     
         57 . The method according to any one of  claims 54  to  56 , wherein said detecting placement of the hip implant prosthesis or medical device allows determination of whether the hip implant prosthesis or medical device is placed incorrectly.