Electrical device for monitoring, prevention, and treatment of implant infections

Abstract

A device, having a housing; a power source configured to supply electrical power to a conductive percutaneous implant in a circuit including the conductive percutaneous implant and tissue of a patient adjacent to the conductive percutaneous implant; an electrical sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of at least one electrical parameter of the circuit; and at least one data processing system having one or more processors configured to receive the signal and analyze the signal to determine at least one of a presence or change of infection of the tissue, and pass a control signal to the power source to vary the electrical power responsive to determining at least one of the presence or change of infection of the tissue.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:
 receive information correlating a first lead of a power supply to a first conductive percutaneous implant, a second lead of the power supply to a second conductive percutaneous implant, and a third lead of the power supply to a third conductive percutaneous implant, the power supply being a potentiostat;   monitor a first circuit including the first lead and the first conductive percutaneous implant for at least one electrical parameter indicative of an infection present adjacent to the first conductive percutaneous implant;   designate the first lead as a working electrode, the second lead as a reference electrode, and the third lead as a counter electrode; and   pass a control signal to the power supply with instructions to supply electrical current through the working and counter electrodes such that a first electrical potential of the working electrode is substantially constant relative to a second electrical potential of the reference electrode.   
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising:
 forming an electrical circuit at a percutaneous implant passing through skin and fixated within a body, the electrical circuit including a power source, the conductive percutaneous implant, and tissue surrounding the conductive percutaneous implant;   monitoring at least one electrical parameter in each of the electrical circuits;   determining a presence of an infection due to the electrical parameter; and   varying electrical power within at least one of the electrical circuits responsive to determining the presence of the infection.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the percutaneous implant is a percutaneous osseointegrated prosthesis implant. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the percutaneous implant is a pin.