With this new series of short publications MedDEV News wants to introduce various concepts of SMART IMPLANTS.
Implantable Sensors Make Medical Implants Smarter
MedDEV News (ASME). Implantable sensors have been used in medical research for measuring parameters such as force, torque, pressure, and temperature inside the human body. Although sensors and electronics have been built into orthopedic implants, they tend to be bulky, costly, and unreliable.
Implantable Sensors Make Medical Implants Smarter
MedDEV News (ASME). Implantable sensors have been used in medical research for measuring parameters such as force, torque, pressure, and temperature inside the human body. Although sensors and electronics have been built into orthopedic implants, they tend to be bulky, costly, and unreliable.
However, microfabrication and nanofabrication
technologies have now advanced to the point where wireless, passive sensor
systems can be incorporated into implants with little modification to the host
implant, providing unique, personalized data for each patient that can be used
to optimize outcomes.These advanced sensor systems must be small in size,
compatible with human tissue, and sturdy enough to withstand the physical
forces within the human body. They must also be self-powered and able to
transmit data wirelessly. Ideal sensor systems are simple and robust, which
minimizes the possibility of malfunction or failure.Now this kind of “smart
implant” technology has taken a big step forward, thanks to new research at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY. Researchers at RPI have
fabricated and successfully tested tiny, wireless, passively powered
implantable force sensors that can provide real-time in vivo force measurements.“These sensors can
measure things that can’t be measured any other way in the body,” indicates
lead researcher Eric Ledet,
associate professor of biomedical engineering at RPI. “They can be used to
detect healing. They can also be used to flag problems that can then be
addressed before they become significant. The information from the sensors
helps optimize the care each patient receives. Ultimately, we believe the
sensors will lead to better outcomes, quicker return to work and to daily
activities, and reduced healthcare costs.”
