Systems and methods for monitoring implantable devices for detection of implant failure utilizing wireless in vivo micro sensors

Abstract

An implantable position detecting system is configured to detect a position of an implantable device with respect to a body structure. The system includes at least one proximity measuring transducer configured to be implanted on the body structure a distance from the implantable device, the at least one proximity measuring transducer being configured to receive energy from an external electromagnetic field generated by an external sensing interface, wherein the at least one proximity sensor is configured to emit an emitted signal responsive to the electromagnetic energy and to receive distance information comprising a sensing signal that is responsive to the distance from the implantable device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implantable position detecting system configured to detect a position of an implantable device with respect to a body structure, the system comprising;
 at least one proximity measuring transducer configured to be implanted on the body structure a distance from the implantable device, the at least one proximity measuring transducer being configured to receive electromagnetic energy from an external electromagnetic field generated by an external sensing interface,   wherein the at least one proximity sensor is configured to   emit an emitted signal as an electromagnetic field responsive to the electromagnetic energy,   sense the electromagnetic field after emitting the emitted signal, wherein the external sensing interface or the at least one proximity measuring transducer is further configured to determine a distance from the at least one proximity measuring transducer to the implantable device based on variations in the sensed electromagnetic field due to electromagnetic field interactions with the implantable device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer comprises a resonant tank circuit comprising a coil and a capacitor. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer comprises a magnetoelectric transducer. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer is provided as a component of a biometric marker, the biometric marker further comprising at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of an energy storage device, a data storage structure, a microcontroller, a sensor and a transceiver. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a magnetometer and a temperature sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional component comprises the microcontroller that is configured to collect data from the at least one proximity measuring transducer or the sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional component comprises an energy storage device, and the external sensing interface is configured to generate an alternating magnetic waveform to drive the magnetoelectric transducer, and the magnetoelectric transducer is configured to convert the alternating magnetic waveform to an electrical signal and to store energy from the alternating magnetic waveform on the energy storage device to thereby provide a wireless power receiver. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one additional component comprises the sensor, the microcontroller and the transceiver, the microcontroller being configured to receive data from the sensor and to send data by the transceiver to the external sensing interface or an external computer system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one proximity sensor is configured to transmit the distance to the external sensing interface. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable device comprises at least one conductive component. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer comprises at least one implantable proximity measuring transducer, the system further comprising the external sensing interface having at least one external proximity measuring transducer configured to further detect a position of the at least one implantable proximity measuring transducer and the implant. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one external proximity measuring transducer comprises at least three orthogonal external proximity measuring transducers. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least three orthogonal external proximity measuring transducers comprise magnetoelectric transducers configured to generate an electromagnetic field and to sense an electromagnetic field responsive to a position of the implantable device and the at least one internal proximity measuring transducer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer comprises an ultrasound transducer and an ultrasound receiver, the ultrasound transducer configured to emit an ultrasound signal in a direction toward the implantable device and the ultrasound receiver is configured to receive an echo signal from the implantable device, the at least one proximity measuring transducer being configured to determine a distance to the device responsive to the echo signal. 
     
     
         15 . A method of monitoring a position of an implantable device with an implantable position detecting system, the implantable position detecting system configured to detect a position of an implantable device with respect to a body structure, the method comprising:
 providing at least one proximity measuring transducer configured to be implanted on the body structure a distance from the implantable device;   transmitting electromagnetic energy from an external electromagnetic field generated by an external sensing interface to the at least one proximity measuring transducer;   emitting, with the at least one proximity measuring transducer, an emitted signal as an electromagnetic field responsive to the electromagnetic energy from the external electromagnetic field;   sensing the electromagnetic field with the at least one proximity measuring transducer after emitting the emitted signal;   determining, with the external sensing interface or the at least one proximity measuring transducer, a distance from the at least one proximity measuring transducer to the implantable device based on variations in the sensed electromagnetic field due to electromagnetic field interactions with the implantable device.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer comprises a resonant tank circuit comprising a coil and a capacitor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer comprises a magnetoelectric transducer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one proximity measuring transducer is provided as a component of a biometric marker, the biometric marker further comprising at least one additional component selected from the group consisting of an energy storage device, a data storage structure, a microcontroller, a sensor and a transceiver. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising transmitting, with the at least one proximity sensor, the distance to the external sensing interface. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the implantable device comprises at least one conductive component.