U.S. patent application number 14/189712 was filed with the patent office on 2014-10-23 for system, method, and device for monitoring orthopaedic implant data over a cellular network.
This patent application is currently assigned to DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS, LLC. The applicant listed for this patent is DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS, LLC. Invention is credited to Edward J. Caylor, III.
Application Number | 20140313053 14/189712 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38896858 |
Filed Date | 2014-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140313053 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Caylor, III; Edward J. |
October 23, 2014 |
SYSTEM, METHOD, AND DEVICE FOR MONITORING ORTHOPAEDIC IMPLANT DATA
OVER A CELLULAR NETWORK
Abstract
A system, method, and device for monitoring implant sensor data
over a cellular network includes a portable computing device, a
controller, and an orthopaedic prosthesis configured to communicate
with the controller over the cellular network. The orthopaedic
prosthesis includes one or more implant sensors configured to
generate implant sensor data and a cellular transmitter or
transceiver configured to transmit the implant sensor data to the
controller over the cellular network. The controller or the
orthopaedic prosthesis may initiate the cellular communication. The
implant sensor data is transmitted to the portable computing device
by the controller. The portable computing device is configured to
display the implant sensor data, or indicia thereof, to a user. The
portable computing device and controller may also be used to update
one or more programs executed by the orthopaedic prosthesis.
Inventors: |
Caylor, III; Edward J.;
(Fort Wayne, IN) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS, LLC |
Raynham |
MA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
DEPUY SYNTHES PRODUCTS, LLC
Raynham
MA
|
Family ID: |
38896858 |
Appl. No.: |
14/189712 |
Filed: |
February 25, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11537338 |
Sep 29, 2006 |
8685091 |
|
|
14189712 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
340/870.07 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F 2/40 20130101; G08C
17/02 20130101; A61B 5/0031 20130101; A61F 2002/4672 20130101; A61F
2/82 20130101; A61F 2/38 20130101; A61F 2002/4658 20130101; A61F
2/30 20130101; G08C 2201/61 20130101; A61F 2/32 20130101; G08C
2201/42 20130101; A61F 2002/30953 20130101; A61F 2002/4666
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/870.07 |
International
Class: |
G08C 17/02 20060101
G08C017/02 |
Claims
1. A system for monitoring implant data over a cellular network,
the system comprising: a controller; and an orthopaedic prosthesis
having a cellular transceiver configured to communicate with the
controller over the cellular network.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the orthopaedic prosthesis
includes a sensor configured to generate implant sensor data and
wherein the cellular transceiver is configured to transmit the
implant sensor data to the controller over the cellular
network.
3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portable computing
device configured to communicate with the controller over a
network, wherein the controller is configured to transmit the
implant sensor data to the portable computing device.
4. The system of claim 3, wherein the portable computing device is
configured to display indicia of the implant sensor data to a user
of the portable computing device.
5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portable computing
device configured to communicate with the controller over a
network.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the portable computing device is
configured to transmit an implant serial number and a passcode to
the controller over the network.
7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a database
communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller
is configured to verify an association between the implant serial
number and the passcode using data stored in the database.
8. The system of claim 6, further comprising a database
communicatively coupled to the controller, wherein the controller
is configured to retrieve contact data associated with the
orthopaedic prosthesis from the database based on the implant
serial number.
9. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to
initiate cellular communication with the orthopaedic prosthesis
using the contact data.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to
transmit programming data to the orthopaedic prosthesis over the
cellular network and the orthopaedic prosthesis is configured to
update a program of a processor of the orthopaedic prosthesis using
the programming data.
11. A method of monitoring implant sensor data over a cellular
network, the method comprising receiving the implant sensor data
from a cellular transmitter secured to an orthopaedic prosthesis
implanted in a patient.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: receiving an
implant serial number and a passcode from a portable computing
device; and verifying an association between the implant serial
number and the passcode.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein verifying an association
between the implant serial number and the passcode comprises
retrieving data from a database and comparing the data to the
implant serial number and the passcode.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: (i) retrieving
contact data associated with the orthopaedic prosthesis from a
database based on the implant serial number; and (ii) initiating
cellular communication with the orthopaedic prosthesis using the
contact data.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: (i) retrieving
implant sensor data from a memory device of the orthopaedic
prosthesis; and (ii) transmitting the retrieved implant sensor data
over the cellular network.
16. The method of claim 11, further comprising: (i) receiving a
first implant serial number over a cellular network; (ii)
retrieving a second implant serial number from a memory device of
the orthopaedic prosthesis; (iii) comparing the first implant
serial number and the second implant serial number; and (iv)
transmitting the implant sensor data over the cellular network
based on the comparing step.
17. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the
implant sensor data to a portable computing device and displaying
indicia of the implant sensor data on the portable computing
device.
18. The method of claim 11, further comprising: (i) receiving the
implant sensor data from an implant sensor of the orthopaedic
prosthesis; (ii) comparing the implant sensor data to a
predetermined threshold; and (iii) transmitting the implant sensor
data over the cellular network using a cellular transmitter of the
orthopaedic prosthesis based on the comparing step.
19. The method of claim 11, further comprising: (i) transmitting
programming data to the orthopaedic prosthesis over the cellular
network; and (ii) updating a program of the orthopaedic prosthesis
using the programming data.
Description
[0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/537,338, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,685,091, which
was filed on Sep. 29, 2006, issued on Apr. 1, 2014, and is
expressly incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to systems and
methods for transmitting, receiving, and/or monitoring orthopaedic
implant sensor data.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Orthopaedic implants or prostheses are implanted into
patients by orthopaedic surgeons to, for example, correct or
otherwise alleviate bone and/or soft tissue loss, trauma damage,
and/or deformation of the bone(s) of the patients. Some orthopaedic
prostheses include one or more sensors for detecting or measuring
various effects or forces acting on the orthopaedic prostheses
and/or the surrounding environment. After initial implantation, it
is often desirable to periodically monitor the implant sensor data
particularly when the patient is experiencing problems with the
orthopaedic prosthesis. However, even when the patient is
experiencing an ongoing problem with an orthopaedic prosthesis, the
patient must typically schedule an appointment for examination by
the orthopaedic surgeon or other healthcare provider in their
office or hospital. As such, there is often a delay between the
time that the patient is first aware of the problem and the
scheduled appointment. Such a delay may reduce the effectiveness of
the medical analysis of the orthopaedic prosthesis. For example,
the problem may be intermittent and may not be observable at the
time of the appointment and/or may change over time. In addition,
the patient may be experiencing discomfort during the delay making
prompt medical analysis of the orthopaedic prosthesis
desirable.
SUMMARY
[0004] According to one aspect, a medical device includes an
orthopaedic prosthesis having a circuit secured thereto. The
circuit may include a sensor, a cellular transmitter, and a
processor. The sensor may be configured to generate implant sensor
data and the cellular transmitter may be configured to transmit
data over a cellular network. The processor may be electrically
coupled to the sensor and/or the cellular transmitter. The
processor may be configured to receive the implant sensor data from
the sensor and transmit the implant sensor data over the cellular
network using the cellular transmitter. The cellular transmitter
may form a portion of a cellular transceiver in some embodiments.
The cellular transceiver may be configured to receive data, such as
programming data, over the cellular network. In such embodiments,
the processor may be configured to transmit the implant sensor data
in response to a signal received from a controller over the
cellular network via the cellular transceiver. Additionally,
wherein the data is embodied as programming data, the processor may
be configured to update a program of the orthopaedic prosthesis
using the programming data.
[0005] The orthopaedic prosthesis may also include a memory device.
The memory device may have stored therein a first implant serial
number associated with the orthopaedic prosthesis. In such
embodiments, the processor may be configured to retrieve the first
implant serial number from the memory device and compare the first
implant serial number to a second implant serial number received
over the cellular network via the cellular transceiver.
Additionally, the processor may be configured to transmit the
implant sensor data if the first implant serial number is equal to
the second implant serial number. In some embodiments, the
processor may be configured to store the implant sensor data in the
memory device, retrieve the stored implant sensor data, and
transmit the retrieved implant sensor data over the cellular
network via the cellular transmitter.
[0006] Additionally, in some embodiments, the processor may be
configured to compare the implant sensor data to a predetermined
threshold value and initiate communication with the controller over
the cellular network using the cellular transmitter based on such
comparison. Once cellular communication is established, the
processor may be configured to transmit the implant sensor data to
the controller over the cellular network using the cellular
transmitter. In addition, the processor may be configured to
retrieve implant sensor data from the memory device and transmit
the retrieved implant sensor data to the controller over the
cellular network using the cellular transmitter once cellular
communication is established. Further, in some embodiments, the
processor may be configured to retrieve an implant serial number
from the memory device and transmit the implant serial number to
the controller over the cellular network using the cellular
transmitter.
[0007] According to another aspect, a system for monitoring implant
data over a cellular network may include a controller and an
orthopaedic prosthesis. The orthopaedic prosthesis may include a
cellular transceiver configured to communicate with the controller
over the cellular network. The orthopaedic prosthesis may also
include a sensor configured to generate implant sensor data. In
such embodiments, the cellular transceiver of the orthopaedic
prosthesis may be configured to transmit the implant sensor data to
the controller over the cellular network. The system may also
include portable computing device. The portable computing device
may be embodied as, for example, a computer, a laptop computer, a
personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, or the like.
The portable computing device may be configured to communicate with
the controller over a network such as a local area network (LAN), a
wide area network, the Internet, a cellular network, and/or the
like. The controller may be configured to transmit the implant
sensor data to the portable computing device. In response, the
portable computing device may be configured to display the implant
sensor data, or indicia thereof, to a user of the portable
computing device. In some embodiments, the portable computing
device may be configured to transmit an implant serial number and a
passcode to the controller over the network. The implant serial
number and/or passcode may be supplied or entered by a user of the
portable computing device.
[0008] The system may also include a database communicatively
coupled to the controller. In such embodiments, the controller may
be configured to verify an association or relation between the
implant serial number and the passcode using data stored in the
database. For example, the controller may be configured to verify
that the user identified by the supplied passcode is authorized to
communicate with the orthopaedic prosthesis identified by the
implant serial number. Additionally, in some embodiments, the
controller may be configured to retrieve contact data associated
with the orthopaedic prosthesis from the database based on the
implant serial number. The controller may be configured to
subsequently initiate cellular communication with the orthopaedic
prosthesis using the contact data. The controller may also be
configured to transmit programming data to the orthopaedic
prosthesis over the cellular network. In such embodiments, the
orthopaedic prosthesis may be configured to update a program of a
processor of the orthopaedic prosthesis using the programming
data.
[0009] According to yet another aspect, a method of monitoring
implant sensor data over a cellular network may include receiving
the implant sensor data from an orthopaedic prosthesis over the
cellular network. The method may also include receiving an implant
serial number and a passcode from a portable computing device. In
such embodiments, the method may further include verifying an
association between the implant serial number and the passcode. The
association between the implant serial number and the passcode may
be verified by retrieving data from a database and comparing the
data to the implant serial number and the passcode. The method may
also include retrieving contact data associated with the
orthopaedic prosthesis from a database based on the implant serial
number and initiating cellular communication with the orthopaedic
prosthesis using the contact data.
[0010] In some embodiments, the method may include retrieving
implant sensor data from a memory device of the orthopaedic
prosthesis. In such embodiments, the method may further include
transmitting the retrieved implant sensor data over the cellular
network. The method may also include receiving a first implant
serial number over a cellular network and retrieving a second
implant serial number from a memory device of the orthopaedic
prosthesis. The method may additionally include comparing the first
implant serial number and the second implant serial number and
transmitting the implant sensor data over the cellular network
based on such comparison. In some embodiments, the method may
further include transmitting the implant sensor data to a portable
computing device. In such embodiments, the implant sensor data, or
indicia thereof, may be displayed on the portable computing device.
Yet further, in some embodiments, the method may include receiving
the implant sensor data from an implant sensor of the orthopaedic
prosthesis, comparing the implant sensor data to a predetermined
threshold, and transmitting the implant sensor data over the
cellular network using a cellular transmitter of the orthopaedic
prosthesis based on the comparing step. Additionally, the method
may include transmitting programming data to the orthopaedic
prosthesis over the cellular network and updating a program of the
orthopaedic prosthesis using the programming data.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The detailed description particularly refers to the
following figures, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a system for
monitoring implant sensor data over a cellular network;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of one embodiment of an
orthopaedic prosthesis of the system of FIG. 1;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a simplified flowchart of one embodiment of an
algorithm for monitoring orthopaedic prosthesis data over a
cellular network that may be executed by a portable computing
device of the system of FIG. 1;
[0015] FIGS. 4A-B include a simplified flowchart of one embodiment
of an algorithm for communicating with an orthopaedic prosthesis
over a cellular network that may be executed by a controller of the
system of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a simplified flowchart of one embodiment of an
algorithm for communicating with a controller over a cellular
network that may be executed by an orthopaedic prosthesis of the
system of FIG. 1;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a simplified flowchart of another embodiment of an
algorithm for communicating with a controller over a cellular
network that may be executed by the orthopaedic prosthesis of the
system of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 7 is a simplified flowchart of another embodiment of an
algorithm for communicating with an orthopaedic prosthesis over a
cellular network that may be executed by the controller of the
system of FIG. 1; and
[0019] FIG. 8 is a simplified flowchart of another embodiment of an
algorithm for communicating with an orthopaedic prosthesis over a
cellular network that may be executed by the portable computing
device of the system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] While the concepts of the present disclosure are susceptible
to various modifications and alternative forms, specific exemplary
embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the
drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be
understood, however, that there is no intent to limit the concepts
of the present disclosure to the particular forms disclosed, but on
the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,
equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope
of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, a system 10 for monitoring implant
sensor data over a cellular network 18 includes an orthopaedic
implant or prosthesis 12, a controller 14, and a portable computing
device 16. The orthopaedic prosthesis 12 is configured to
communicate with the controller 14 over the cellular network 18.
The orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may be embodied as any type of
orthopaedic prosthesis such as, for example, a knee implant, a hip
implant, a shoulder implant, or the like configured to be implanted
in a patient 50. As discussed below in regard to FIG. 2, the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 includes a number of electrical devices
such as a cellular transmitter/transceiver and one or more implant
sensors. The orthopaedic prosthesis 12 is communicatively coupled
to the cellular network 18 via a wireless cellular communication
link 20. In some embodiments, the communication link 20 is
established only while cellular communication between the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 and the controller 14 is desired. As used
herein, the term "cellular communication" is intended to refer to
any transmission or reception of data over a cellular network.
[0022] The cellular network 18 may be embodied as any type of
cellular wireless network and may include any number of devices
configured to facilitate cellular communication between the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 and the controller 14. For example, the
cellular network 18 may include one or more cellular carrier
networks electrically coupled to any number of carrier towers
having any number of cellular antennas coupled thereto. The
cellular carrier network(s) may include such elements as Mobile
Telephone or Telecommunications Switch Offices (hereinafter
sometimes MTSO), carrier base stations, interconnections operable
to couple the various elements of the cellular carrier network,
additional towers, antennas, and other communication devices useful
in propagating data across the cellular network 18. Additionally,
in some embodiments, the cellular network 18 may include portions
of the local Public Switch Telephone Network (hereinafter sometimes
PSTN).
[0023] The cellular network 18 may use any cellular transmission
protocol to facility the cellular communication between the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 and the controller 16. For example, in
some embodiments, the cellular network 18, or portion thereof, is
embodied as an analog wireless network such as an Advanced Mobile
Phone Service (hereinafter sometimes AMPS) network, a Narrowband
Advanced Mobile Phone Service (hereinafter sometimes NAMPS)
network, or other analog wireless network. In such embodiments, the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 and the controller 14 are configured to
communicate with each other over the cellular network 18 using an
analog wireless transmission protocol or technology such as, for
example, a Frequency Division Multiple Access (hereinafter
sometimes FDMA) transmission protocol.
[0024] In other embodiments, the cellular network 18, or portion
thereof, may be embodied as a digital wireless network such as a
Global System for Mobile Communications (hereinafter sometimes GSM)
network, a Personal Communications Systems (hereinafter sometimes
PCS) network, a Digital Advanced Mobile Phone Service (hereinafter
sometimes DAMPS) network, or other digital wireless network which,
in some implementations, may use, communicate with, or rely on
portions of an analog wireless network such as an AMPS network. In
the case of a digital network, the cellular network 18 may be
embodied as a circuit switched digital wireless network, a packet
switched wireless network, or other type of digital wireless
network including proprietary digital networks such as the
Integrated Digital Enhanced Network (hereinafter sometimes iDEN).
In embodiments wherein the cellular network 18 is embodied as or
includes such digital wireless networks, the orthopaedic prosthesis
12 and the controller 14 are configured to communicate with each
other over the cellular network 18 using a digital wireless
transmission protocol or technology such as, for example, a Time
Division Multiple Access (hereinafter sometimes TDMA) transmission
protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access (hereinafter sometimes
CDMA) transmission protocol, a Code Division Multiple Access 2000
(hereinafter sometimes CDMA2000) transmission protocol, a Wideband
Code Division Multiple Access (hereinafter sometimes WCDMA)
transmission protocol, and/or a Time Division-Synchronous Code
Division Multiple Access (hereinafter sometimes TD-SCDMA)
transmission protocol.
[0025] The controller 14 is coupled to the cellular network 18 via
a communication link 22. The communication link 22 may be embodied
as any type and number of communication links capable of
facilitating communication between the controller 14 and the
cellular network 18. The communication link 22 may be embodied as a
wired communication link, a wireless communication link, or a
combination thereof. For example, the communication link 22 may be
embodied as or otherwise include any number of wires, cables,
printed circuit board traces, vias, and/or the like.
[0026] The controller 14 includes a processor 26 and a memory
device 28. The processor 26 may be embodied as any type of
processor including, for example, discrete circuitry (e.g., a
collection of logic devices), general purpose integrated
circuit(s), and/or application specific integrated circuit(s)
(i.e., ASICs). The memory device 28 may be embodied as any type of
memory device and may include one or more memory types, such as,
random access memory (i.e., RAM) and/or read-only memory (i.e.,
ROM). In addition, the controller 14 may include other devices and
circuitry typically found in a computer for performing the
functions described herein such as, for example, a hard drive,
input/output circuitry, and the like.
[0027] The controller 14 forms a portion of a call center 30. The
call center 30 may include any number of controllers 14 configured
to communicate with the portable computing device 16 and the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12. In some embodiments, the call center 30
may form a portion of a hospital network. The call center 30
includes a database 32, which may be embodied as any type of
database capable of storing orthopaedic prosthesis-related data.
Although illustrated in FIG. 1 as a single database, it should be
appreciated that the database 32 may be embodied as any number of
separate databases, file folders, flat files, or other storage
locations.
[0028] The orthopaedic prosthesis-related data may include, for
example, orthopaedic prosthesis serial numbers, passcodes assigned
to individual surgeons, cellular telephone numbers and other
contact data, implant sensor data, and/or the like. The orthopaedic
prosthesis-related data may be stored in the database 32 in
association with, indexed by, or otherwise retrievable based on
each data type. For example, in one particular embodiment, implant
serial numbers are stored in association with passcodes assigned to
the orthopaedic surgeons or other healthcare providers authorized
to monitor the orthopaedic prosthesis identified by the particular
implant serial number as discussed in more detail below. The
patient database 32 may be located at the same location as the
controller 14 (e.g., within the same hospital) or may be located
remotely therefrom.
[0029] The controller 14 is communicatively coupled to the database
32 via a number of communication links 34. The communication links
34 may be embodied as any type of communications links such as a
wired communication link, a wireless communication link, or a
combination thereof. For example, the communication link 34 may be
embodied as or otherwise include any number of wires, cables,
printed circuit board traces, vias, and/or the like.
[0030] The controller 14 is also configured to communicate with the
portable computing device 16 via a network 24. The network 24 may
be embodied as any type of network capable of facilitating
communication between the portable computing device 16 and the
controller 14. For example, the network 24 may be embodied as or
include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or
may form a portion of a publicly-accessible, global network such as
the Internet. In addition, the network 24 may be embodied as a
wired network, a wireless network, or a combination thereof.
[0031] The controller 14 is coupled to the network 24 via a
communication link 36. The controller 14 is also coupled to the
cellular network 18 via a communication link 22. The communication
links 22, 36 may be embodied as any type of communication links
capable of facilitating communication between the controller 14 and
the cellular network 18 and the network 24, respectively. As such,
the communication links 22, 36 may be embodied as any type of
communications links such as wired communication links, a wireless
communication links, or a combination thereof. For example, the
communication link 22, 36 may be embodied as or otherwise include
any number of wires, cables, printed circuit board traces, vias,
and/or the like.
[0032] The portable computing device 16 is configured to
communicate with the controller 14 over the network 24. The
portable computing device 16 is also communicatively coupled to the
network 24 via a number of communication links 38. Similar to the
communication links 22, 36, the communication links 38 may be
embodied as any type of communications links such as a wired
communication link, a wireless communication link, or a combination
thereof. For example, the communication link 38 may be embodied as
or otherwise include any number of wires, cables, printed circuit
board traces, vias, and/or the like.
[0033] The portable computing device 16 may be embodied as any type
of computing device usable by an orthopaedic surgeon or other
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 to transmit data to and receive
data from the controller 14 over the network 24. For example, the
portable computing device 16 may be embodied as a Personal Digital
Assistant (hereinafter sometimes PDA), a laptop or desktop
computer, a PDA mobile phone, and/or similar computing devices
suitable for communicating with the controller 14 over the network
24 and displaying data to the orthopaedic healthcare provider
60.
[0034] The illustrative portable computing device 16 includes a
processor 40 and a memory device 42. The processor 40 may be
embodied as any type of processor including, for example, discrete
circuitry (e.g., a collection of logic devices), general purpose
integrated circuit(s), and/or application specific integrated
circuit(s) (i.e., ASICs). The memory device 42 may be embodied as
any type of memory device and may include one or more memory types,
such as, random access memory (i.e., RAM) and/or read-only memory
(i.e., ROM). In addition, the portable computing device 16 may
include other devices and circuitry typically found in a computer
for performing the functions described herein such as, for example,
a hard drive, input/output circuitry, and the like. For example,
the portable computing device 16 may include a
transmitter/receiver, network card, modem, and/or the like for
communicating with the controller 14 over the network 24.
[0035] In use, the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 may operate
the portable computing device 16 to monitor implant sensor data
generated by the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 and/or update
programming of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 as described in more
detail below in regard to FIGS. 3-5. To do so, the orthopaedic
healthcare provider may enter an implant serial number and a
passcode into the portable computing device 16, which is
subsequently transmitted to the controller 14 via the network 24.
The implant serial number may be embodied as any type of data that
uniquely identifies the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 from other
orthopaedic prostheses used in the system 10. As such, the implant
serial number may include any number and type of characters
including numeric characters and alphabetic characters. In one
particular embodiment, the implant serial number is identical to,
based on, or otherwise derived from a cellular telephone or access
number associated with the orthopaedic prosthesis device 12.
Similarly, the passcode may be embodied as any type of data that
identifies the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60. The passcode may
be unique to the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 or to some
other entity such as a hospital, a group of orthopaedic healthcare
providers, or the like.
[0036] Once the controller 14 receives the implant serial number
and passcode from the portable computing device 16, the controller
14 verifies that the orthopaedic surgeon or healthcare provider
associated with the passcode is authorized to communicate with the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 identified by the implant serial number.
To do so, the controller 14 may retrieve data, such as a look-up
table, from the database 32 and compare the passcode and implant
serial number to the retrieved data. If the user identified by the
passcode is authorized to communicate with the orthopaedic
prosthesis sensor, the controller 14 initiates cellular
communication with the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 and receives
implant sensor data transmitted from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
over the cellular network 18.
[0037] The controller 14 subsequently transmits the implant sensor
data to the portable computing device 16 via the network 24. The
implant sensor data, or indicia thereof such as a graph, chart, or
the like, is displayed to the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60
via a display device or the like of the portable computing device
16. In addition, the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 may operate
the portable computing device 16 to supply programming data to the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 via the cellular network 18. The
programming data is used by the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 to update
a program executed by electronic circuitry of the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12. Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments
as discussed in more detail below in regard to FIGS. 6-8, the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may be configured to initiate cellular
communication with the controller 14 based on a predetermined
condition such as the value(s) of the implant sensor data.
[0038] Referring now to FIG. 2, the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
includes electronic circuitry 100 coupled to or otherwise housed
therein. The electronic circuitry 100 includes a processor 102, one
or more implant sensors 104, and a cellular transmitter and/or
receiver (e.g., a cellular transceiver) 106. The processor 102 is
coupled to the sensor(s) 104 via a number of communication links
108 and to the cellular transmitter/transceiver 106 via a number of
communication links 110. The communication links 108, 110 may be
embodied as or otherwise include any number of wires, cables,
printed circuit board traces, vias, and/or the like.
[0039] The processor 102 may be embodied as any type of processor
capable of receiving implant sensor data from the implant sensor(s)
104 and transmitting the implant sensor data over the cellular
network 18 using the cellular transmitter/transceiver 106. For
example, the processor 102 may be embodied as, or otherwise include
discrete processing circuits (e.g., a collection of logic devices),
general purpose integrated circuit(s), and/or application specific
integrated circuit(s) (i.e., ASICs).
[0040] The electronic circuitry 100 may include any number of
implant sensors 104. The implant sensor(s) 104 may be embodied as
any type of implant sensor configured to generate implant sensor
data of a parameter of interest. For example, the implant sensor(s)
104 may be embodied as a pressure sensor, a load sensor, a
temperature sensor, a hall-effect sensor, or the like. The implant
sensor data is transmitted to the processor 102 via the
communication links 108.
[0041] As discussed above, the cellular transmitter 106 may be
embodied as any transmitter or transceiver configured to transmit
and/or receive data over the cellular network 18. That is, the
cellular transmitter 106 is configured to transmit and/or receive
data using a wireless carrier frequency and communication
protocol/technology supported or otherwise used by the cellular
network 18. As such, the cellular transmitter 106 may include any
number of circuits and electronic devices (e.g., a cellular
antenna) and, in some embodiments, may be similar to the cellular
transmitters/transceivers used in typical cellular telephones and
other cellular communication devices.
[0042] The electronic circuitry 100 also includes a memory device
112. The memory device 112 is communicatively coupled to the
processor 102 via a number of communication links 114. Similar to
communication links 108, 110, the communication links 114 may be
embodied as or otherwise include any number of wires, cables,
printed circuit board traces, vias, and/or the like. The memory
device 12 may be embodied as any type of memory device capable of
storing implant sensor data and, in some embodiments, programming
or software code. The memory device 12 may include one or more
memory types, such as, random access memory (i.e., RAM) and/or
read-only memory (i.e., ROM).
[0043] The processor 102 and other devices of the electronic
circuitry 100 receive power from a power source 116. The power
source 116 may be embodied as any type of power source capable of
supplying power to the other devices of the electronic circuitry
100 sufficient to perform the functions described herein. The power
source 116 may be a rechargeable power source or may be a
permanent, continuous power source. For example, the power source
116 may be embodied as an implant battery, an inductively charged
battery, a radio frequency (RF) charged battery, a vibration
charged power source, a piezoelectric power source, a thin-film,
battery, a thermal power source, an acoustic power source, and/or
the like.
[0044] In use, the processor 102 may be configured to receive
implant sensor data from the implant sensor(s) 104 and transmit the
implant sensor data to the controller 14 over the cellular network
18 in response to a signal received from the controller 14.
Additionally or alternatively, the processor 102 may be configured
to store the implant sensor data in the memory device 112 and
subsequently retrieve the stored implant sensor data for
transmission to the controller 14 via the cellular network 18.
Additionally, in some embodiments, the processor 102 is configured
to execute a program stored in or otherwise defined by data stored
in the memory device 112. The program or data may be embodied as
software/firmware code executed by the processor and/or other data
such as variable data used by a program executed by the processor
102. In such embodiments, the processor 102 may be configured to
update the program stored in the memory device 112 with, based on,
or using programming data received from the controller 106 via the
cellular network 18.
[0045] In operation, the portable computing device 16 (i.e., the
processor 40) of the system 10 may execute an algorithm 200 for
monitoring orthopaedic prosthesis data as illustrated in FIG. 3.
The algorithm 200 begins with a process step 202 in which the
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 (e.g., an orthopaedic surgeon)
supplies the implant serial number associated with the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 of interest and the passcode associated with the
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60. As discussed above in regard to
FIG. 1, the implant serial number may be embodied as any type of
data that uniquely identifies the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 from
other orthopaedic prostheses and the passcode may be embodied as
any type of data that identifies the orthopaedic healthcare
provider 60.
[0046] The surgeon may supply the implant serial number and
passcode via manually typing in the data or otherwise operating the
portable computing device 16 such that the implant serial number
and passcode are transmitted to the controller 14. In one
particular embodiment, the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 is
prompted for the implant serial number and passcode (e.g., via a
data field) once the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 has
initiated communication with the controller 14 over the network 24.
Once the user has entered or otherwise supplied the implant serial
number and passcode via the portable computing device 16, the
implant serial number and passcode are transmitted from the
portable computing device 16 to the controller 14 via the network
24 and communication links 36, 38 in process step 204.
[0047] Subsequently, the processor 40 of the portable computing
device 16 determines if the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60
desires to monitor implant sensor data and/or update the
programming of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process steps 206,
208, respectively. To do so, the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60
may be prompted to choose which function the orthopaedic healthcare
provider 60 would like to perform. Alternatively, both functions
may be accessible by the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 at any
time. As such, it should be appreciated that the process steps 206,
208 may be executed in a sequential order or contemporaneously with
each other.
[0048] If the processor 40 determines that the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 desires to monitor implant sensor data in
process step 206, the algorithm 200 advances to process step 210.
In process step 210, the portable computing device 16 receives
implant sensor data from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 via the
cellular network 18, the controller 14, and the network 24. The
implant sensor data may be current implant sensor data and/or
historical implant sensor data generated over a period of time.
Subsequently, in process step 212, the received implant sensor data
or indicia thereof is displayed to the orthopaedic healthcare
provider 60 on a display screen, monitor, or other display device
of the portable computing device 16. For example, the implant
sensor data may be displayed in numerical form, in a graph, in a
chart, or the like. As such, the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60
may monitor any parameter of interest that is measured by one or
more of the implant sensors 104 in near-real time and/or monitor
historic implant sensor data generated therefrom.
[0049] Referring back to process step 208, if the processor 40
determines that the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 desires to
update the programming of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12,
programming data is received from the orthopaedic healthcare
provider 60 in process step 214. The orthopaedic healthcare
provider 60 may supply the programming data by manually typing in
the data into the portable computing device 16 and/or by supplying
the data on a readable media such as a diskette, a compact disc
read only memory (CD ROM) media, digital video disk (DVD) media,
universal serial bus (USB) flashdrive, or the like. In such
embodiments, the portable computing device 16 includes a suitable
media player such as a "floppy" disk drive, a CD ROM drive, a DVD
drive, or the like.
[0050] The programming data may be embodied as any type of
programming data usable by the electronic circuitry 100 of the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12. For example, the programming data may be
embodied as software/firmware code that is configured to be
executed by the processor 102 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12.
Additionally, or alternatively, the programming data may be
embodied as variable data configured to be used by a program
executed by the processor 102. In addition, the programming data
may be used by the electronic circuitry 100 to alter, change, or
affect any function of the electronic circuitry 100. For example,
the program data may alter the sampling rate used by the processor
102 to sample the implant sensor data generated by the implant
sensor(s) 104, to alter threshold values or tolerance ranges, to
alter communication protocols used by the cellular
transmitter/transceiver 106, and/or any other device or function of
the electronic circuitry 100.
[0051] Once the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 has provided the
programming data in process step 214, the programming data is
transmitted to the controller 14 in process step 216. The
programming data is transmitted to the controller 14 via the
communication links 36, 38 and the network 24.
[0052] Referring now to FIGS. 4A-B, the controller 14 of the call
center 30 is configured to execute an algorithm 300 for
communicating with an orthopaedic prosthesis 12 over the cellular
network 18 during the operation of the system 10. The algorithm 300
beings with a process step 302 in which the implant serial number
and the passcode are received from the portable computing device 16
via the network 24. Next, in process step 304, the controller 14
determines if the implant serial number and passcode are valid. To
do so, the controller 14 may retrieve data from the database and
compare the retrieved data to the implant serial number and/or the
passcode. Such a comparison may include any number of comparison
steps. For example, the controller 14 may compare the received
implant serial number to a list of implant serial numbers to verify
that the received implant serial number is a valid implant serial
number. Additionally, the controller 14 may compare the received
passcode to a list of passcodes to verify that the received
passcode is a valid passcode. Yet further, the controller 14 may
retrieve a "look-up" table or the like, which relates passcodes to
authorized implant serial numbers, from the database 32. If so, the
controller 14 may compare the received implant serial number and
passcode to the "look-up" table to verify that the orthopaedic
healthcare provider identified by the received passcode is
authorized to communicate with the orthopaedic prosthesis
identified by the received implant serial number. Additionally, the
controller 14 may use other algorithms and security measures to
ensure the identity of the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 and
appropriate authorization.
[0053] If the implant serial number and/or passcode are not valid,
the algorithm 300 loops back to process step 302 wherein the
controller 14 waits to receive a new implant serial number and/or
passcode. However, if the controller 14 determines that the implant
serial number and passcode are valid in process step 304, the
algorithm 300 advances to process step 306 in which the controller
14 retrieves contact data associated with the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 identified by the implant serial number from the
database 32. The contact data may be embodied as any type of data
with which the controller 14 may initiate cellular communication
with the orthopaedic prosthesis 12. For example, in one embodiment,
the contact data may be embodied as or may be based on a cellular
telephone number or cellular access number of the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12. The controller 14 may retrieve the contact data by,
for example, retrieving a "look-up" table from the database 32 that
indexes implant serial numbers to associated contact data. The
controller 14 may then determine the appropriate contact data based
on the received implant serial number. Alternatively, in some
embodiments the implant serial number is embodied as the contact
data. For example, the implant serial number may be embodied as the
cellular telephone or access number of the orthopaedic prosthesis
12. In such embodiments, the process step 306 may be skipped.
[0054] Once the controller 14 has retrieved the contact data for
the appropriate orthopaedic prosthesis 12 from the database 32, the
controller 14 initiates cellular communication with the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 in process step 308. To do so, the controller 14 is
configured to establish a cellular connection with the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 (via the cellular transmitter/transceiver 106) over
the cellular network 18 using the contact data. For example, the
controller 14 may transmit the appropriate data to the cellular
network 18 to facilitate the cellular connection. In addition, the
controller 14 and the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may perform any
number of initialization steps, "handshaking" steps, or the like to
initialize or otherwise establish the cellular communication
therebetween.
[0055] Once the controller 14 has initiated cellular communication
with the orthopaedic prosthesis 12, the controller 14 is configured
to transmit the received implant serial number to the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12. To do so, the controller 14 transmits the received
implant serial number over the cellular network 18 via the
communication links 20, 22. Subsequently, the controller 14
determines if the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 desires to
monitor implant sensor data and/or update the programming of the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process steps 312, 314,
respectively.
[0056] The controller 14 may determine if the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 desires to monitor implant sensor data
and/or update the programming of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
based on, for example, data or signals received from the portable
computing device 16 and/or from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12. For
example, the controller 14 may determine that the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 desires to monitor implant sensor data if
implant sensor data is received from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12.
Alternatively, the controller 14 may determine that the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 desires to update the programming of the
orthopaedic prosthesis if programming data is received form the
portable computing device 16. Additionally or alternatively, the
portable computing device 16 may be configured to transmit a signal
or data to the controller 14 to inform the controller 14 that the
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 desires to monitor implant
sensor data and/or update the programming of the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12. As such, the controller 14 may use any one or more
of a number of methods to determine which one or more functions to
perform.
[0057] If the controller 14 determines that the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 desires to monitor the implant sensor data
in process step 312, the algorithm 300 advances to process step 313
in which the controller 14 transmits a signal to the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 instructing the prosthesis to begin transmitting the
implant sensor data. Subsequently, in process step 316, the
controller 14 receives implant sensor data from the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 via the cellular network 18. In response to receipt
of the implant sensor data, the controller 14 is configured to
transmit the implant sensor data to the portable computing device
16 via the network 24.
[0058] Referring back to process step 314, if the controller 14
determines that the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 desires to
update the programming of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process
step 314, the algorithm advances to process step 315 in which the
controller 14 transmits a signal to the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
to prepare for a programming update. Subsequently, in process step
320, the controller 14 transmits the programming data to the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12. To do so, the controller 14 transmits
the programming data over the cellular network 18 via the
communication links 20, 22. Once the controller 14 has transmitted
the implant sensor data to the portable computing device 16 and/or
transmitted the programming data to the orthopaedic prosthesis 12,
the algorithm 300 loops back to process step 302 wherein the
controller 14 waits to receive a new implant serial number and/or
passcode.
[0059] Referring now to FIG. 5, the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 of
the system 10 is configured to execute an algorithm 400 for
communicating with the controller 14 over the cellular network 18.
The algorithm 400 begins with a process step 402 in which the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 initializes cellular communication with
the controller 14 of the call center 30. As discussed above in
regard to process step 308 of algorithm 300, the controller 14 is
configured to initiate cellular communication with the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 in the illustrative embodiment. As such, in process
step 402, the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 (i.e., the electronic
circuitry 100) may be configured to perform any number of
initialization steps, "handshaking" steps, or the like to
initialize or otherwise establish the cellular communication with
the controller 14 in process step 402.
[0060] Once the cellular communication with the controller 14 has
been initialized or otherwise established in process step 402, the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 receives the implant serial number from
the controller 14 in process step 404. In process step 406, the
processor 102 is configured to determine if the received implant
serial number is valid. To do so, in one embodiment, the processor
102 is configured to retrieve an implant serial number associated
with the implant 12 from the memory device 112. The processor 102
compares the retrieved implant serial number with the implant
serial number received from the controller 14 to determine if the
implant serial numbers are equal or otherwise match within some
predetermined amount of tolerance. In this way, the processor 102
ensures that the controller 14 has initiated cellular communication
with the correct orthopaedic prosthesis 12. If the processor 102
determines that the received implant serial number is not valid,
the algorithm 400 loops back to process step 402 wherein the
electronic circuitry 100 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 waits for
the initiation of a new cellular communication from the controller
14.
[0061] If, however, the processor 102 determines that the received
implant serial number is valid in process step 406, the algorithm
400 advances to process steps 408 and 410. In process steps 408 and
410, the processor 102 determines if the orthopaedic healthcare
provider 60 desires to monitor implant sensor data and/or update
the programming of the electronic circuitry 100, respectively. The
processor 102 may determine if the orthopaedic healthcare provider
60 desires to monitor implant sensor data and/or update the
programming of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 based on, for example,
data or signals received from the controller 14. For example, the
processor 102 may determine that the orthopaedic healthcare
provider 60 desires to update the programming of the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 if programming data is received from the controller
14. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 14 may be
configured to transmit a signal or data to the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 to inform the processor 102 that the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 desires to monitor implant sensor data
and/or update the programming of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12. As
such, the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may use any one or more of a
number of methods to determine which one or more functions to
perform.
[0062] If the processor 102 determines that the orthopaedic
healthcare provider desires to monitor implant sensor data in step
408, the algorithm 400 advances to process step 412. In process
step 412, the processor 102 is configured to transmit the current
implant sensor data received from the implant sensor(s) 104 to the
controller 14. To do so, the processor 102 is configured to control
the cellular transmitter/transceiver 106 to transmit the implant
sensor data over the cellular network 18. The implant sensor data
may be transmitted in any suitable form. For example, the implant
sensor data may be transmitted in compressed or non-compressed form
to the controller 14.
[0063] Subsequently, in process step 416, the processor 102
determines if any stored implant sensor data should be transmitted
to the controller 14. To do so, the processor 102 may be programmed
or otherwise configured to transmit or not transmit the stored
implant sensor data. Additionally or alternatively, the processor
102 may be configured to access or otherwise retrieve data from the
memory device 112 and determine if the stored implant sensor data
should be transmitted based on such data (e.g., based on the value
of the retrieved data). In this way, the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
may be programmed to transmit stored data or not to transmit stored
data depending on the particular application and/or implementation
of the system 10 and/or the orthopaedic prosthesis 12.
[0064] If the processor 102 determines that any stored implant
sensor data should not be transmitted in process step 416, the
algorithm 400 loops back to process step 402 wherein the electronic
circuitry 100 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 waits for the
initiation of a new cellular communication from the controller 14.
If, however, the processor 102 determines that the implant sensor
data stored in the memory device 112 should also be transmitted,
the algorithm 400 advances to process step 418. In process step
418, the implant sensor data stored in the memory device 112 is
retrieved. The retrieved implant sensor data is subsequently
transmitted to the controller 14 in process step 420. To do so, the
processor 102 is configured to control the cellular
transmitter/transceiver 106 to transmit the retrieved implant
sensor data over the cellular network 18. Again, the implant sensor
data retrieved from the memory device 112 may be transmitted to the
controller 14 in any suitable form including, for example,
compressed or non-compressed form. Once the retrieved implant
sensor data has been transmitted to the controller 14 in process
step 420, the algorithm 400 loops back to process step 402 wherein
the electronic circuitry 100 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 waits
for the initiation of a new cellular communication from the
controller 14.
[0065] Referring back to process step 410, if the processor 410
determines that orthopaedic healthcare provider desires to update
the programming of the electronic circuitry 100, the algorithm 400
advances to process step 422. In process step 422, processor 102
receives programming data from the controller 14 over the cellular
network 18 using the cellular transmitter/transceiver 106.
Subsequently, in process step 424, the processor 102 is configured
to update one or more programs or programming data used by the
electronic circuitry 100 using the received programming data
depending on, for example, the type of programming data received.
For example, in embodiments wherein the programming data is
embodied as software/firmware code, the processor 102 may be
configured to store the programming data in the memory device 112
and subsequently begin executing the software/firmware code.
[0066] In such embodiments, the electronic circuitry 100 may
require a "reboot" or otherwise re-initialization to begin
executing the new programming code. In other embodiments wherein
the programming data is embodied as variable data, the processor
102 may be configured to store the programming data in the memory
device 112 such that the programming data overwrites existing data
stored therein. In this way, the programming data may alter,
change, or update old variable data used by the software and/or
firmware executed by the electronic circuitry 100. For example, a
data variable indicating if the processor 102 should transmit
stored implant sensor data may be stored in the memory device 112
in a known memory location. In such embodiments, the processor 102
is configured to analyze the stored data variable to determine
whether to transmit stored implant data. As such, the programming
of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may be altered, changed, or
updated by transmitting a new data value to replace the data
variable stored in the memory device 112. Regardless, once the
processor 102 has updated the programming of the orthopaedic device
12 with the programming data received from the controller 14, the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 transmits a confirmation signal to the
call center 30 to confirm that the programming of the orthopedic
prosthesis 12 is complete in process step 426. Subsequently, the
algorithm 400 loops back to process step 402 wherein the electronic
circuitry 100 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 waits for the
initiation of a new cellular communication from the controller
14.
[0067] Referring now to FIGS. 6-8, in some embodiments, the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may be configured to initiate cellular
communication with the controller 14 if one or more predetermined
conditions occur. In such embodiments, the processor 102 of the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may be configured to execute an algorithm
500 for communicating with the controller 14 over the cellular
network 18 as illustrated in FIG. 6. The algorithm 500 beings with
a process step 502 in which the processor 102 determines if the
value of the implant sensor data received from any one or more of
the implant sensors 104 is out of a tolerance range and/or above or
below a predetermined threshold level. For example, if the relevant
implant sensor 104 is a pressure sensor configured to generate
pressure data, the processor 102 may be configured to determine if
the pressure data is above some predetermined maximum allowable
pressure value and/or below some predetermined minimum allowable
pressure value. To do so, the processor 102 may compare the
pressure data received from the implant sensor 104 to a value or
values stored in the memory device 112. In such embodiments, the
value or values stored in the memory device 112 form a portion of
the programming data of the orthopaedic device 12 and, as such, may
be changed, altered, or otherwise updated as discussed in detail
above in regard to FIGS. 3-5.
[0068] If the processor 102 determines that the implant sensor data
received from the implant sensor(s) 104 is out of the predetermined
tolerance range and/or above or below a predetermined threshold
value in process step 502, the algorithm 500 advances to process
step 504. In process step 504, the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
initiates cellular communication with the controller 14. To do so,
the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 is configured to establish a cellular
connection with the controller 14 via use of the cellular
transmitter/transceiver 106. For example, the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 may transmit the appropriate data to the cellular
network 18 to facilitate the cellular connection. In addition, the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 and the controller 14 may perform any
number of initialization steps, "handshaking" steps, or the like to
initialize or otherwise establish the cellular communication
therebetween.
[0069] Once the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 has initiated cellular
communication with the controller 14, the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
is configured to transmit the implant serial number associated with
the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process step 506. To do so, the
processor 102 may be configured to retrieve the implant serial
number from the memory device 112 and transmit the implant serial
number over the cellular network 18 via the communication links 20,
22. Subsequently, in process step 508, the processor 102 is
configured to transmit the implant sensor data received from the
implant sensor(s) 104 to the controller 14. To do so, the processor
102 is configured to control the cellular transmitter/transceiver
106 to transmit the implant sensor data over the cellular network
18. As discussed above, the implant sensor data may be transmitted
in any suitable form. For example, the implant sensor data may be
transmitted in compressed or non-compressed form to the controller
14. Subsequently, in process step 509, the processor 102 determines
if the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 should continue to send current
implant data to the controller 14. If so, the algorithm 500 loops
back process step 508 in which the current implant sensor data is
transmitted to the controller 14 as described above. In this way,
the processor 102 may transmit a stream of current implant data to
the controller 14. The orthopaedic prosthesis 12 may be instructed
to continue sending the current implant data by a signal received
from the controller 14, based on a predetermined transmission time,
or a programmable flag or data value. If the processor 102
determines that the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 should continue
sending the orthopaedic implant sensor data in process step 509,
the algorithm 500 advances to process step 510.
[0070] In process step 510, the processor 102 determines if any
stored implant sensor data should be transmitted to the controller
14. To do so, the processor 102 may be programmed or otherwise
configured to transmit or not transmit the stored implant sensor
data. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 102 may be
configured to access or otherwise retrieve data from the memory
device 112 and determine if the stored implant sensor data should
be transmitted based on such data (e.g., based on the value of the
retrieved data).
[0071] If the processor 102 determines that any stored implant
sensor data should not be transmitted in process step 510, the
algorithm 500 loops back to process step 502 wherein the processor
102 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 determines if the implant
sensor data received from the implant sensor(s) 104 is within the
predetermined tolerance range. If, however, the processor 102
determines that the implant sensor data stored in the memory device
112 should also be transmitted, the algorithm 500 advances to
process step 512. In process step 512, the processor 102 retrieves
the implant sensor data from the memory device 112. The retrieved
implant sensor data is subsequently transmitted to the controller
14 in process step 514. To do so, the processor 102 is configured
to control the cellular transmitter/transceiver 106 to transmit the
retrieved implant sensor data over the cellular network 18. Again,
the implant sensor data retrieved from the memory device 112 may be
transmitted to the controller 14 in any suitable form including,
for example, compressed or non-compressed form. Once the retrieved
implant sensor data has been transmitted to the controller 14 in
process step 514, the algorithm 500 loops back to process step 502
wherein the processor 102 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
determines if the implant sensor data received from the implant
sensor(s) 104 are within the predetermined tolerance range.
[0072] Referring back to process step 502, if the processor
determines that the implant sensor data received from implant
sensor(s) 104 is within the predetermined tolerance range, the
algorithm 500 advances to process step 516. In process step 516,
the processor 102 determines if there is any incoming cellular
communication from the controller 104. To do so, the processor 102
may monitor the data output of the cellular transmitter/transceiver
106. If the processor 102 determines that there is no incoming
cellular communication, the algorithm 500 loops back to process
step 502 wherein the processor 102 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12
determines if the implant sensor data received from the implant
sensor(s) 104 are within the predetermined tolerance range.
[0073] However, if the processor 102 determines that there is
incoming cellular communication from the controller 14 in process
step 516, the algorithm 500 advances to process step 518. In
process step 518, the processor is configured to communicate with
the controller 14 of the call center 30 over the cellular network
18. In process step 516, the processor may transmit implant sensor
data, including stored implant sensor data in some embodiments, to
the controller 14 over the cellular network 18 and/or receive
programming data from the controller 14 over the cellular network
18. As such, it should be appreciated that the processor may
execute an algorithm similar to the algorithm 400 illustrated in
and discussed above in regard to FIG. 5 in process step 518. For
example, the processor 102 may be configured to receive an implant
serial number from controller 14, determine the validity of the
implant serial number, transmit current and stored implant sensor
data to the controller 14, receive programming data from the
controller 14, and/or update the programming of the orthopaedic
device 12 using the programming data in process step 518. Once the
processor 102 has communicated with the controller 14 in process
step 518, the algorithm 500 loops back to process step 502 wherein
the processor 102 of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 determines if
the implant sensor data received from the implant sensor(s) 104 is
within the predetermined tolerance range.
[0074] Referring now to FIG. 7, in embodiments wherein the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 is also configured to initiate cellular
communication with the controller 14, the controller 14 may execute
an algorithm 600 for communicating with an orthopaedic prosthesis
12 over the cellular network 18. The algorithm 600 beings with a
process step 602 in which the controller 14 determines if there is
incoming cellular communication from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12.
If so, the algorithm 600 advances to process step 604 wherein the
controller 14 is configured to initialize cellular communication
with the orthopaedic prosthesis 12. To do so, the controller 14 may
be configured to perform any number of initialization steps,
"handshaking" steps, or the like to initialize or otherwise
establish the cellular communication with the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12.
[0075] Once the controller 14 has initialized cellular
communication with the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process step
604, the controller 14 is configured to receive an implant serial
number from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 over the cellular network
18 in process step 606. In addition, in process step 608, the
controller 14 receives implant sensor data from the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12 via the cellular network 18. In some embodiments, the
controller 14 may be configured to store the implant serial number
and/or the implant sensor data in the memory device 28 and/or the
database 32.
[0076] Once the controller 14 has received the implant serial
number and sensor data, the controller 14 is configured to retrieve
contact information associated with the portable computing device
16 based on the received implant serial number in process step 610.
The contact information may be embodied as any type of data with
which the controller 14 may initiate communication with the
portable computing device 16 over the network 24. For example, in
one embodiment, the contact information may be embodied as or be
based on an internet protocol (IP) address or a cellular telephone
or access number of the portable computing device 16. Additionally,
in some embodiments, the contact information may be embodied as or
include an e-mail address or the like. The controller 14 may
retrieve the contact information by, for example, retrieving a
"look-up" table from the database 32 that indexes implant serial
numbers to associated contact information. The controller 14 may
then determine the appropriate contact information based on the
received implant serial number.
[0077] Once the controller 14 has retrieved the contact information
for the appropriate portable computing device 16 from the database
32, the controller 14 initiates network communication with the
portable computing device 16 in process step 612. To do so, the
controller 14 is configured to establish a network connection with
the portable computing device 16 over the network 24 using the
contact information. For example, the controller 14 may transmit
the appropriate data to the network 24 to facilitate the network
connection. In addition, the controller 14 and the portable
computing device 16 may perform any number of initialization steps,
"handshaking" steps, or the like to initialize or otherwise
establish the cellular communication therebetween.
[0078] Once the controller 14 has initiated communication with the
portable computing device 16, the controller 14 is configured to
transmit the received implant sensor data to the portable computing
device 16 in process step 614. To do so, the controller 14
transmits the received implant sensor data over the network 24 via
the communication links 36, 38. Once the controller 14 has
transmitted the implant sensor data to the portable computing
device 16, the algorithm 600 loops back to the process step 602
wherein the controller 14 is configured to determine if there is
any new cellular communication incoming from the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12.
[0079] Referring back to process step 602, if the controller 14
determines that there is no incoming cellular communication from
the orthopaedic prosthesis 12, the algorithm 600 advances to
process step 616. In process step 616, the controller 14 determines
if there is any incoming communication from the portable computing
device 16. If the controller 14 determines that there is no
incoming communication, the algorithm 600 loops back to the process
step 602 wherein the controller 14 is configured to determine if
there is any new cellular communication incoming from the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12.
[0080] However, if the controller 14 determines that there is
incoming communication from the portable computing device 16 in
process step 616, the algorithm 600 advances to process step 618.
In process step 618, the controller 14 is configured to communicate
with the portable computing device 16 over the network 24 and/or
the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 over the cellular network 24. In
process step 618, the controller 14 receives implant serial numbers
and passcodes from the portable computing device 16, receives
implant sensor data from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12, and/or
transmits implant sensor data to the portable computing device 16
over the network 24. As such, it should be appreciated that the
controller 14 may execute a sub-algorithm similar to the algorithm
300 illustrated in and discussed above in regard to FIGS. 4A-B in
process step 618. For example, the controller 14 may be configured
to receive an implant serial number and passcode from the portable
computing device 16, validate the implant serial number and
passcode, receive programming data from the portable computing
device 16, initiate cellular communication with the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12, receive implant sensor data from the orthopaedic
prosthesis 12, transmit the implant sensor data to the portable
computing device 16, and/or transmit the programming data to the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process step 618. Once the controller
14 has communicated with the portable computing device 16 and/or
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process step 618, the algorithm 600
loops back to process step 602 wherein the controller 14 is
configured to determine if there is any new cellular communication
incoming from the orthopaedic prosthesis 12.
[0081] Referring now to FIG. 8, in embodiments wherein the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 is also configured to initiate cellular
communication with the controller 14, the portable computing device
16 may execute an algorithm 700 for monitoring orthopaedic
prosthesis data. The algorithm 700 beings with a process step 702
in which the controller 14 determines if there is incoming
communication from the controller 14. If so, the algorithm 700
advances to process step 704 wherein the portable computing device
16 is configured to initialize network communication with the
controller 14. To do so, the portable computing device 16 may be
configured to perform any number of initialization steps,
"handshaking" steps, or the like to initialize or otherwise
establish the network communication with the controller 14.
[0082] Once the communication has been established with the
controller 14, the portable computing device 16 receives implant
sensor data from the controller 14 in process step 706. As
discussed above, the implant sensor data may be current implant
sensor data and/or historical implant sensor data generated over a
period of time. Subsequently, in process step 708, the received
implant sensor data or indicia thereof is displayed to the
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 on a display screen, monitor, or
other display device of the portable computing device 16. For
example, the implant sensor data may be displayed in numerical
form, in a graph, in a chart, or the like. As such, the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 may be automatically and/or promptly
notified if a problem has occurred with the orthopaedic prosthesis
12 as defined by the implant sensor data. The orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60 may then subsequently monitor the
performance of the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 via the implant sensor
data received from the controller 14 and displayed on the portable
computing device 16.
[0083] In process step 709, the portable computing deice 16
determines if the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 desires to
disconnect from the call center 30 (i.e., stop receiving implant
sensor data). If so, the algorithm 700 loops back to process step
702 in which the portable communication device 16 again monitors
for any incoming communication from the call center 30. However, if
the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 desires to continue
receiving orthopaedic prosthesis data, the algorithm 700 loops back
to process step 706 and 708 in which additional current orthopaedic
prosthesis data is received and displayed to the orthopedic
healthcare provider 60.
[0084] Referring back to process step 702, if the portable
computing device 16 determines that there is no incoming network
communication from the controller 14, the algorithm 700 advances to
process step 710. In process step 710, the portable computing
device 16 determines if the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60
desires to interact with the orthopaedic prosthesis 12 (e.g.,
monitor implant sensor data and/or update the programming of the
implant 12). If the portable computing device 16 determines that
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 does not desire to interact with
the orthopaedic prosthesis 12, the algorithm 700 loops back to the
process step 702 wherein the portable computing device 16 is
configured to determine if there is any new network communication
incoming from the controller 14.
[0085] However, if the portable computing device 16 determines that
the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60 desires to interact with the
orthopaedic prosthesis 12 in process step 710, the algorithm 700
advances to process step 712. In process step 712, the portable
computing device 16 is configured to communicate with the
controller 14 of the call center 30 over the network 24. In process
step 712, the portable computing device 16 is configured to
transmit an implant serial number, passcode, and/or programming
data to the controller 14, receive implant sensor data from the
controller 14, and display the implant sensor data to the
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60. As such, it should be
appreciated that the portable computing device 16 may execute a
sub-algorithm similar to the algorithm 200 illustrated in and
discussed above in regard to FIG. 3 in process step 712. For
example, the portable computing device 16 may be configured to
receive an implant serial number and passcode from the orthopaedic
healthcare provider 60, receive programming data from the
orthopaedic healthcare provider 60, transmit the implant serial
number, the passcode, and the programming data to the controller
14, receive implant sensor data form the controller 14, and display
the implant sensor data to the orthopaedic healthcare provider 60
in process step 712. Once the portable computing device 16 has
communicated with the controller 14 in process step 712, the
algorithm 700 loops back to process step 702 wherein the portable
computing device 16 is configured to determine if there is any new
network communication incoming from the controller 14.
[0086] While the disclosure has been illustrated and described in
detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such an
illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and
not restrictive in character, it being understood that only
illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all
changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the
disclosure are desired to be protected.
[0087] There are a plurality of advantages of the present
disclosure arising from the various features of the systems and
methods described herein. It will be noted that alternative
embodiments of the systems and methods of the present disclosure
may not include all of the features described yet still benefit
from at least some of the advantages of such features. Those of
ordinary skill in the art may readily devise their own
implementations of the systems and methods that incorporate one or
more of the features of the present invention and fall within the
spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the
appended claims.
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