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US-20260124328-A1 - Treatment Transducer for In Vivo Disinfection of Surfaces of Electrically Conductive Medical Devices,Parts and Components

US20260124328A1US 20260124328 A1US20260124328 A1US 20260124328A1US-20260124328-A1

Abstract

A treatment transducer for a generator of alternating magnetic fields for in vivo disinfection of electrically conductive surfaces of medical implants, which may be used with a wide variety of implants and medical devices. The treatment head includes an enclosure for enveloping a portion of a body in which an implant is to be treated, and which contains a plurality of transducers for converting a radio-frequency signal to generating a shaped alternating magnetic field.

Inventors

  • John C. Tepper
  • Varun Sadaphal
  • Bibin Prasad
  • Sandy Huang
  • Andrei Mitrofan
  • Jason Fisher

Assignees

  • SOLENIC MEDICAL, INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20250929

Claims (16)

  1. 1 . An alternating magnetic field transducer for in vivo disinfection of electrically-conductive surfaces of medical devices, parts and components implanted internally into a patient body portion, comprising: a coil-holding form for positioning adjacent to a patient body portion having a electrically-conductive surface to be disinfected; and one or more coils physically held in a physical pattern and supported by the form, which, when excited by an excitation signal, generates a shaped electromagnetic field and provides focused induced heating of the electrically-conductive surface to be disinfected; thereby providing selective in vivo heating of the electrically-conductive surface and reducing heating of adjacent patient tissue.
  2. 2 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the physical pattern comprises a first pattern having a general “bean” shape, and a second pattern having a general “bean” shape, wherein the first and second bean shapes may be different, thereby producing, when excited by an excitation signal, the shaped electromagnetic field to match a specific contour of the specific surface to be disinfected.
  3. 3 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coil-holding form comprises a U-shape structure defining a volume within the U-shape for receiving the patient body portion.
  4. 4 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coil-holding form is rigid.
  5. 5 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coil-holding form is flexible.
  6. 6 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coil-holding form defines a volume to receive and at least partially envelop a patient body portion having the surface to be disinfected.
  7. 7 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coil-holding form comprises a plurality of shaped grooves, indentations, posts, or a combination thereof into which, through which, and around which coil conductors are received to form the coil pattern.
  8. 8 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein one or more coils comprises Litz wire.
  9. 9 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein one or more coils comprises a printed circuit board.
  10. 10 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein one or more coils is formed separately from the holding enclosure structure.
  11. 11 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 wherein in a physical shape of the coil-holding form is adapted for positioning relative to the patient body portion in a position selected from the group consisting of over, under, around, in front of, behind, below, above, below and beside the patient body portion having the surface to be disinfected.
  12. 12 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 11 wherein the positioning comprises one or more movements selected from the group consisting of sliding axially, lowering down, raising up, closing around, wrapping around, laying upon and horizontally moving.
  13. 13 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a gantry arm supporting the coil-holding form.
  14. 14 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 further comprising one or more tank circuit components in electrical communication with the one or more coils.
  15. 15 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 14 wherein the one or more tank circuit components comprise one or more components selected from the group of a capacitor, a temperature sensor, and a current sensor.
  16. 16 . The alternating magnetic field transducer as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a coupon sensor disposed near the one or more coils to be heated by receiving a portion of the alternating magnetic field produced by the coils when excited by an excitation signal, and a temperature sensor disposed on or near the coupon sensor for measuring the heating effect.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This application claims benefit of the filing date of U.S. Non-Provisional Utility patent application Ser. No. 18/934,339, our docket FGP23SLC2NP, filed on Nov. 1, 2024, by John C. Tepper et al., which claims benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/595,261, our docket FGP23SLC2, filed on Nov. 11, 2023, by John C. Tepper. This invention is related to systems and methods for disinfecting metallic surfaces of electrically conductive medical devices, parts and components which have been implanted internally to patients, including but not limited to metallic implants and carbon fiber implants. INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE The following patent applications and patents are incorporated by reference in their entireties, including drawings: a. WIPO International Patent Application WO2022/140226 A1, published on Jun. 30, 2022, by inventors David Greenberg, et al.;b. U.S. Non-Provisional Utility patent application Ser. No. 18/934,339, our docket FGP23SLC2NP, filed on Nov. 1, 2024, by John C. Tepper et al.; andc. U.S. Provisional Patent Application 63/595,261, our docket FGP 23SLC2, filed on Nov. 11, 2023, by John C. Tepper. This invention is related to systems and methods for disinfecting metallic surfaces of electrically conductive medical devices, parts and components which have been implanted internally to patients, including but not limited to metallic implants and carbon fiber implants. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A treatment transducer is disclosed for a generator of alternating magnetic fields for in vivo disinfection of electrically conductive surfaces of medical implants, which may be used with a wide variety of implants and appliances. The treatment transducer includes an enclosure for enveloping a portion of a body in which an implant is to be treated, and which contains a plurality of conductive windings for converting a radio-frequency electrical signal to generating a shaped alternating magnetic field. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A treatment transducer is disclosed for a generator of alternating magnetic fields for in vivo disinfection of electrically conductive surfaces of medical implants, which may be used with a wide variety of implants and medical devices. The treatment head includes an enclosure for enveloping a portion of a body in which an implant is to be treated, and which contains a plurality of transducers for converting a radio-frequency signal to generating a shaped alternating magnetic field. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from the appended claims, the following detailed description of one or more example embodiments, and the corresponding figures. Where considered appropriate, reference labels have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. This patent application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a treatment head according to at least one embodiment of the related invention. FIG. 2 shows a top-down view of a treatment head according to at least one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a side view of a treatment head according to at least one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates an example coil interconnection plan according to at least one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 provides a block diagram of system components according to at least one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 depicts an entire example system embodiment of an AMF treatment system according to the present and related inventions. FIG. 7 shows the general phases of thermal disruption of biofilms on targeted surfaces of a prosthetic joint using AMF. FIG. 8 illustrates how such an AMF treatment transducer is positioned over and around a prosthetic knee joint. FIG. 9 shows the general phases of development of a make-and-model specific AMF treatment transducer device according to the present invention. FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of a treatment head according to at least one embodiment of the present invention for a second specific make-and-model of prosthetic knee. FIG. 11 shows a side view of the device of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 shows a side view of the device of FIG. 10. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSED EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION Prosthetic Joint Infections (PJIs) are debilitating and increasing in occurrence globally. An average lifetime cost of care has been estimated to be $415,000 per prosthetic joint, per U.S. CMS Coding Data (Q2/24-Q1/25), and there remains an unacceptably high rate of morbidity and mortality. Per the AcuityMD US Claims Database (Q2-2025 to Q1-2025), the three standards of care for PJIs have unacceptably high failure rates: a. using antibiotics, 37% failure rate treating