Orthopaedics May Become the Next Sector to Utilise Wireless Technology.

Future medical products could include wireless sensors embedded in knee and hip implants that transmit information for doctors to confirm that the implants are handling pressure and functioning correctly, reports www.fwdailynews.com. Data on how an implant is behaving inside the body will also be valuable during post-procedure check ups.

This concept is exciting and could lead to a revolution in implant management, but its viability has yet to be developed. Radiofrequency identification (RFID) company, Solstice Medical LLC is one of the companies working on the idea. It has worked with a few companies to develop prototypes for implants with wireless transmitters and has designed a device that can receive information from a sensor one foot (0.3 m) outside the body. However, there still are some problems that need to be addressed for a wireless implant to be commercially viable, including how to receive the information it transmits. It is a challenge for designers because wireless signals do not travel easily through the body, said its President and CEO, Daniel Sands, who admitted that, “There continues to be quite a lot of R&D work to find a business case that makes sense for orthopaedic applications.”

In addition, the market has yet to be convinced. The idea is still not ready for widespread adoption because a significant advantage has not been discovered, said Ray Kusisto, CEO of Orthopaedics Northeast. He believes that it may become clearer soon, but currently the benefit of the technology is not sufficient for a surgeon to choose it over a conventional implant.

Yet, the large orthopaedic companies are believed to be developing applications for wireless technology. According to the news report, an implant that used wireless technology to transmit data about the forces at work in the knee was employed in a knee replacement procedure in 2004. This “electronic knee” was designed by DePuy Orthopaedics Inc.. DePuy has reportedly recently received a patent for a wireless communications system that can broadcast information relating to a medical device such as a surgical tool or implant, but the company has not confirmed this.

Currently, pacemakers and hearing aids have wireless technology embedded in them that transmits information. Technologists are expecting orthopaedic implants to be able to operate in the same way and thereby warn doctors if a problem occurs.

Other advances with wireless technology include a telemetric controlled sensor implant that is being evaluated for use as a tool in long term post surgical evaluation of heart pressure, body temperature and pulse rate. The full report will appear in the September issue of Medical Device Technology.

Intelligent medical implants and sensor systems are being rapidly developed for a range of clinical applications, including a glaucoma sensor system; its first wireless contact lens version has now completed clinical trials.

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