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Orthopedic ‘smart device’ provides personalized medicine
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Research presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society 2012 Annual Meeting in San Francisco highlighted an implantable “smart sensor” capable of providing real-time information and diagnostic data about a patient’s recent orthopedic surgery without the use of X-rays or invasive procedures.
According to an Orthopaedic Research Society news release, the technology could make postsurgical diagnosis and follow-up more precise, efficient and cost-effective.
“The sensor provides opportunities to make specific and detailed diagnostics for a particular patient and to tailor care based on objective and quantitative measures,” researcher Eric H. Ledet, PhD, stated in the release.
The sensor, which is 4 mm in diameter and 500 microns thick, is wireless, batteryless and requires no telemetry within the body. According to the release, the orthopedic implant acts as a carrier for the sensor. The sensor monitors load, strain, motion, temperature and pressure. It can also alert the physician to potential problems, indicating additional interventions may be needed.
“For the patient that is progressing well, the information from the sensor enables the physician to determine that the patient can return to work without risk of injury,” Ledet stated.