Disclosed herein are electromagnetic enhanced spinal implants inserted into the disc space via a minimally invasive surgical approach. The spinal implants can include one or more internal coils that generate a magnetic field to enhance bone growth. The device can be powered by an external transmitter. The transmitter will provide a minimum voltage and power output that will allow stimulation of the internal coil.

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and implementations for inductive heating of a foreign metallic implant are disclosed. A foreign metallic implant may be heated via AMF pulses to ensure that the surface of the foreign metallic implant heats in a uniform manner. As the surface temperature of the foreign metallic implant rises, acoustic signatures may be detected by acoustic sensors that may indicate that tissue may be heating to an undesirable level approaching a boiling point. Once these acoustic signatures are detected, the AMF pulses may be shut off for a time period to allow the surface temperature of the implant to cool before applying additional AMF pulses. In this manner, the surface temperature of a foreign metallic implant may be uniformly heated to a temperature adequate to treat bacterial biofilm buildup on the surface of the foreign metallic implant without damaging surrounding tissue. The AMF pulse treatment can be combined with an antibacterial/antimicrobial treatment regimen to reduce the time and/or antibacterial dosage amount needed to remove the biofilm from the metallic implant.

The present invention relates to an implantable apparatus for obtaining urinary control and emptying of the urinary bladder. The apparatus operates with a powered member operating from the outside of the urinary bladder assisted by a support structure to discharge urine from the urinary bladder. A control device controls the operation of the powered member. The control device further comprises a source of energy for operating the powered member and other energy consuming parts of the apparatus and a control assembly.

A surgical method for placing an implantable medical device for constricting at least one of a patient's rectum, anal channel, anal sphincter or colon. The surgical method comprises creating an incision in a vaginal wall of a patient, inserting a surgical instrument through said incision. The instrument comprising an elongated main part, an elongated member having a proximal end fixed to a distal end of the elongated main part by means of a first adjustable joint having a pivotal axis, for adjusting a first angle between the main part of the instrument and the elongated member between 0 and 180 degrees, wherein the elongated main part and the elongated member lie in a first plane extending perpendicularly to the pivotal ax-is. The surgical method further comprises a flexible tip attached to a distal end of the elongated member and exhibiting a conformation which is reversibly changeable from an essentially straight conformation to a loop or hook conformation, wherein the flexible tip, when in the loop or hook conformation, defines an opening with an axial hole going there through, and wherein a second plane extends perpendicularly to the axial hole through said loop or hook, so that the flexible tip, in its loop or hook conformation, lies in the second plane. The surgical method further comprises using said flexible tip for placing the implantable medical device encircling the patient's rectum, anal channel, anal sphincter or colon.

Implantable devices, such as artificial organs, increasingly incorporate hardware, software, firmware, and/or wireless communication capabilities. For example, such implantable devices can utilize wireless technology to allow for efficient configuration, maintenance, and operational analysis. As these implantable devices become more connected, electronic security will become more important. This disclosure relates to implantable devices that may utilize a secure boot process and secure communication, both between artificial devices in the human body and between these devices and the external world. This disclosure provides secure communication approaches for maintaining the digital privacy and integrity of artificial devices, for protecting the individual from malicious hacking of data, and for controlling of such implantable devices.

A prosthetic disc can take the form of a sensing artificial disc that includes a resilient core and at least one sensor configured to sense one or more conditions within and/or experienced by the disc. The sensing artificial disc can serve as a replacement to a failed or injured disc between two vertebrae of a spine. The sensing artificial disc can include at least one element configured to change a condition or property of the resilient core in response to a condition sensed by the at least one sensor. A prosthetic disc can include therapeutic system configured to deliver medication to the body, which can include a reservoir of medication.

The application is directed to devices and methods where one or more magnetic or magnetizable implants provides therapeutic benefits to a patient. The implant may be useful for expanding the range of motion of joints or dynamically providing different responses to changing conditions in the body where the implant is placed. An electromagnet is placed on or in a bone on one side of a joint, and another electromagnet or magnetically active material is placed on or in a bone on the opposing side of the joint. The electromagnet may be continuously energized to relieve pressure in the joint space, or may be energized in response to forces applied to the joint.

A lubrication device for lubricating a joint of a human or mammal patient, which is entirely implantable in a patient's body, comprises a reservoir for storing a lubricating fluid and a fluid connection for introducing the lubricating fluid into the joint when the device is implanted in the patient's body. Further, the fluid connection comprises a fluid connection device connecting the reservoir with the joint such that a lubricating fluid flow is established from the reservoir into the joint. The fluid connection comprises either an infusion needle adapted to be intermittently placed into the joint for injecting the lubricating fluid, or a tube adapted to be permanently placed into the joint for continuously injecting the lubricating fluid.

A method of creating a drug eluting system for hernia repair in a patient is provided. The includes providing an implantable mesh for hernia repair comprised of at least one of polytetrafluoroethylene fibers or polytetrafluoroethylene filaments, wherein the at least one of the polytetrafluoroethylene fibers or polytetrafluoroethylene filaments is at least one of directionally or non-directionally oriented, positioning a pharmaceutical agent on the implantable mesh, and coating at least a portion of the at least one of the polytetrafluoroethylene fibers or polytetrafluoroethylene filaments and the pharmaceutical agent with a polymer, wherein the implantable mesh is configured to be positioned in the body of the patient during the repair of the hernia and the pharmaceutical agent elutes from the implantable mesh into the body of the patient at the site of the hernia repair.

A device for treating a vascular aneurysm of a human or mammal patient, comprising an implantable member adapted to hold fluid, the implantable member being adapted to be placed against an outside of a blood vessel having the aneurysm, exercise a pressure on the aneurysm to prevent or reduce an expansion of the aneurysm, follow an outer contour of the aneurysm, and provide a pressure that is equal or less than the diastolic blood pressure of the human or mammal patient.