Device for Locating a Medical Implant

Abstract

A device is described for the transcutaneous location of an intracorporeally, subcutaneously located medical implant, which has an implant surface on which at least one electrical coil is arranged. The coil has at least one coil winding enclosing a region of the implant surface, together with an extracorporeally operable unit, to which at least one electrical coil is fitted, which is adapted in shape and size to the electrical coil arranged on the implant, and which is connected to an electrical control unit and to a signalling means, which generates a perceptible signal, at least in the case of maximum inductive coupling between the two electrical coils.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A device for determining a transcutaneous location of an intracorporeally subcutaneously located medical implant, comprising an implant surface on which at least a first electrical coil is arranged, at least one coil winding enclosing a region of the implant surface, together with an extracorporeally operable unit, on which at least one electrical coil is fitted, which is connected to an electrical control unit and to a signalling device; the extracorporeally operable unit including additional electrical coils each with coil diameters which are dimensioned to a coil diameter of the first coil and to be equal to or less than a coil diameter of the electrical coil fitted to the implant; and wherein the additional electrical coils are connected to the electrical control unit and to the signalling device, or to the signalling device, and wherein at least in a circumstance of maximum inductive coupling between at least one of the electrical coils on the extracorporeal operable unit and the at least one electrical coil fitted to the implant, a perceptible signal is generated identifying at least the electrical coil with a maximum inductive coupling.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein: the extracorporeally operable unit has a surface substrate on or in which the further electrical coils is located.

13. A device according to claim 12, wherein: at least the electrical coils fitted to the extracorporeally operable unit are located relative to one another along a first plane, or are partially overlapping in pairs.

14. A device according to claim 13, wherein: at least a second set of the electrical coils fitted to the extracorporeally operable unit are located adjacent to one another along a second plane, parallel to a first plane of the arrangement, or are partially overlapping in pairs so that in an orthogonal projection onto the first and second planes of the electrical coils of the first and second planes which partially overlap one another.

15. A device according to claim 11, wherein: the signalling means is an illuminant.

16. A device according to claim 15, wherein: the illuminant is fitted to each electrical coil so that when one of the illuminants is illuminated, a perceptible identification of a single electrical coil is possible.

17. A device according to claim 15, wherein: the illuminant is an LED, a fluorescent material, or a phosphorescent material.

18. A device according to claim 11, wherein: the medical implant has at least one reservoir volume, which is bounded at least by at least one region of the implant surface enclosed by the coil winding, and the region comprises a self-sealing port for filling an injection device.

19. A device according to claim 18, wherein: the region comprises a self-sealing septum.

20. A device according to claim 11, wherein: the surface substrate includes a material transparent to light and has an adhesive surface for detachably adhesion to a surface of skin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] In what follows the invention is described, without any limitation of the invention, with the aid of examples of embodiments, with reference to the drawings. Here:

[0019] FIG. 1 shows a representation of a mat surface substrate with electrical coils, and an electrical coil fitted to the implant, and

[0020] FIG. 2 shows an example of embodiment of a mat surface substrate with electrical coils fitted in a distributed manner in two planes of arrangement.

PATHS TO THE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION, INDUSTRIAL Applicability

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a mat surface substrate 1, which is made of a flexible, skin-compatible material, preferably a silicone-based plastic, in which electrical coils 2 of the same shape and the same size are integrated. All the electrical coils 2 are electrically connected to a control unit 3, which is directly or indirectly connected to an electrical energy source, preferably being in the form of a battery or an accumulator 4. The electrical coils 2 can be arranged directly adjacent to one another along a plane of an arrangement within, or on, the surface substrate 1, as shown in FIG. 1. In this case, intermediate regions are formed between the coils, which are not enclosed by the electrical coils. In order to minimize or eliminate such intermediate regions as completely as possible, it is alternatively possible to arrange the electrical coils 2 with a mutual overlap along a plane of arrangement.

[0022] The mat-form surface substrate 1 is positioned on the skin surface 6 of a patient P for the purpose of locating an implant 5. The medical implant 5, in particular, takes the form of a drug pump arrangement, which has an implant surface 7 in which at least one self-sealing port 8 is introduced in the form of a septum, which seals a reservoir volume located within the medical implant in a fluid-tight manner. In the implanted state, the implant surface 7 is oriented essentially parallel to the skin surface 6, so that the septum 8 is arranged close to the skin surface 6. In addition, the septum 8 is surrounded by an electrical coil 9, which can be activated by way of a control unit contained within the medical implant 5 (not shown further) as well as an electrical energy source in the form of a transmitting antenna.

[0023] For the purpose of locating the septum 8, the mat surface substrate 1 illustrated in FIG. 1 is applied to the skin surface 6 of the patient P in the region of the medical implant 5, covering the surface and following the contours. The surface dimensions of the surface substrate 1, together with the surface arrangement and extent of the coils 2, are chosen such that a doctor, even when uncertain as to the exact position of the implant, can attach the surface substrate 1 onto the surface of the patient's skin such that at least one coil 2 overlaps geometrically with the coil 9 fitted to the implant, without having to correct the position of the surface substrate subsequently.

[0024] The electrical coils 2 arranged on the mat surface substrate 1 each serve as receiving coils, which are able to receive and absorb electrical energy in the course of an inductive coupling, which, with the aid of the control unit 3, can be detected, measured, and compared, between the individual electrical coils. From the electrical coils 2, coil in the substrate is determined, which has maximum inductive coupling with the electrical coil 9 fitted to the implant, and thus has the maximum electrical energy. Alternatively, the electrical coils arranged on the mat surface substrate can be operated actively, that is to say, as transmitting coils, and the at least one electrical coil fitted to the implant can be operated passively. In this way, the electrical energy source serving the implant is not under load during the location process. In this case also, the electrical coil fitted to the mat surface substrate, which has a maximum inductive coupling with the implant-side electrical coil, is visually indicated.

[0025] Each of the electrical coils 2 integrated into the mat-form surface substrate 1 is separately fitted with an illuminant 10, as for example, an LED. For the indication and visual perception of that electrical coil 2* with the maximum inductive coupling among all the electrical coils present, the illuminant 10 of the same electrical coil 2* is activated by means of the control unit 3, so that a doctor can quickly and clearly detect, by means of the illuminated electrical coil 2*, the region of the surface substrate through which the injection needle must be inserted, in order to puncture the septum 8 located immediately below it. FIG. 1 shows the illuminated coil 2*, with the indicated illuminant 10 separately enlarged.

[0026] The injection needle should preferably be positioned centrally within the circular area 2″, which is radially bounded by the respectively illuminated electrical coil 2.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows an example of a mat surface substrate 1, in which electrical coils 2 are arranged along a first plane of arrangement E1, comparable to the example shown in FIG. 1, that is to say, the electrical coils 2 arranged in the first plane of arrangement E1 are of the same size and are arranged in an array directly adjacent to one another. Furthermore, further electrical coils 2′ are arranged in a second plane of arrangement E2, which is oriented parallel to the first plane of arrangement E1, wherein the coils 2′ within the second plane of arrangement E2 are each offset by one coil having half-diameter with respect to the coils 2 within the first plane of arrangement E1. In a projection orthogonal to both planes of arrangement E1, E2, the electrical coils 2, 2′ from the two different planes of arrangement E1, E2 accordingly overlap. This increases the reliability with which at least one coil can be orthogonally positioned exactly above and within the electrical coil 9 fitted to the implant, so that a doctor, when, with the aid of an injection needle 11, pushing through the inner area of the electrical coil 2*, illuminated with the aid of a suitable illuminant, punctures exactly the septum 9 of the implant located intracorporeally directly underneath.

[0028] The device in accordance with the invention for determining the transcutaneous location of an intracorporeally subcutaneously prescribed medical implant avoids any searching movements and allows an immediate display and identification of the electrical coils which are located above the intracorporeally located septum by placing the mat surface substrate, which is provided with the electrical coils, on the skin surface just the once. The surface substrate has a surface that is preferably conditioned to prevent slipping on the skin surface, for example, is suitable for the formation of an adherent surface joint that is free of adhesive material.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0029] 1 Mat-form surface substrate [0030] 2 Electrical coils [0031] 2′ Electrical coils of the second plane of arrangement [0032] 2* Illuminated electrical coil [0033] 3 Control unit [0034] 4 Electrical energy source [0035] 5 Medical implant [0036] 6 Skin surface [0037] 7 Implant surface [0038] 8 Septum [0039] 9 Electrical coil arranged on the implant [0040] 10 Illuminant [0041] 11 Injection needle [0042] E1, E2 First and second planes of arrangement