System and method for determining patient follow-up subsequent to an orthopaedic procedure

摘要

A method of determining patient follow-up subsequent to an orthopaedic procedure includes determining the number of cycles of use of an orthopaedic joint of the patient. If a predetermined threshold is exceeded, communication with an orthopaedic care provider is initiated. A patient monitoring system is also disclosed.

主权项

1. A system for monitoring a patient's use of an orthopaedic joint which includes first and second joint prosthesis components, comprising:
an implantable sensor which, when implanted in a patient, is operable to monitor a number of cycles of use of the orthopaedic joint, a processor in communication with the sensor, and a memory device electrically coupled to the processor, the memory device having stored therein a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to (i) monitor output from the sensor to determine the number of cycles of use of the orthopaedic joint, and (ii) to generate a message to the patient indicative of a need to initiate communication with an orthopaedic care provider if the number of cycles of use of the orthopaedic joint exceeds a predetermined threshold value, wherein the implantable sensor comprises a permanent magnet embedded in the first joint prosthesis component and a Hall effect switch embedded in the second joint prosthesis component, the system further comprising electronics associated with the permanent magnet and the Hall effect switch that are adapted to determine a number of occasions in which the first and second joint prosthesis component are in a predetermined position relative to one another.