Buffalo, N.Y.-based researchers are developing an electrical stimulation device to prevent infections after joint replacements.
Three things to know:
1. The Biofilm Disruption Device delivers low-voltage electricity to a joint replacement implant or other metal inserted into the body.
"Our goal is to eliminate the need for follow-up surgeries. We think we can wipe out infection-causing bacteria before trouble starts," said Wayne Bacon, president and CEO of Garwood Medical Devices, the Buffalo-based startup developing the biotechnology in conjunction with the University at Buffalo's Buffalo Institute for Genomics and Data Analytics.
2. The system includes two electrode skin patches, an electricity-generating machine and a needle that carries the electricity to the joint replacement. The needle is inserted into the body, and the electric simulation triggers a chemical reaction at the implant's surface which is designed to promote an antibacterial micro-environment.
3. When the device was tested in animal models, the technology eradicated up to 98 percent of bacteria associated with joint replacements, according to Mr. Bacon.