Nanovibration coating process for medical devices using multi vibration modes of a thin piezo element

1. A method for inhibiting biofilm formation associated with an indwelling medical device, the indwelling medical device comprising a piezo plate resonator with thickness polarization, the method comprising connecting the piezo plate resonator to an energy source for exciting the piezo plate resonator, controlling the energy source by a central processor unit for generating electrical signals which are transformed by the piezo plate resonator into mechanical vibrations and forming via the piezo plate resonator surface acoustic waves having nanometer amplitudes (nanovibration coating); the piezo plate oscillating at a main frequency and in second and higher harmonic frequencies within a frequency range from 0.02 to 50 MHz thereby creating over surfaces of the indwelling medical device mechanical vibration energy effective in inhibiting bacterial attachment to the indwelling medical device and consequently entry of microorganisms into a human body, and wherein the piezo plate resonator is operative to sense a magnitude of biofilm on the surfaces of the indwelling medical device.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the surface acoustic waves propagate throughout all surfaces of the indwelling medical device.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein amplitude of the surface acoustic waves range from about 1 to about 50 nanometers.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second and higher harmonic frequencies of the surface acoustic waves range from 0.02 to 1.0 MHz.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the piezo plate resonator is a piezo ceramic resonator.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the piezo ceramic resonator is coupled to the indwelling medical device through an adhesive layer.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the energy source is an electro-mechanical energy source.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the energy source is an electro-magnetical energy source.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the indwelling medical device is a catheter.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said piezo plate resonator generates said surface acoustic waves in a longitudinal vibration mode whereby said surface acoustic waves are confined to external surfaces of the indwelling medical device.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein said piezo plate resonator resonates in a thickness vibration mode whereby the surface acoustic waves are confined to internal surfaces of the indwelling medical device.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein said piezo plate resonator resonates in a bending vibration mode whereby said surface acoustic waves are produced both on internal and external surfaces of the indwelling medical device.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein said bending vibration mode has a period corresponding to a wavelength of the surface acoustic waves on the indwelling medical device.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein said piezo plate resonator resonates in vibration modes which are selected from the group consisting of thickness, longitudinal, and bending modes and combination modes thereof.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein the piezo plate resonator comprises a bimorph element, comprising a piezo ceramic layer and a metal layer.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the piezo ceramic layer and the metal layer have surface areas which are in a respective ratio of about 0.95 to about 1.35.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the piezo plate resonator is connected to electrodes, the electrodes being located outside of a central area of said bimorph element thereby achieving stability of second and higher harmonic frequencies produced in the piezo plate resonator.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein said piezo plate resonator is operative to adjust mechanical vibration energy delivered to said indwelling medical device in response to the magnitude of the biofilm sensed by said resonator.

19. The method according to claim 1 wherein the indwelling medical device is a catheter having a hub or connector and the piezo plate resonator is attached to a hub or connector.

20. The method according to claim 1 wherein the piezo plate resonator comprises a plurality of electrodes for selectively varying modes of vibrations generated by the piezo plate resonator.

21. The method according to claim 1 wherein the indwelling medical device is selected from the group consisting of an Intra Venous catheter, a urinary catheter, a gastric catheter, a lung catheter, a cardiovascular catheter and an endothrahial ventilation tube.

22. An apparatus for inhibiting biofilm formation on surfaces of an indwelling medical device comprising a piezo plate resonator oscillating at a main frequency and in second and higher harmonic frequencies within a frequency range from 0.02 to 50 MHz and being operative to generate surface acoustic waves over surfaces of the medical device to thereby inhibit bacterial attachment to the surfaces, and wherein the apparatus further comprises means for detecting a magnitude of any biofilm formation on surfaces of the indwelling medical device and adjusting oscillations of the surface acoustic waves generated by the piezo plate resonator in response to the magnitude of the biofilm formation.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the surface acoustic waves have amplitudes ranging from about 1 to about 50 nanometers.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the surface acoustic waves have frequencies ranging from 0.02 to 1.0 MHz.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the piezo plate resonator comprises a bimorph element comprising a piezo ceramic layer and a metal layer.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein surface areas of the piezo ceramic layer to surface areas of the metal layer are in the ratio of about 0.95 to about 1.35.

27. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the indwelling medical device comprises a hub or connector and the piezo plate resonator is attached to the hub or connector.

28. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said piezo plate resonator comprises a piezo ceramic plate.

29. The apparatus according to claim 28 wherein the piezo ceramic plate has a shape selected from the group consisting of circular, rectangular, ring and disk shapes.