Hundreds of thousands of human implant procedures require surgical revision each year due to infection. Infections are difficult to treat with conventional antibiotics due to the formation of biofilm on the implant surface. We have developed a noninvasive method to eliminate biofilm on metal implants using heat generated by intermittent alternating magnetic fields (iAMF). Here, we demonstrate that heat and antibiotics are synergistic in biofilm elimination. For Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm, bacterial burden was reduced >3 log with iAMF and ciprofloxacin after 24 h compared with either treatment alone (p < 0.0001). This effect was not limited by pathogen or antibiotic as similar biofilm reductions were seen with iAMF and either linezolid or ceftriaxone in Staphylococcus aureus. iAMF and antibiotic efficacy was seen across various iAMF settings, including different iAMF target temperatures, dose durations, and dosing intervals. Initial mechanistic studies revealed membrane disruption as one factor important for AMF enhanced antibacterial activity in the biofilm setting. This study demonstrates the potential of utilizing a noninvasive approach to reduce biofilm off of metallic implants.

由于感染，每年有数十万的人体植入手术需要进行手术翻修。由于在植入物表面形成生物膜，感染很难用常规抗生素治疗。我们开发了一种非侵入性方法，利用间歇交变磁场 (iAMF) 产生的热量消除金属植入物上的生物膜。在这里，我们证明了热量和抗生素在生物膜消除中具有协同作用。对于铜绿假单胞菌生物膜，与单独使用任一治疗相比，iAMF 和环丙沙星在 24 小时后细菌负荷减少 > 3 log ( p  < 0.0001)。这种效果不受病原体或抗生素的限制，因为在 iAMF 和利奈唑胺或头孢曲松中观察到类似的生物膜减少金黄色葡萄球菌。在各种 iAMF 设置中观察到 iAMF 和抗生素疗效，包括不同的 iAMF 目标温度、剂量持续时间和给药间隔。最初的机制研究表明，膜破裂是 AMF 在生物膜环境中增强抗菌活性的重要因素之一。这项研究证明了利用非侵入性方法减少金属植入物生物膜的潜力。