Nearly one in 10 people who are implanted with a surgical fix to their spine will develop a serious bacterial infection, despite prophylactic antibiotic treatment. In a recent study published in the journal PLOS One, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have engineered a device they hope will help prevent this devastating complication.

Current practice includes applying antibiotics on wounded areas at the end of an orthopedic surgery, says Flemming Forsberg, Ph.D., professor of radiology and expert in ultrasound physics. The problem is that the protection wanes over hours, and any surviving bacteria can still ravage the area.