Implantable radio-frequency sensor

• US 10,136,833 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZOLL Medical Israel Limited (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ZOLL Medical Israel Limited (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Weinstein, Uriel, Bernstein, Assaf, Cohen, Eyal, Oppenheim, Dov, Mosesko, Moshe
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S
• Application Number:
  US15/589,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3468 for implanting or removing devices, e.g. prostheses, implants, seeds, wires devices for implanting seeds A61M37/0069
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0214 Capacitive electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0537 Measuring body composition by impedance, e.g. tissue hydration or fat content
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/287 Holders for multiple electrodes, e.g. electrode catheters for electrophysiological study [EPS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/416 the spleen
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4244 liver
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4552 : Evaluating soft tissue within the mouth, e.g. gums or tongue
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 : Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 : Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 : Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/72 : Signal processing specially adapted for physiological signals or for diagnostic purposes character recognition, recognising digital ink, document-oriented image-based pattern recognition G06V30/00; recognition or understanding of postal images G06V30/424
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36521 : the parameter being derived from measurement of an electrical impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 : Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 : Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 : Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators

Abstract

A diagnostic apparatus comprising a sealed case, a first antenna and a second antenna and processing circuitry are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the sealed case includes a biocompatible material and is configured for implantation within a body of a patient. Further, each one of the first antenna and the second antenna are configured to be implanted in the body in proximity to a target tissue, generate and transmit radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves through the target tissue to the other antenna, and output a signal in response to RF waves received from the other antenna. In addition, the processing circuitry can be contained within the case and is configured to receive and process the signal from each antenna so as to derive and output an indication of a characteristic of the target tissue.

Claims

1. A diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a sealed case, comprising a biocompatible material and configured for implantation within a body;

a first antenna and a second antenna, each antenna configured to;

be implanted in the body in proximity to a target tissue,

generate and transmit radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves through the target tissue to the other antenna, and

output a signal in response to RF waves received from the other antenna; and

processing circuitry, which is contained within the case and is configured to receive and process the signal from each antenna so as to derive and output an indication of a characteristic of the target tissue.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a characteristic of the target tissue includes a measure of a fluid content of the target tissue.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the measure of the fluid content of the target tissue comprises a measure of a change in a level of the fluid content of the target tissue.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a modulation of the signal from each antenna.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising RF front-end circuitry contained within the housing and configured to drive at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna to emit RF waves.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the front end circuitry generates signals at multiple different frequencies when driving at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna comprises a trace printed on a substrate and a backlobe suppression structure behind the trace.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the backlobe suppression structure comprises at least one of an air cavity, a plastic cavity, or an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) backing.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to process the signal to determine at least one of a heartbeat and a respiratory motion of the body.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a power antenna, configured to receive electrical energy to power the processing circuitry via an inductive link.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna comprises a spiral antenna, a bowtie antenna, an elliptic bowtie antenna, or a slotted antenna.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna is located partially outside the case and is connected to the processing circuitry via a sealed brazing to the case.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna is contained inside the case.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna comprises a trace printed on a substrate, and wherein the case comprises a window, and the antenna is configured to receive the waves through the window.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising one or more ECG electrodes configured to measure an ECG of the body, and correlate the characteristic of the target tissue with the ECG of the body.

16. A diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

a sealed case, comprising a biocompatible material and configured for implantation within a body of a patient;

a first antenna and a second antenna, each antenna configured to;

be implanted in the body in proximity to a lung of the patient,

generate and transmit radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves through the lung of the patient to the other antenna, and

output a signal in response to RF waves received from the other antenna; and

processing circuitry, which is contained within the case and is configured to receive and process the signal from each antenna so as to derive and output

an indication of a measure of a change in a level of the fluid content in the lung of the patient; and

at least one of a heart beat of the patient and a respiratory motion of the patient.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising one or more ECG electrodes configured to measure an ECG of the patient, and correlate at least the heart beat of the patient with the ECG of the patient.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna comprises a trace printed on a substrate and a backlobe suppression structure behind the trace.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the first antenna and the second antenna comprises a spiral antenna, a bowtie antenna, an elliptic bowtie antenna, or a slotted antenna.