Apparatus and system for monitoring objects contained inside a living body

• US 20020091310A1
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LMB Technologie GmbH
• Original Assignee: LMB Technologie GmbH
• Inventors: Lob, Gunter C.W, Jentsch, Klaus
• Granted Patent: US 6,656,117 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/413 Monitoring transplanted tissue or organ, e.g. for possible rejection reactions after a transplant
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/48 Operating or control means, e.g. from outside the body, control of sphincters
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

There is disclosed an apparatus for monitoring objects contained inside a living body, wherein the apparatus includes a transmitter/receiver device which is introduceable into the living body and in which data relating to the object may be stored, wherein the data relating to the object may be written into the transmitter/receiver device and read from it contactless with the aid of an external write-read device located externally of the living body, and includes at least one sensor device for monitoring the at least one temporally variable state parameter of the object and for transmitting data corresponding to a currently prevailing state to the transmitter/receiver device in accordance with a detected value of the temporally variable state parameter, wherein the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written into the transmitter/receiver device in response to transmission from the sensor device. In addition, there is disclosed a system for monitoring objects contained inside a living body.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring objects contained inside a living body, including:

at least one transmitter/receiver device which is introduceable into the living body and in which data relating to the object may be stored, wherein the data relating to the object may be written into said transmitter/receiver device and read from it contactless with the aid of an external write-read device located externally of the living body; and

at least one sensor device for monitoring the at least one temporally variable state parameter of the object and for transmitting data corresponding to a currently prevailing state to said transmitter/receiver device in accordance with a detected value of the temporally variable state parameter, wherein

the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written into said transmitter/receiver device in response to transmission from said sensor device.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the outside of said apparatus is surrounded by a physiologically compatible material or is comprised of it.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the object is a transplant or implant or some other natural or artificial part or replacement part.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state, which is stored in said transmitter/receiver device, is readable with the aid of said external write-read device.

5. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said transmitter/receiver device is a transponder or a bluetooth chip.

6. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said sensor device detects a value of a physical function, a value of a physiological function, or a combination of these as the temporally variable state parameter.

7. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein it furthermore includes fixing means whereby it may be fixed inside the living body.

8. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written directly into said transmitter/receiver device in response to transmission from said sensor device.

9. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written into said transmitter/receiver device by means of said external device in response to transmission from said sensor device.

10. System including an apparatus for monitoring objects contained inside a living body, and an external write-read device, wherein said apparatus for monitoring objects contained inside a living body includes:

at least one transmitter/receiver device which is introduceable into the living body and in which data relating to the object may be stored, wherein the data relating to the object may be written into said transmitter/receiver device and read from it contactless with the aid of said external write-read device located externally of the living body; and

at least one sensor device for monitoring at least one temporally variable state parameter of the object and for transmitting data corresponding to a currently prevailing state to said transmitter/receiver device in accordance with a detected value of the temporally variable state parameter, wherein

the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written into said transmitter/receiver device in response to transmission from said sensor device.

11. System according to claim 10, wherein the outside of said apparatus for monitoring objects contained inside a living body is surrounded by a physiologically compatible material or is comprised of the latter.

12. System according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the object is a transplant or implant or some other natural or artificial part or replacement part.

13. System according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state, which is stored in said transmitter/receiver device, is readable with the aid of said external write-read device.

14. System according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein said transmitter/receiver device is a transponder or a bluetooth chip.

15. System according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein said sensor device detects a value of a physical function, a value of a physiological function, or a combination of these as the temporally variable state parameter.

16. System according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein said apparatus for monitoring objects contained inside a living body furthermore includes fixing means whereby it may be fixed inside the living body.

17. System according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written directly into said transmitter/receiver device in response to transmission from said sensor device.

18. Apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the data corresponding to the currently prevailing state is written into said transmitter/receiver device by means of said external device in response to transmission from said sensor device.