Method for protecting resonating sensors and protected resonating sensors

• US 20050049499A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MicroTech Medical Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MicroTech Medical Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaplan, Shay
• Granted Patent: US 8,162,839 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/438
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/001 of an element not provided for in the following subgroups of G01L9/0008
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4908 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

A protected resonating sensor may include at least one resonating sensor unit. Each sensor unit has one or more vibratable members. The protected sensor includes a compliant member that forms part of one or more chambers. A first side of the compliant member may be exposed to a medium in a measurement environment. The sensor unit may be any resonating sensor unit having a resonance frequency that depends on the value of a physical variable in a measurement environment. The protected sensor includes a substantially non-compressible medium disposed within the chamber(s). The substantially non-compressible medium may be a liquid or a gel. When the medium is a liquid, the chamber is sealed. When the medium is a gel, the chamber may be sealed or non-sealed. The medium is in contact the vibratable member(s) and with a second side of the compliant member. The medium may have a low vapor pressure. The protected sensor may also be attached to or included in or formed as part of any suitable device or sensor anchoring device and may also be implanted or inserted into a body or an organism. Methods are described for constructing the protected sensor.

Claims

36. A method for providing a protected resonating sensor, the method comprises the step of enclosing one or more resonating sensor units in at least one chamber having at least one compliant member, each sensor unit of said one or more resonating sensor units has at least one resonating part, said at least one chamber is filled with a substantially non-compressible medium, said at least one compliant member forms at least part of the walls of said at least one chamber, said at least one compliant member and said at least one resonating part are in contact with said substantially non-compressible medium.

1. A protected resonating sensor comprising:

at least one resonating sensor unit, each sensor unit of said at least one resonating sensor unit has at least one vibratable member;

a compliant member, said compliant member forms part of at least one chamber, said compliant member has a first side and a second side, said first side is configured to be exposed to a first medium in a measurement environment; and

a substantially non-compressible medium disposed within said at least one chamber, said substantially non-compressible medium is in contact with said at least one vibratable member of said at least one resonating sensor unit and with said second side of said compliant member.

2. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said at least one chamber is configured for protecting said at least one vibratable member from the deposition of extraneous material thereupon.

3. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said medium is a substantially non-compressible liquid and wherein said at least one chamber is a sealed chamber.

4. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said medium is a substantially non-compressible gel and wherein said at least one chamber is selected from a sealed chamber and a non-sealed chamber.

5. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said protected resonating sensor is attached to a supporting device.

6. The protected sensor according to claim 5 wherein said supporting device is selected from a sensor anchor, a sensor positioner, an implantable graft, a sensor fixating device, an implant, an implantable device, a part of an implantable device, a pacemaker, part of a pacemaker, a defibrillator, part of a defibrillator, an implantable electrode, an insertable electrode, an endoscopic device, part of an endoscopic device, an autonomous endoscopic device, a part of an autonomous endoscopic device, a tethered endoscopic device, a part of a tethered endoscopic device, an implantable catheter, an insertable catheter, a stent, a part of a stent, a guide-wire, a part of a guide-wire, an implantable therapeutic substance releasing device, and an insertable therapeutic substance releasing device.

7. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium completely fills said at least one chamber.

8. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is selected from a substantially non-compressible liquid and a substantially non-compressible gel.

9. The protected sensor according to claim 8 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is a liquid comprising one or more liquids selected from water, a water based solution, a liquid comprising one or more silicon based compounds, Dow Corning 710(R) Silicon Fluid, Fluorinert FC40 fluid, Fluorinert FC 70 fluid, a liquid having a low vapor pressure, and combinations thereof.

10. The protected sensor according to claim 8 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is a gel selected from the group consisting of a synthetic gel, a natural gel, a hydrogel, a lipogel, a hydrophobic gel, a hydrophilic gel, a biocompatible gel, a hemocompatible gel, a polymer based gel, a cross-linked polymer based gel and combinations thereof.

11. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein the acoustic impedance of said substantially non-compressible medium is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of said first medium of said measurement environment.

12. The protected sensor according to claim 11 wherein said protected sensor is an implantable protected sensor configured for implantation within an organism, and wherein the acoustic impedance of said substantially non-compressible medium is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of at least one tissue or bodily fluid of said organism.

13. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein the acoustic impedance of said compliant member is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of said first medium of said measurement environment.

14. The protected sensor according to claim 13 wherein said protected sensor is an implantable protected sensor configured for implantation within an organism, and wherein the acoustic impedance of said compliant member is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of at least one tissue or bodily fluid of said organism.

15. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises a housing attached to said compliant member to form said at least one chamber.

16. The protected sensor according to claim 15 wherein said housing comprises one or more substances selected from a metal, a metal alloy, titanium, platinum, stainless steel, a shape memory alloy, NITINOL®

, a ceramic material, a composite material, silicon, glass, a nitride, a carbide, a metal oxide, a non-metallic oxide, a polymer based material, and combinations thereof.

17. The protected sensor according to claim 15 wherein said at least one resonating sensor unit is attached to said housing.

18. The protected sensor according to claim 15 wherein said at least one chamber comprises at least one sealed chamber, and wherein said housing is sealingly attached to said compliant member to form said at least one sealed chamber.

19. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said protected sensor comprises at least one spacer member attached to said at least one resonating sensor unit and to said compliant member to form said at least one chamber.

20. The protected sensor according to claim 19 wherein said at least one spacer member is sealingly attached to one of said at least one resonating sensor unit and said compliant member and non-sealingly attached to the remaining one of said at least one resonating sensor unit and said compliant member to form said at least one chamber.

21. The protected sensor according to claim 19 wherein said at least one chamber comprises at least one sealed chamber and wherein said at least one spacer member is sealingly attached to said at least one resonating sensor unit and to said compliant member to form said at least one sealed chamber.

22. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said at least one chamber is selected from

at least one chamber formed within a sensor anchoring device, and

at least one chamber comprising part of a sensor anchoring device.

23. The protected sensor according to claim 22 wherein said sensor anchoring device is selected from a sensor anchor, a sensor positioner, an implantable graft, a sensor fixating device, an implant, an implantable device, an implantable graft, a part of an implantable device, a pacemaker, a part of a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a part of a defibrillator, an implantable electrode, an insertable electrode, an endoscopic device, a part of an endoscopic device, an autonomous endoscopic device, a part of an autonomous endoscopic device, a tethered endoscopic device, a part of a tethered endoscopic device, an implantable catheter, an insertable catheter, a stent, a part of a stent, a guide-wire, a part of a guide-wire, an implantable therapeutic substance releasing device, and an insertable therapeutic substance releasing device.

24. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said at least one resonating sensor unit is selected from a passive resonating sensor unit and an active resonating sensor unit.

25. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said at least one resonating sensor unit is selected from a passive ultrasonic resonating sensor unit and an active ultrasonic resonating sensor unit.

26. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said at least one resonating sensor unit is selected from a pressure sensor, a passive ultrasonic pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, and a sensor for sensing the concentration of a chemical species in a measurement environment.

27. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said at least one resonating sensor unit comprises,

a substrate having one or more recesses formed therein, and

a second layer sealingly attached to said substrate to form one or more sealed sensor unit chambers within said resonating sensor unit.

28. The protected sensor according to claim 27 wherein said at least one vibratable member of said at least one resonating sensor unit is selected from,

at least one vibratable member comprising a portion of said substrate, and

at least one vibratable member comprising a portion of said second layer overlying said one or more recesses.

29. The protected sensor according to claim 27 wherein each sealed sensor unit chamber of said one or more sealed sensor unit chambers has a pressure level therewithin.

30. The protected sensor according to claim 29 wherein said pressure level is selected from a zero pressure level and a non-zero pressure level.

31. The protected sensor according to claim 29 wherein said protected sensor comprises a first resonating sensor unit having one or more sealed sensor unit chambers and at least a second resonating sensor unit having one or more sealed sensor unit chambers, and wherein the pressure level within at least one sealed sensor unit chamber of said first resonating sensor unit is different than the pressure level within at least one sealed sensor unit chamber of said at least second resonating sensor unit.

32. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said at least one resonating sensor unit is selected from,

at least one passive ultrasonic pressure sensor having a single vibratable membrane, and

at least one passive ultrasonic pressure sensor having multiple vibratable membranes.

33. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said compliant member comprises a compliant material selected from a polymer based material, a plastic material, Kapton®

, a polyurethane based polymer, an ethylvinyl acetate based polymer, Echothane®

, CPC-41 Echothane®

, CPC-29 Echothane®

, and a Parylene®

based polymer.

34. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said protected sensor is an implantable protected sensor, and wherein one or more of the components of said implantable protected sensor comprises one or more materials selected from biocompatible materials and hemocompatible materials.

35. The protected sensor according to claim 1 wherein said protected sensor is configured for implantation within a measurement environment selected from, an eye, a urether, a cardiac chamber, a cardiovascular system, a part of a cardiovascular system, an annurismal sac after endovascular repair, a spine, an intervertebral disc, a spinal cord, a spinal column, an intracranial compartment, an intraluminal space of a blood vessel, an artery, a vein, an aorta, a pulmonary blood vessel, a carotid blood vessel, a brain blood vessel, and a coronary artery, a femoral artery, an iliac artery, a hepatic artery, a renal artery, and a vena cava.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein said at least one compliant member comprises a compliant material selected from a polymer based material, a plastic material, Kapton®

, a polyurethane based polymer, an ethylvinyl acetate based polymer, Echothane®

CPC-41, Echothane®

CPC-29, Echothane®

, and a Parylene®

based polymer.

38. The method according to claim 36 wherein said medium is a liquid and wherein said step of enclosing comprises sealingly enclosing said one or more resonating sensor units in said at least one chamber to form at least one sealed chamber.

39. The method according to claim 36 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is selected from water, a water based solution, a liquid comprising one or more silicon based compounds and a gel, Dow Corning 710(R) Silicon Fluid, Fluorinert FC40 fluid, Fluorinert FC 70 fluid, a liquid having a low vapor pressure, and combinations thereof.

40. The method according to claim 36 wherein said gel is selected from the group consisting of a synthetic gel, a natural gel, a hydrogen a lipogel, a hydrophobic gel, a hydrophilic gel, a biocompatible gel, a hemocompatible gel, a polymer based gel, a cross-linked polymer based gel and combinations thereof.

41. The method according to claim 36 wherein the acoustic impedance of said substantially non-compressible medium is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of a medium contained in a measurement environment in which said protected sensor is disposed.

42. The method according to claim 41 wherein said protected sensor is an implantable protected sensor configured for implantation within an organism, and wherein the acoustic impedance of said substantially non-compressible medium is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of at least one tissue or bodily fluid of said organism.

43. The method according to claim 36 wherein the acoustic impedance of said compliant member is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of a medium contained in a measurement environment in which said protected sensor is disposed.

44. The method according to claim 43 wherein said protected sensor is an implantable protected sensor configured for implantation within an organism, and wherein the acoustic impedance of said compliant member is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of at least one tissue or bodily fluid of said organism.

45. The method according to claim 36 wherein said one or more resonating sensor units are selected from, a passive resonating sensor unit, an active resonating sensor unit, a passive ultrasonic resonating sensor unit, an active ultrasonic resonating sensor unit, a pressure sensor unit, a temperature sensor unit, a sensor for sensing the concentration of a chemical species in a measurement environment, and combinations thereof.

46. The method according to claim 36 wherein said step of enclosing comprises,

disposing said one or more resonating sensor units in a housing,

filling said housing with said substantially non-compressible medium, and

attaching said at least one compliant member to said housing to form said at least one chamber.

47. The method according to claim 46 wherein said at least one chamber is a sealed chamber and said step of attaching comprises sealingly attaching said at least one compliant member to said housing to form said at least one sealed chamber.

48. The method according to claim 46 wherein said step of disposing comprises attaching said one or more resonating sensor units to said housing.

49. The method according to claim 36 wherein said step of enclosing comprises,

disposing said one or more resonating sensor units in a housing,

attaching said at least one compliant member to said housing to form said at least one chamber, and

filling said at least one chamber with said substantially non-compressible medium.

50. The method according to claim 49 wherein said step of enclosing further includes the step of sealing said at least one chamber to form at least one sealed chamber.

51. The method according to claim 49 wherein said step of disposing comprises attaching said one or more resonating sensor units to said housing.

52. The method according to claim 49 wherein said step of filling comprises filling said at least one chamber with said substantially non-compressible medium through at least one opening formed in said walls of said at least one chamber.

53. The method according to claim 52 wherein said at least one opening comprises at least one opening formed in said housing.

54. The method according to claim 36 wherein said at least one chamber is selected from

at least one chamber formed within a sensor anchoring device, and

at least one chamber comprising part of a sensor anchoring device.

55. The method according to claim 54 wherein said sensor anchoring device is selected from a sensor anchor, a sensor positioner, an implantable graft, a sensor fixating device, an implant, an implantable device, an implantable graft, a part of an implantable device, a pacemaker, part of a pacemaker, a defibrillator, part of a defibrillator, an implantable electrode, an insertable electrode, an endoscopic device, part of an endoscopic device, an autonomous endoscopic device, a part of an autonomous endoscopic device, a tethered endoscopic device, a part of a tethered endoscopic device, an implantable catheter, an insertable catheter, a stent, a part of a stent, a guide-wire, a part of a guide-wire, an implantable therapeutic substance releasing device, and an insertable therapeutic substance releasing device.

56. The method according to claim 36 wherein said step of enclosing comprises,

attaching at least one spacer member to said one or more resonating sensor units,

attaching said at least one compliant member to said at least one spacer member to form said at least one chamber, and

filling said at least one chamber with said substantially non-compressible medium.

57. The method according to claim 56 wherein said first step of attaching, said second step of attaching and said step of filling are performed in the order cited in claim 56, and wherein the method further includes the step of sealing said at least one chamber to form at least one sealed chamber.

58. The method according to claim 56 wherein said second step of attaching is performed after said step of filling and wherein said second step of attaching comprises attaching said at least one compliant member to said at least one spacer member to form said at least one chamber.

59. The method according to claim 58 wherein said second step of attaching comprises sealingly attaching said at least one compliant member to said at least one spacer member to form at least one sealed chamber.

60. The method according to claim 56 wherein said second step of attaching is performed after said step of filling, and wherein said attaching comprises forming said at least one compliant member on said at least one spacer member and on said substantially non-compressible medium to form said at least one chamber.

61. The method according to claim 60 wherein said forming comprises depositing said at least one compliant member on said at least one spacer member and on said substantially non-compressible medium using a chemical vapor deposition method to form said at least one chamber.

62. The method according to claim 60 wherein said at least one chamber is a sealed chamber and wherein said second step of attaching comprises sealingly forming said at least one compliant member on said at least one spacer member and on said substantially non-compressible medium to form said at least one sealed chamber.

63. The method according to claim 62 wherein said sealingly forming comprises sealingly depositing said at least one compliant member on said at least one spacer member and on said substantially non-compressible medium using a chemical vapor deposition method to form said at least one sealed chamber.

64. The method according to claim 56 wherein said step of filling occurs after said second step of attaching, and wherein the filling of said at least one chamber with said substantially non-compressible medium is performed through at least one opening in said walls of said at least on chamber.

65. The method according to claim 64 further including the step of sealing said at least one opening in said walls of said at least one chamber after said step of filling.

66. The method according to claim 65 wherein said step of filling comprises the steps of,

forming a vacuum within said at least one chamber,

disposing said protected sensor in said liquid to cover said at least one opening with said liquid, and

allowing said liquid to fill said at least one chamber.

67. The method according to claim 66 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is a gel, said liquid is a gel forming liquid and wherein the method further includes the step of allowing said gel forming liquid to form a gel in said at least one chamber.

68. The method according to claim 67 wherein said gel forming liquid is selected from,

a liquefied form of said gel capable of gelling to form said gel, and

a liquid gel precursor comprising reactants capable of reacting to form said gel.

69. The method according to claim 36 wherein said at least one resonating part of said one or more resonating units forms part of the walls of said at least one sealed chamber.

70. The method according to claim 36 further including the step of applying a covering layer on at least part of said protected sensor to modify the surface properties of at least part of the surface of the protected sensor.

71. The method according to claim 70 wherein said covering layer is applied to said at least one compliant member to change the surface properties thereof.

72. The method according to claim 70 wherein said surface properties are selected from physical surface properties, chemical surface properties, electrochemical surface properties, biological surface properties, rheological surface properties, surface resistance to deposition of cells or tissues thereon, and any combinations thereof.

73. The method according to claim 72 wherein said step of treating is performed on said at least one compliant member to change the surface properties thereof.

74. The method according to claim 72 wherein said surface properties are selected from physical surface properties, chemical surface properties, electrochemical surface properties, biological surface properties, Theological surface properties, surface resistance to deposition of cells or tissues thereon, and any combinations thereof.

75. The method according to claim 72 wherein said step of treating comprises chemically treating said at least part of the surface of said protected sensor for modifying the surface properties thereof.

72-1. The method according to claim 36 further including the step of treating at least part of the surface of said protected sensor for modifying the surface properties of said at least part of said protected sensor.