Medical Devices

• US 20080058652A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: L & P 100 Limited
• Original Assignee: L & P 100 Limited
• Inventors: Payne, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/666,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058652A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/488
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00

Abstract

There is provided a medical device for implantation in a body including: a substrate formed from a material capable of acting as an active sensing material for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter; at least one sensor for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter, each sensor including a portion of the substrate which is configured to act as an active sensing material; and telemetric communication means coupled to said at least one sensor for telemetrically transmitting data related to a parameter sensed by the at least one sensor to a remote device.

Claims

1. A medical device for implantation in a body including:

a substrate formed from a material capable of acting as an active sensing material for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter;

at least one sensor for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter, each sensor including a portion of the substrate which is configured to act as an active sensing material; and

telemetric communication means coupled to said at least one sensor for telemetrically transmitting data related to a parameter sensed by the at least one sensor to a remote device.

2. A medical device according to claim 1 in which the telemetric communication means includes at least one antenna.

3. A medical device according to claim 2 in which the telemetric communication is disposed, at least in part, on the substrate.

4. A medical device according to claim 3 in which the antenna is disposed on the substrate.

5. A medical device according to claim 2 further including an additional substrate having the antenna formed thereon, the additional substrate contacting the substrate formed from a material capable of acting as an active sensing material.

6. A medical device according to claim 1, in which the substrate is substantially planar or bent from a substantially planar configuration.

7. A medical device according to claim 1, in which one face of the substrate has an earth plane disposed thereon.

8. A medical device according to claim 7 in which the telemetric communication means includes at least one antenna, the at least one sensor is disposed on a front face of the substrate, and the earth plane is disposed on a back face of the substrate so as to extend at least over a region which is in register with the area defined by the at least one antenna, and preferably, to extend additionally over a region which is in register with the area defined by a sensor.

9. A medical device according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

10. A medical device according to claim 9 in which the substrate is formed from a polymeric material capable of acting as an active piezoelectric sensing material.

11. A medical device according to claim 10 in which the polymeric material comprises PVDF.

12. A medical device according to claim 1, in which the at least one sensor senses pressure and/or acoustic signals.

13. A medical device according to claim 1, in which the telemetric communication means is a passive device, preferably a passive device which is powered by energy transmitted by a remote device.

14. A medical device according to claim 1, in which the telemetric communication means is a transponder.

15. A medical device according to claim 1, in which the telemetric communication means includes an RFID device.

16. A medical device according to claim 1, in which the telemetric communication means includes an integrated circuit.

17. A medical device according to claim 16 in which the integrated circuit is disposed on the substrate.

18. A medical device according to claim 1, adapted to be implanted in the heart of a patient and operable therein is as a heart valve;

or ii) to assist in the functioning of one of the patient'"'"'s heart valves;

or iii) to monitor the functioning of one of the patient'"'"'s heart valves.

19. A medical device according to claim 18 in which the medical device is a heart valve being a tissue valve device having a valve wall formed from tissue.

20. A medical device according to claim 19 further comprising a stent support for the valve wall, in which the substrate, at least one sensor and telemetric communication means are disposed between the stent support and the valve wall.

21. A stentless medical device according to claim 19.

22. A medical device according to claim 18 further including a protective cover disposed around the periphery of the device, in which the substrate, at least one sensor and telemetric communication means are disposed between the valve wall and the protective cover.

23. A medical device according to claim 18 in which the medical device is a mechanical heart valve.

24. A medical device for implantation in a body including:

a substrate or a substrate stack including a plurality of stacked substrates, the substrate or substrate stack having opposed first and second faces;

at least one sensor disposed on the substrate or substrate stack for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter;

telemetric communication means, coupled to the at least one sensor, for telemetrically transmitting data related to a parameter sensed by the at least one sensor to a remote device, the telemetric communication means including at least one antenna disposed on the first face of the substrate or substrate stack; and

an earth plane disposed on the second face of the substrate or substrate stack and extending at least over a region which is in register with the area defined by the at least one antenna.

25. A system for monitoring a patient including:

a medical device according to claim 24;

and

a remote device for receiving data telemetrically transmitted by the telemetric communication means;

in which the remote device includes at least one data receiving antenna and an earth plane extending at least over a region which is in register with the area defined by the at least one data receiving antenna so as to improve the reception of data transmitted telemetrically by the medical device.

26. A sensor including a material capable of acting as an active sensing material and an electrode formed on the material in an antenna pattern so as to i) enable the material to be operated as an active sensing material and ii) act as an antenna to transmit and/or receive signals relevant to the operation of the sensor.

27. A sensor according to claim 26 in which the material is a material capable of acting as an active piezoelectric material.

28. A sensor according to claim 27 in which the material is a polymeric material, preferably PVDF.

29. A sensor according to claim 26 in which the antenna pattern leaves one or more gaps between adjacent portions of the electrode, and the gaps are of less than 50 μ

m, preferably less than 25 μ

m, most preferably about 10 μ

m.

30. A sensor according to claim 26 further including an earth plane formed on the material and extending at least over a region of the material which is in register with the area defined by the electrode.

31. A sensor according to claim 26 in the form of a medical device suitable for implantation in a body, in which the sensor is for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter, and the electrode telemetrically transmits data related to a parameter sensed by the sensor to a remote device.

32. A medical device for implantation in a body including:

at least two sensors for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter;

differential measurement means for measuring differences in the responses of the sensor; and

telemetric communication means coupled to the differential measurement means for telemetrically transmitting data related to the differences in the responses of the sensors to a remote device.

33. A medical device according to claim 32 in which the differential measurement means includes a bridge arrangement.

34. A medical device according to claim 33 in which the differential measurement means includes a Wheatstone bridge.

35. A medical device according to claim 32 in which the differential measurement means includes a differential amplifier.

36. (canceled)