IMPLANTABLE ELECTRO-OPTICAL SENSOR

• US 20090076353A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Knipfer, Michael A., Carpenter, Greg Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/310
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14546 for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1459 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36557 controlled by chemical substances in blood
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/77 by observing the effect on a chemical indicator

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are related to electro-optical implantable sensors, amongst other things. In an embodiment, the invention includes an implantable medical device including a housing defining an interior volume, the housing comprising a housing wall and defining an aperture. The implantable medical device can include an optical sensor assembly coupled to the housing wall. The optical sensor assembly can occlude the aperture in the housing wall. The optical sensor assembly can include an electro-optical module including an optical excitation assembly and an optical detection assembly. The optical sensor assembly can also include a chemical sensing element configured to detect a physiological analyte by exhibiting a change in optical properties. An optical window can be disposed between the electro-optical module and the chemical sensing element. The optical window can be configured to allow the transmission of light between the electro-optical module and the chemical sensing element. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

a housing defining an interior volume, the housing comprising a housing wall, the housing wall defining an aperture;

an optical sensor assembly coupled to the housing wall, the optical sensor assembly occluding the aperture;

the optical sensor assembly comprising

an electro-optical module, the electro-optical module comprising

an optical excitation assembly;

an optical detection assembly;

a chemical sensing element, the chemical sensing element configured to detect a physiological analyte by exhibiting a change in optical properties; and

an optical window disposed between the electro-optical module and the chemical sensing element, the optical window configured to allow the transmission of light between the electro-optical module and the chemical sensing element.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, the interior volume of the housing hermetically sealed off from the outside of the housing.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a flange surrounding the edges of the optical window forming a hermetic seal between the flange and the optical window.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising an optical shroud disposed between the optical excitation assembly and the optical detection assembly.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, the optical sensor assembly welded to the housing.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, the optical sensor assembly configured to fit within the aperture of the housing in a single orientation.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, the housing defining a stepped flange surrounding the aperture, the stepped flange including a recessed portion, the optical sensor assembly welded to the recessed portion of the stepped flange.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a cover layer disposed over the chemical sensing element, the cover layer comprising a material permeable to the physiological analyte.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein the cover layer is flush with an outside surface of the housing wall.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein the cover layer is opaque.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising an infrared light filter disposed over the optical detection assembly.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 1, the optical window comprising a rigid planar optical window.

13. An optical sensor assembly for an implantable medical device, the assembly comprising:

an optical window comprising edges;

a flange surrounding the edges of the optical window forming a hermetic seal between the flange and the optical window;

an electro-optical module aligned with the optical window, the electro-optical module comprising

an optical excitation assembly;

an optical detection assembly; and

a chemical sensing element aligned with the optical window, the optical chemical sensing element configured to detect a physiological analyte by exhibiting an optically detectable response to the physiological analyte, the optical window disposed between the electro-optical module and the chemical sensing element.

14. The optical sensor assembly of claim 13, further comprising an infrared light filter disposed over the optical detection assembly.

15. The optical sensor assembly of claim 13, the electro-optical module configured to fit within the flange in a single orientation.

16. The optical sensor assembly of claim 13, the electro-optical module configured to fit within the flange via a compression fitting.

17. The optical sensor assembly of claim 13, the optical window comprising a rigid planar optical window.

18. The optical sensor assembly of claim 13, the optical excitation assembly comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes.

19. The optical sensor assembly of claim 13, the optical detection assembly comprising a plurality of photodiodes.

20. The optical sensor assembly of claim 13, the electro-optical module further comprising a substrate, the optical excitation assembly and the optical detection assembly coupled to the substrate.