DEVICES FOR FIXING A SENSOR IN A LUMEN

• US 20090270742A1
• Filed: 07/02/2009
• Published: 10/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Remon Medical Technologies Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Remon Medical Technologies Ltd. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Ben-Yoseph, Alon, Penner, Abraham, Wolinsky, Lone
• Granted Patent: US 9,149,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/486
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6886 Monitoring or controlling distance between sensor and tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0091 helically-coiled or spirally-coiled, i.e. having a 2-D spiral cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer

Abstract

Apparatus for positioning at least one sensor in a body lumen, the apparatus including a fixation element, a sensor, and a connecting element that connects the sensor to the fixation element, the connecting element extending at least partially into the lumen so that the sensor is located radially inward from a wall of the lumen.

Claims

1. An implantable vascular pressure sensor for sensing blood pressure within a pulmonary artery, the sensor comprising:

a sensor configured to sense blood pressure within the pulmonary artery; and

a fixation element configured to secure the sensor to a wall of the pulmonary artery, the fixation element including;

a first wire loop coupled to the sensor, the first wire loop configured to expand from a collapsed position to an expanded position within the pulmonary artery, wherein, in the expanded position of the first wire loop, an outer periphery of the first wire loop is configured to contact and assert a radial force against the wall at a first location within the pulmonary artery; and

a second wire loop coupled to the sensor, the second wire loop configured to expand from a collapsed position to an expanded position within the pulmonary artery, wherein, in the expanded position of the second wire loop, an outer periphery of the second wire loop is configured to contact and assert a radial force against the wall at a second location within the pulmonary artery.

2. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor is laterally offset from the outer periphery of the first and second wire loops such that, in the expanded position, the sensor is located radially inward and spaced a distance apart from the wall of the pulmonary artery.

3. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the fixation element suspends at least part of the sensor inwardly away from the wall such that blood within the pulmonary artery flows between the wall and the sensor.

4. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein, when the fixation element is disposed within the pulmonary artery, the sensor is located less than approximately 0.8r away from the wall, wherein r represents the artery radius.

5. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second wire loops each comprise a single wire loop.

6. The pressure sensor of claim 1, further comprising a first connecting element connecting the first wire loop to the sensor and a second connecting element connecting the second wire loop to the sensor.

7. The pressure sensor of claim 6, wherein the first and second connecting elements are wires.

8. The pressure sensor of claim 6, wherein the first and second connecting elements are flexible.

9. The pressure sensor of claim 6, wherein the first and second connecting elements are rigid.

10. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein an active face of the sensor is oriented towards a center of the pulmonary artery.

11. The pressure sensor of claim 10, wherein the active face of the sensor is oriented parallel to the wall of the pulmonary artery.

12. The pressure sensor of claim 10, wherein the first and second wire loops are coupled to the sensor on a side opposite the active face.

13. The pressure sensor of claim 10, wherein the active face of the sensor is laterally offset from the outer periphery of the first and second wire loops.

14. The pressure sensor of claim 10, wherein the active face of the sensor is laterally aligned with the outer periphery of the first and second wire loops.

15. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second wire loops are formed at least in part of a metal.

16. The pressure sensor of claim 15, wherein the metal includes a nickel-titanium alloy.

17. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second wire loops are formed at least in part of a polymer.

18. The pressure sensor of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an energy storage device.

19. An implantable vascular pressure sensor for sensing blood pressure within a pulmonary artery, the sensor comprising:

a sensor configured to sense blood pressure within the pulmonary artery; and

a fixation element configured to secure the sensor to a wall of the pulmonary artery, the fixation element including;

a first wire loop coupled to and extending at least in part proximally from the sensor along a longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery, the first wire loop configured to expand from a collapsed position to an expanded position within the pulmonary artery, wherein, in the expanded position of the first wire loop, an outer periphery of the first wire loop is configured to contact and assert a radial force against the wall at a first location within the pulmonary artery proximal to the sensor; and

a second wire loop coupled to and extending at least in part distally from the sensor along the longitudinal axis of the pulmonary artery, the second wire loop configured to expand from a collapsed position to an expanded position within the pulmonary artery, wherein, in the expanded position of the second wire loop, an outer periphery of the second wire loop is configured to contact and assert a radial force against the wall at a second location within the pulmonary artery distal to the sensor.

20. An implantable vascular pressure sensor for sensing blood pressure within a pulmonary artery, the sensor comprising:

a sensor configured to sense blood pressure within the pulmonary artery; and

a fixation element configured to secure the sensor to a wall of the pulmonary artery, the fixation element including;

a first anchoring member coupled to the sensor, the first anchoring member comprising a single wire loop configured to expand from a collapsed position to an expanded position within the pulmonary artery, wherein, in the expanded position, an outer periphery of the first anchoring member is configured to contact and assert a radial force against the wall at a first location within the pulmonary artery; and

a second anchoring member coupled to the sensor, the second anchoring member comprising a single wire loop configured to expand from a collapsed position to an expanded position within the pulmonary artery, wherein, in the expanded position, an outer periphery of the second anchoring member is configured to contact and assert a radial force against the wall at a second location within the pulmonary artery;

wherein, when the first and second anchoring members are in the expanded position, the sensor is located radially inward and spaced apart from the wall of the pulmonary artery.