ELECTROMAGNETIC PROBES, METHODS FOR FABRICATION THEREOF, AND SYSTEMS WHICH USE SUCH ELECTROMAGNETIC PROBES

• US 20130225989A1
• Filed: 11/03/2011
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Sensible Medical Innovations Ltd.
• Inventors: Saroka, Amir, Bergida, Shlomi, Almog, Benyamin
• Granted Patent: US 9,675,251 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/430
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0082 adapted for particular medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0507 using microwaves or terahertz waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/52 Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure absorbing means H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 17/001 for modifying the directional characteristic of an aerial
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49016 Antenna or wave energy "plumbing" making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

An electromagnetic (EM) probe for monitoring one or more biological tissues. The EM probe comprises a cup shaped cavity having an opening and an interior volume, a circumferential flange formed substantially around the cup shaped cavity, in proximity to the opening, at least one layer of a material, for absorbing electromagnetic radiation, applied over at least one of a portion of the circumferential flange and a portion of the outer surface of the cup shaped cavity, and at least one EM radiation element which performs at least one of emitting and capturing EM radiation via the interior volume.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic (EM) probe for monitoring at least one biological tissue, comprising:

a cup shaped cavity having an opening and an interior volume;

a circumferential flange formed substantially around said cup shaped cavity, in proximity to said opening;

at least one layer of a material, for absorbing electromagnetic radiation, applied over at least one of a portion of said circumferential flange and a portion of the outer surface of said cup shaped cavity; and

at least one EM radiation element which performs at least one of emitting and capturing EM radiation via said interior volume.

2. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said at least one layer covers at least the edge of the bottom surface of said circumferential flange.

3. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said portion of said at least one layer covers at least 25% of the bottom surface of said circumferential flange.

4. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein at least part of said circumferential flange is set to be detachably connected to said cup shaped cavity.

5. The EM probe of claim 4, wherein said circumferential flange is set to be affixed to a monitored user so as to allow detachably connecting said cup shaped cavity thereto, in a manner that said opening faces a skin area of said monitored user.

6. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said at least one EM radiation element is placed in said interior volume.

7. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said at least one EM radiation element is placed outside of said interior volume and connected by a waveguide to said cup shaped cavity.

8. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange and cup shaped cavity are molded as a single unit.

9. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said at least one layer is applied over at least one of a bottom side of said circumferential flange and a top side of said circumferential flange.

10. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange is non continuous.

11. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange is at least partly flexible.

12. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange is at least partly rigid.

13. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange is zigzagged along a plane parallel to said opening.

14. The EM probe of claim 1, further comprising a processing unit, electrically connected to said emitting element, which performs at least one of controlling a transmission parameter of said emitted EM radiation and monitoring a biological tissue according to said captured EM radiation.

15. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein the distance between the peripheral outer edge and the peripheral inner edge of said circumferential flange is at least 0.3 centimeters.

16. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said cup shaped cavity having a structure shape selected from a group consisting of:

a box, a cube, a dome, a cone, and a pyramid.

17. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said EM radiation is reflected from a biological medium being in touch with the edges of said opening.

18. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said EM radiation is emitted by another EM radiation source, via a biological medium being substantially in front of said opening.

19. The EM probe of claim 18, wherein said EM radiation source is another EM probe as defined in claim 1.

20. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said interior volume is filled with a dielectric substance.

21. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said EM probe is fabricated by a printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication method.

22. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said EM radiation is selected from a group consisting of radiofrequency (RF) radiation and microwave (MW) radiation.

23. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange is a non circular circumferential flange.

24. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange is at least partly inside said cup shaped cavity.

25. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said circumferential flange is configured to form an airtight interface with a skin area of a patient, said airtight interface set to attach the EM probe to a skin area of a patient by air pressure differences.

26. The EM probe of claim 1, wherein said EM probe is an intrabody probe.

27. A method of producing an electromagnetic (EM) probe for monitoring at least one biological tissue, comprising:

providing a cup shaped cavity having an opening and an interior volume;

forming a circumferential flange substantially around said cup shaped cavity;

applying at least one layer of a material for absorbing electromagnetic radiation over at least one of a portion of said circumferential flange and a portion of the outer surface of said cup shaped cavity;

placing an emitting element configured for at least one of emitting and capturing EM radiation; and

electrically connecting said emitting element to at least one of an EM receiver and an EM transmitter.

28. A method of monitoring at least one biological tissue, comprising:

providing a probe having a cup shaped cavity having an opening and an interior volume, a circumferential flange formed substantially around said cup shaped cavity, in proximity to said opening, at least one layer of a material, for absorbing electromagnetic radiation, applied over at least one of a portion of said circumferential flange and a portion of the outer surface of said cup shaped cavity, and at least one EM radiation element which performs at least one of emitting and capturing EM radiation via said interior volume; and

attaching said probe to a monitored user in a manner that said opening faces a skin area of said monitored user.