Implantable Sensor and Method for Such Sensor
First Claim
1. A device for measuring impedance in a subject, the device being configured to be implanted within the body of the subject and being configured to measure impedance within a body tissue of the subject resulting from an electrical current flowing through the body tissue, wherein the body tissue is sub-dermal or subcutaneous tissue of the subject, comprising:
- one pair of injection electrodes configured for injection of electricalcurrent into the body tissue, wherein the electrical current is passed from one of the injection electrodes to the other of the injection electrodes through the body;
one pair of sensing electrodes configured to detect the resultingvoltage caused by the current flowing between the pair of injection electrodes and through the body tissue;
a current signal output circuit operatively connected to the microcontroller and the injection electrodes and being configured to provide electrical current at predetermined frequencies to the injection electrodes;
a detector operatively connected to the sensing electrodes and configured to receive the voltage detected by the sensing electrodes, wherein the detector is configured to measure the impedance of the body tissue based on the voltage detected by the pair of sensing electrodes;
a microcontroller operatively connected to the detector and being configured to receive impedance signals from the detector and to provide control signals to the current signal output circuit; and
a powering and communication circuit including a coil configured to be powered by an electromagnetic field produced by an external coil, the powering circuit being operatively connected to the microcontroller and configured to power the microcontroller, the current signal output circuit and the detector.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to an implantable sensor configured to be implanted within the body of the subject and being configured to measure impedance within a body tissue of the subject resulting from an electrical current flowing through the body tissue, wherein the body tissue is sub-dermal or subcutaneous tissue of the subject. One pair of injection electrodes is configured for injection of electrical current into the body tissue and one pair of sensing electrodes is configured to detect the resulting voltage. A detector is operatively connected to the sensing electrodes and is configured to receive the voltage detected by the sensing electrodes, wherein the detector is configured to measure the impedance of the body tissue based on the voltage detected by the pair of sensing electrodes. A microcontroller is operatively connected to the detector and is configured to receive impedance signals from the detector and to provide control signals to the current signal output circuit and a powering and communication circuit including a coil configured to be powered by an electromagnetic field produced by an external coil.
14 Citations
38 Claims
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1. A device for measuring impedance in a subject, the device being configured to be implanted within the body of the subject and being configured to measure impedance within a body tissue of the subject resulting from an electrical current flowing through the body tissue, wherein the body tissue is sub-dermal or subcutaneous tissue of the subject, comprising:
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one pair of injection electrodes configured for injection of electrical current into the body tissue, wherein the electrical current is passed from one of the injection electrodes to the other of the injection electrodes through the body; one pair of sensing electrodes configured to detect the resulting voltage caused by the current flowing between the pair of injection electrodes and through the body tissue; a current signal output circuit operatively connected to the microcontroller and the injection electrodes and being configured to provide electrical current at predetermined frequencies to the injection electrodes; a detector operatively connected to the sensing electrodes and configured to receive the voltage detected by the sensing electrodes, wherein the detector is configured to measure the impedance of the body tissue based on the voltage detected by the pair of sensing electrodes; a microcontroller operatively connected to the detector and being configured to receive impedance signals from the detector and to provide control signals to the current signal output circuit; and a powering and communication circuit including a coil configured to be powered by an electromagnetic field produced by an external coil, the powering circuit being operatively connected to the microcontroller and configured to power the microcontroller, the current signal output circuit and the detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for measuring impedance in a subject using a device being configured to be implanted within the body of the subject and being configured to measure impedance within a body tissue of the subject resulting from an electrical current flowing through the body tissue, wherein the body tissue is sub-dermal or subcutaneous tissue of the subject, comprising:
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providing power for the impedance measurement by receiving power at a coil via an electromagnetic field produced by an external coil; injecting electrical current into the body tissue via one pair of injection electrodes, wherein the electrical current is passed from one of the injection electrodes to the other of the injection electrodes through the body; sensing the resulting voltage caused by the current flowing between the pair of injection electrodes and through the body tissue at one pair of sensing electrodes; and determining the impedance of the body tissue based on the voltage detected by the pair of sensing electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A device for measuring impedance in an object, the device being
configured to be implanted within the object or attached to the object and being configured to measure impedance of the object resulting from an electrical current flowing through the body tissue, comprising: -
one pair of injection electrodes configured for injection of electrical current into the object, wherein the electrical current is passed from one of the injection electrodes to the other of the injection electrodes through the object; one pair of sensing electrodes configured to detect the resulting voltage caused by the current flowing between the pair of injection electrodes and through the object; a current signal output circuit operatively connected to the microcontroller and the injection electrodes and being configured to provide electrical current at predetermined frequencies to the injection electrodes; a detector operatively connected to the sensing electrodes and configured to receive the voltage detected by the sensing electrodes, wherein the detector is configured to measure the impedance of the object based on the voltage detected by the pair of sensing electrodes; a microcontroller operatively connected to the detector and being configured to receive impedance signals from the detector and to provide control signals to the current signal output circuit; and a powering and communication circuit including a coil configured to be powered by an electromagnetic field produced by an external coil, the powering circuit being operatively connected to the microcontroller and configured to power the microcontroller, the current signal output circuit and the detector. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification