WIRELESS INTRACRANIAL MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20150297103A1
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Branchpoint & AURA Development LLC
• Original Assignee: Branchpoint Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Hu, Nicholas, Hughes, Kevin, Phouasalit, Hyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,848,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/103 Cranial plugs for access to brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0257 using atmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/11 with guides for needles or instruments, e.g. arcuate slides or ball joints

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present disclosure comprise improved systems and methods for monitoring physiological parameters such as intracranial pressure (“ICP”), intracranial temperature, and subject head position. For example, in some embodiments, an implantable apparatus for measuring ICP can be implanted into a subject skull. The apparatus can comprise an implant body having a hermetically sealed chamber housing a gas at a reference pressure, and a pressure conduction catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured to extend into the brain through a burr hole in the skull and includes a plurality of ports. A barrier can cover the ports of the distal end of the pressure conduction catheter, wherein the barrier and pressure conduction catheter are filled with a number of gas molecules so that the barrier is not in tension in a predefined range of ICPs.

Claims

1. An implantable apparatus for measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) in a brain housed within a skull, comprising:

a pressure conduction catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured to extend into the brain through a burr hole in the skull and includes a plurality of ports;

a barrier configured to cover the ports of the distal end of the pressure conduction catheter, wherein the barrier and pressure conduction catheter are filled with a predetermined number of gas molecules so that the barrier is not in tension in at least a predefined range of ICPs;

a diaphragm coupled to the proximal end of the pressure conduction catheter, the diaphragm configured to deform in response to changes in ICP at the barrier;

at least one sensor configured to obtain data indicative of deformation of the diaphragm; and

a processor, configured to receive said obtained data and determine the ICP at the barrier based at least in part on the obtained data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined range of ICPs is −

100 mmHg to 150 mmHg.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrier is not in tension in at least a predefined range of atmospheric pressures.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the barrier does not collapse onto the pressure conduction catheter in at least the predefined range of ICPs.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is positioned within a hermetically-sealed implant body.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the diaphragm and hermetically-sealed implant body are unibody.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the hermetically-sealed implant body includes a reference pressure.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a data antenna operably coupled to the processor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the data antenna is coupled to the processor through a hermetic feedthrough.

10. A method for measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) in a brain housed within a skull, comprising:

deforming a diaphragm coupled to the proximal end of a pressure conduction catheter, the diaphragm configured to deform based at least in part on ICP exerted on a barrier covering a distal end of the pressure conduction catheter, wherein the barrier and the pressure conduction catheter are filled with a predetermined number of gas molecules so that the barrier is not in tension in at least a predefined range of ICPs;

obtaining data indicative of the deformation of the diaphragm; and

determining ICP at the barrier based at least in part on at least said obtained data.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the determined ICP through a hermetic feedthrough to a data antenna.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting the determined ICP from the data antenna to a transceiver external to the skull.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the data indicative of deformation is at least one of stress, strain, and deflection.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the diaphragm comprises titanium.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the predefined range of ICPs is −

100 mmHg to 150 mmHg.

16. An implantable apparatus for measuring intracranial pressure (ICP) in a brain housed within a skull, comprising:

an implant body comprising a hermetically sealed chamber housing a gas at a reference pressure;

a pressure conduction catheter having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the distal end is configured to extend into the brain through a burr hole in the skull and includes a plurality of ports;

a barrier configured to cover the ports of the distal end of the pressure conduction catheter, wherein the barrier and pressure conduction catheter are filled with a predetermined number of gas molecules so that the barrier is not in tension in a predefined range of ICPs;

a diaphragm positioned between the implant body and the proximal end of the pressure conduction catheter, the diaphragm configured to deform in response to changes in ICP at the barrier; and

at least one sensor communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to obtain data indicative of the deformation of the diaphragm.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the predefined range of ICPs is −

100 mmHg to 150 mmHg.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the barrier does not collapse onto the pressure conduction catheter in at least the predefined range of ICPs.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the barrier is not in tension in at least a predefined range of atmospheric pressures.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the diaphragm and implant body are unibody.