WIRELESS IMPLANTABLE SENSING DEVICES

• US 20150335285A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: POON, Ada Shuk Yan, HU, Bob S., JANG, Jihoon, YAKOVLEV, Anatoly, TANABE, Yuji, YEH, Alex, HSU, Stephanie, MA, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US14/424,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20150335285A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6868 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6869 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36 for stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/00 Magnetotherapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 : Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45015 : being circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 : Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48092 : Helix
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85399 : Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 : of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/207 : Diameter ranges
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 : Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

An implantable device is provided that can include any number of features. In some embodiments, the device induces a coil antenna configured to receive wireless power from a power source external to the patient. The device can include at least one sensor configured to sense a bodily parameter of the patient. The device can also include electronics configured to communicate the sensed bodily parameter of to a device located external to the patient. Methods of use are also described.

Claims

1. A patient monitoring system, comprising:

a plurality of implantable, wirelessly powered sensing devices, each sensing device comprising an antenna configured to receive wireless power, at least one sensor configured to sense a bodily parameter of the patient, and electronics coupled to the antenna and the sensor and configured to communicate the sensed bodily parameter; and

at least one external device configured to provide wireless power to the antennae of the sensing devices and configured to receive the sensed bodily parameters from the sensing devices.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least sensor is selected from the group consisting of electrical sensor, pressure sensor, optical sensor, mechanical sensor, and temperature sensor.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the sensing devices comprises an energy harvesting mechanism that is selected from the group consisting of magnetic harvesting mechanism, optical harvesting mechanism, mechanical harvesting mechanism, thermal harvesting mechanism, and chemical harvesting mechanism.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a therapy element configured to apply therapy to the patient.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the therapy element is selected from the group consisting of electrode, optical element, ultrasound transducer, chemical element, and magnetic element.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensing devices do not comprise a battery.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensing devices are powered only when receiving wireless power from the external device.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the sensing device receive wireless power at an operating frequency ranging from approximately 100 MHz to 5 GHz.

6. An implantable, untethered sensing device, the untethered sensing device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive wireless power from a power source external to a patient;

at least one sensor configured to sense a bodily parameter of the patient; and

electronics coupled to the antenna and the at least one sensor and configured to communicate the sensed bodily parameter to a device external to the patient.

7. The sensing device of claim 6 wherein the at least sensor is selected from the group consisting of electrical sensor, pressure sensor, optical sensor, mechanical sensor, and temperature sensor.

8. The sensing device of claim 6, wherein each of the sensing devices comprises an energy harvesting mechanism that is selected from the group consisting of magnetic harvesting mechanism, optical harvesting mechanism, mechanical harvesting mechanism, thermal harvesting mechanism, and chemical harvesting mechanism.

9. The sensing device of claim 6 further comprising a therapy element configured to apply therapy to the patient.

10. The sensing device of claim 9 wherein the therapy element is selected from the group consisting of electrode, optical element, ultrasound transducer, chemical element, and magnetic element.

11. A method of monitoring a patient parameter, comprising:

implanting at least one wirelessly powered sensing device into a patient;

providing wireless power to the at least one sensing device with an external device;

sensing a bodily parameter of the patient with the at least one sensing device; and

communicating the sensed bodily parameter from the at least one sensing device to the external device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the at least one sensing device is implanted into a part of the body selected from the group consisting of a heart, brain, vascular system, and abdomen of the patient.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the bodily parameter is selected from the group consisting of an EEG, EKG, ECG, blood pressure, core temperature, blood flow, resistance, impedance, and pressure of fluid within the patient.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising providing therapy to the patient with the sensing device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the therapy comprises electrical stimulation, chemical stimulation, optical stimulation, or magnetic stimulation, or mechanical stimulation.