IMPLANTS USING ULTRASONIC BACKSCATTER FOR SENSING PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

• US 20180085605A1
• Filed: 09/12/2017
• Published: 03/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: MAHARBIZ, Michel M., CARMENA, Jose M., ANWAR, Mekhail, OZILGEN, Burak A., SEO, Dongjin, FAVA, Federica
• Granted Patent: US 10,118,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• 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 5/279 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0875 for diagnosis of bone A61B5/4504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/48 Diagnostic techniques A61B8/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/825 using mechanical generation of electricity, e.g. hand cranked generators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/0208 Subcutaneous access sites for injecting or removing fluids transcutaneous access sites A61M39/0247; implantable infusion devices A61M5/14276
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 : from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 : Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0021 : Neural system treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1071 : for verifying the dose delivered by the treatment plan
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/06 : operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/327 : Biochemical electrodes , e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements

Abstract

Described herein is an implantable device having a sensor configured to detect an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, strain, or a pressure; and an ultrasonic transducer with a length of about 5 mm or less in the longest dimension, configured to receive current modulated based on the analyte amount, the pH, the temperature, or the pressure detected by the sensor, and emit an ultrasonic backscatter based on the received current. The implantable device can be implanted in a subject, such as an animal or a plant. Also described herein are systems including one or more implantable devices and an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the one or more implantable devices or receive ultrasonic backscatter from the one or more implantable devices. Also described are methods of detecting an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, a strain, or a pressure.

Claims

1. An implantable device, comprising:

a sensor configured to detect an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, a strain, or a pressure; and

an ultrasonic transducer with a length of about 5 mm or less in the longest dimension, configured to receive a current modulated based on the analyte amount, the pH, the temperature, or the pressure detected by the sensor, and emit an ultrasonic backscatter based on the received current.

2. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to receive ultrasonic waves that power the implantable device.

3. The implantable device of claim 2, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is configured to receive ultrasonic waves from an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers.

4. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic transducer is a bulk piezoelectric transducer, a piezoelectric micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT) or a capacitive micro-machined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT).

5. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the implantable device is about 5 mm or less in length in the longest dimension.

7. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the implantable device is implanted in a subject.

9. The implantable device of claim 7, wherein the subject is an animal or a plant.

10. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the sensor detects the amount of the analyte or pH.

11. The implantable device of claim 10, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

12. The implantable device of claim 11, wherein the optical sensor comprises a light source and an optical detector.

14. The implantable device of claim 11, wherein the optical sensor comprises a matrix comprising a fluorophore, and wherein fluorescence intensity or fluorescence lifetime of the fluorophore depends on the amount of the analyte.

15. The implantable device of claim 11, wherein the sensor detects pH or oxygen.

16. The implantable device of claim 11, wherein the optical sensor is configured to perform near-infrared spectroscopy.

17. The implantable device of claim 11, wherein the optical sensor detects glucose.

18. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a potentiometric chemical sensor or an amperometric chemical sensor.

19. The implantable device of claim 18, wherein the sensor detects oxygen, pH, or glucose.

20. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.

21. The implantable device of claim 20, wherein the temperature sensor is a thermistor, a thermocouple, or a proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) circuit.

23. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a pressure sensor.

25. The implantable device of claim 23, wherein the implantable device is configured to measure blood pressure or a pulse.

26. The implantable device of claim 9, wherein the sensor is a strain sensor.

27. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the implantable device further comprises an integrated circuit.

28. The implantable device of claim 27, wherein the integrated circuit comprises one or more of a power circuit, a driver configured to provide current to the sensor, a front end configured to receive a signal from the sensor, or a digital circuit.

29. The implantable device of claim 27, wherein the integrated circuit comprises a digital circuit, and wherein the digital circuit is configured to operate a modulation circuit.

30. The implantable device of claim 29, wherein the digital circuit is configured to transmit a digitized signal to the modulation circuit, wherein the digitized signal is based on the detected amount of the analyte, the temperature, the strain, or the pressure.

31. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the implanted device is at least partially encapsulated by a biocompatible material.

33. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the implantable device comprises two or more sensors.

34. A system comprising one or more implantable devices according to claim 1 and an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to the one or more implantable devices or receive ultrasonic backscatter from the one or more implantable devices.

6. (canceled)

8. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

35-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A method of detecting an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, a strain, or a pressure, comprising:

receiving ultrasonic waves that power one or more implantable devices comprising an ultrasonic transducer with a length of about 5 mm or less in the longest dimension;

converting energy from the ultrasonic waves into an electrical current;

transmitting the electrical current to a sensor configured to measure the amount of the analyte, the pH, the temperature, strain, or the pressure;

modulating the electrical current based on the measured amount of the analyte, pH, temperature, strain, or pressure;

transducing the modulated electrical current into an ultrasonic backscatter that encodes the measured amount of the analyte, pH, temperature, strain, or pressure; and

emitting the ultrasonic backscatter to an interrogator comprising one or more transducer configured to receive the ultrasonic backscatter.

42. A method of detecting an amount of an analyte, a pH, a temperature, strain, or a pressure, comprising:

receiving ultrasonic waves that power one or more implantable devices comprising an ultrasonic transducer with a length of about 5 mm or less in the longest dimension;

converting energy from the ultrasonic waves into an electrical current;

measuring the amount of the analyte, the pH, the temperature, the strain, or the pressure using a sensor;

modulating the electrical current based on the measured amount of the analyte, the pH, the temperature, the strain, or the pressure;

transducing the modulated electrical current into an ultrasonic backscatter that encodes the measured amount of the analyte, the pH, the temperature, the strain, or the pressure; and

emitting the ultrasonic backscatter to an interrogator comprising one or more transducer configured to receive the ultrasonic backscatter.

43-56. -56. (canceled)