Solid state sphincter myometers
First Claim
1. A system for measuring constriction pressure within a body lumen, said system comprising:
- an elongated cylindrical core member;
a first array of substantially parallel, electrically-conductive strips substantially conformed to at least a portion of said elongated cylindrical core member;
a second array of substantially parallel, electrically-conductive strips, disposed transverse to and in overlapping relationship with said first array of substantially parallel electrically conductive strips, and substantially conformed to at least said portion of said elongated core member, so as to provide with said first array a plurality of pressure transducer regions around the circumference and along the axis of said core member; and
means, disposed between said first and second arrays at said pressure transducer regions, for defining a predetermined, measurable parameter at each of said regions between the corresponding electrical conductive strips of the first and second arrays such that the parameter varies as a function of a force applied to each of said regions so that constriction pressure within a body lumen can be measured.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing real-time measurements of constriction pressure applied by the inner surface of a body lumen, such as a sphincter, includes a probe comprising an elongated core member having a matrix of pressure transducer regions distributed over the surface of the elongated core member. The preferred matrix of pressure transducer regions is addressed by a first inner array of substantially parallel electrically conductive strips substantially conformed circumferentially to at least a portion of the elongated core member, the first array being disposed in overlapping relationship with a second outer array of substantially parallel electrically conductive strips, and substantially conformed axially to at least the same portion of the elongated core member, so as to provide a matrix of intersection regions. Each pressure transducer region is disposed at a corresponding intersection region, and is in electrical contact with both a electrically conductive strip of the first array, and a electrically conductive strip of the second array. In the preferred embodiment the strips of the outer array are mechanically decoupled from one another by axially-directed slits to allow each individual strip to respond independently under hydrostatically applied pressures. A method of making the probe from commercially available materials is also disclosed.
-
Citations
30 Claims
-
1. A system for measuring constriction pressure within a body lumen, said system comprising:
-
an elongated cylindrical core member; a first array of substantially parallel, electrically-conductive strips substantially conformed to at least a portion of said elongated cylindrical core member; a second array of substantially parallel, electrically-conductive strips, disposed transverse to and in overlapping relationship with said first array of substantially parallel electrically conductive strips, and substantially conformed to at least said portion of said elongated core member, so as to provide with said first array a plurality of pressure transducer regions around the circumference and along the axis of said core member; and means, disposed between said first and second arrays at said pressure transducer regions, for defining a predetermined, measurable parameter at each of said regions between the corresponding electrical conductive strips of the first and second arrays such that the parameter varies as a function of a force applied to each of said regions so that constriction pressure within a body lumen can be measured. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
Specification