Endoluminal implant with fluid flow sensing capability
First Claim
1. An endoluminal implant adapted to be inserted into a body passage and to determine a condition of fluid flow through the endoluminal implant within the body passage, comprising:
- (a) a generally tubular shaped member having two states, including a compact state in which the member has a first cross-sectional size and an expanded state in which the member has a second cross-sectional size, said second cross-sectional size being substantially greater than said first cross-sectional size, said member including an electrical conductor;
(b) a sensor that is adapted to monitor a parameter related to fluid flow through said member, producing a signal indicative of said parameter; and
(c) a data transmitter coupled to the sensor to receive the signal, said data transmitter also being coupled to the member and adapted to transmit electromagnetic data corresponding to the signal outside the body passage in which the endoluminal implant is installed, using the electrical conductor of the member as an antenna.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A stent or graft stent energized from an external power source is provided with one or more sensors to sense a parameter, producing a signal that is transmitted outside a vessel in which the stent is implanted. At least a portion of a body of the stent or an insulated electrical conductor comprises a plurality of turns that serve as an RF antenna. An expandable mesh or helical coils that form the stent body may serve as the antenna or it may comprise a separate insulated conductor. The RF antenna receives energy electromagnetically coupled to the antenna from an external (or implanted) coil and conveys a data signal corresponding to the parameter sensed by the sensor(s) on the stent or stent graft to a monitor disposed outside the patient'"'"'s body. In one form of the invention, a plurality of conformal array transducers are used to produce and sense ultrasonic waves that are affected by a fluid flowing through a lumen of the stent. This transducer determines fluid flow or fluid velocity. In other embodiments, one or more integrated circuit (IC) sensors are used to sense other physical or biological parameters in the proximity of the stent, producing signals that are multiplexed by an electronics circuit and transmitted to the external monitor/power supply.
598 Citations
54 Claims
-
1. An endoluminal implant adapted to be inserted into a body passage and to determine a condition of fluid flow through the endoluminal implant within the body passage, comprising:
-
(a) a generally tubular shaped member having two states, including a compact state in which the member has a first cross-sectional size and an expanded state in which the member has a second cross-sectional size, said second cross-sectional size being substantially greater than said first cross-sectional size, said member including an electrical conductor; (b) a sensor that is adapted to monitor a parameter related to fluid flow through said member, producing a signal indicative of said parameter; and (c) a data transmitter coupled to the sensor to receive the signal, said data transmitter also being coupled to the member and adapted to transmit electromagnetic data corresponding to the signal outside the body passage in which the endoluminal implant is installed, using the electrical conductor of the member as an antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An endoluminal implant adapted to inserted into a body passage to monitor a parameter within the body passage, comprising:
-
(a) a generally tubular shaped member that is expandable within a body passage, said member including an electrical conductor that comprises an antenna; (b) a sensor disposed on the member and adapted to sense the parameter, producing a signal indicative of said parameter; and (c) a data transmitter affixed to the member and coupled to the sensor to receive the signal, said data transmitter being also adapted to transmit electromagnetic data corresponding to the signal through the antenna and outside the body passage in which the endoluminal implant is adapted to be installed. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
-
-
37. A method for conveying a parameter sensed in a vicinity of an endoluminal implant, which is adapted to be moved to a treatment site inside a body passage, to an external location disposed outside the body passage, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) sensing the parameter within the body passage, producing a signal indicative of the parameter; (b) connecting the signal to an electrical conductor comprising the endoluminal implant; (c) electromagnetically coupling the signal from the electrical conductor to the external location; and (d) receiving the signal at the external location to monitor the signal. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
-
Specification