Implantable particle measuring apparatus

• US 6,488,704 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2001
• Issued: 12/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biomed Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Biomed Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Foster, Thomas H., Connelly, Patrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fetsuga, Robert M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIEKER, AMANDA FLYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/850,250
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 600/309-310, 600/342, 600/407, 600/473, 600/476, 623/1.1, 623/1-1-, 623/1.2, 623/1-1-, 606/108, 606/191-200, 604/265
• US Class Current: 623/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0071 by measuring fluorescence emission
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• 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: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00

Abstract

An implantable stent which contains a tube, several optical emitters located on the inner surface of the tube, and several optical photodetectors located on the inner surface of the tube. The optical emitters radiate energy with a wavelength of from about 30 nanometers to about 30 millimeters, and the optical photodectors receive energy with a wavelength of from about 30 nanometers to about 30 millimeters.

Claims

1. An implantable stent which comprises:

(a) a tube comprising an inner surface and an outer surface, and

(b) a multiplicity of optical radiation emitting means adapted to emit radiation with a wavelength from about 30 nanometers to about 30 millimeters, and a multiplicity of optical radiation detecting means adapted to detect radiation with a wavelength of from about 30 nanometers to about 30 millimeters, wherein said optical radiation emitting means and said optical radiation detecting means are disposed on the inside surface of said tube.

2. The implantable stent as recited in claim 1, wherein said implantable stent is comprised of a flexible casing with an inner surface and an outer surface.

3. The implantable stent as recited in claim 2, wherein said flexible casing is comprised of fluoropolymer.

4. The implantable stent as recited in claim 2, wherein said casing is optically impermeable.

5. The implantable stent as recited in claim 4, wherein a layer of anticoagulant material is disposed on said inner surface of said flexible casing.

6. The implantable stent as recited in claim 5, wherein said anticoagulant material is heparin.

7. The implantable stent as recited in claim 5, wherein a layer of porous material is disposed and top of said layer of anticoagulant material.

8. The implantable stent as recited in claim 7, wherein said layer of porous material has an average pore size of from about 0.5 to about 10 microns.

9. The implantable stent as recited in claim 8, wherein said layer of porous material is comprised of polymeric material.

10. The implantable stent as recited in claim 1, wherein said implantable stent comprises telemetry means for transmitting a signal to a receiver located external to said implantable stent.

11. The implantable stent as recited in claim 10, wherein said implantable stent comprises telemetry means for receiving a signal from a transmitter located external to said implantable stent.

12. The implantable stent as recited in claim 11, wherein said signal transmitted by said implantable stent is a radio frequency signal.

13. The implantable stent as recited in claim 12, wherein said signal received by said implantable stent is a radio frequency signal.

14. The implantable stent as recited in claim 1, wherein said implantable stent is comprised of a waveguide array.

15. The implantable stent as recited in claim 14, wherein said waveguide array is comprised of a flexible optical waveguide device.

16. The implantable stent as recited in claim 15, wherein said waveguide array is comprised of means for transmitting optical energy in a specified configuration.

17. The implantable stent as recited in claim 16, wherein said implantable stent is comprised of a waveguide interface for receiving said optical energy transmitted in said specified configuration by said waveguide array.

18. The implantable stent as recited in claim 17, wherein said waveguide array is comprised of means for filtering specified optical frequencies.

19. The implantable stent as recited in claim 14, wherein said implantable stent is comprised of means for receiving optical energy from said waveguide array.

20. The implantable stent as recited in claim 19, further comprising means for processing said optical energy received from waveguide array.

21. The implantable stent as recited in claim 20, further comprising means for processing said radiation emitted by said optical radiation emitting means adapted with a wavelength from about 30 nanometers to about 30 millimeters.

22. The implantable stent as recited in claim 21, wherein said implantable stent comprises telemetry means for transmitting a signal to a receiver located external to said implantable stent.

23. The implantable stent as recited in claim 22, wherein said implantable stent comprises telemetry means for receiving a signal from a transmitter located external to said implantable stent.

24. The implantable stent as recited in claim 23, wherein said implantable stent is comprised of a controller operatively connected to said means for transmitting a signal to said receiver, and operatively connected to said means for receiving a signal from said transmitter.

25. The implantable stent as recited in claim 1, wherein a transparent seal is disposed over each of said optical radiation emitting means.

26. The implantable stent as recited in claim 25, wherein a transparent seal over each of said optical radiation emitting means.

27. The implantable stent as recited in claim 1, wherein said implantable stent is comprised of a multiplicity of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and photodetectors arranged in a monolithic configuration.

28. The implantable stent as recited in claim 27, wherein said monolithic configuration further comprises a multiplicity of optical drivers operatively connected to said vertical cavity surface emitting lasers.

29. The implantable stent as recited in claim 27, wherein said vertical cavity surface emitting lasers each comprise a multiplicity of distributed Bragg reflector layers.

30. The implantable stent as recited in claim 29, wherein each of said photodetectors comprises a multiplicity of distributed Bragg reflector layers.

31. The implantable stent as recited in claim 30, wherein each of said vertical cavity surface emitting lasers is comprised of an emission layer disposed between a first distributed Bragg reflector layer and a second distributed Bragg reflector layer.

32. The implantable stent as recited in claim 31, wherein said emission layer is comprised of a multiplicity of quantum well structures.

33. The implantable stent as recited in claim 32, wherein each of said photodetectors is comprised of an absorption layer disposed between a first distributed Bragg reflector layer and a second distributed Bragg reflector layer.

34. The implantable stent as recited in claim 27, wherein each of said vertical cavity surface emitting lasers and photodetectors is disposed on a separate semiconductor substrate.

35. The implantable stent as recited in claim 34, wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises gallium arsenide.

36. The implantable stent as recited in claim 34, wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises silicon.

37. The implantable stent as recited in claim 1, wherein said implantable stent is comprised of an arithmetic unit.

38. The implantable stent as recited in claim 37, wherein said arithmetic unit is comprised of means for receiving signals from said optical radiation detecting means.

39. The implantable stent as recited in claim 38, wherein said arithmetic unit is comprised of means for calculating the concentration of components in an analyte disposed within said implantable stent.

40. The implantable stent as recited in claim 39, wherein said means for calculating the concentration of components in said analyte calculates concentrations of said components in said analyte based upon optimum optical path lengths for different wavelengths and values of transmitted light.

41. The implantable stent as recited in claim 1, wherein said implantable stent further comprises a power supply.

42. The implantable stent as recited in claim 41, wherein said power supply comprises a battery.

43. The implantable stent as recited in claim 42, wherein said battery is a lithium-iodine battery.