Method and apparatus for in vivo sensing
First Claim
1. A method for in vivo sensing, comprising the steps of:
- producing an excitation signal, having a first frequency component and a second frequency component, wherein a first excitation frequency associated with the first frequency component is swept through a plurality of excitation frequencies within a frequency range of interest;
receiving a response signal from an in vivo sensor, the response signal comprising a mix component having a frequency equal to one of a sum of a first excitation frequency associated with the first frequency component and a second excitation frequency associated with the second frequency component and a difference between the first and second excitation frequencies; and
evaluating the mix component to determine a characteristic of the in vivo sensor.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for in vivo sensing are provided. An excitation signal is produced, having a first frequency component and a second frequency component. The first frequency component is swept through a plurality of excitation frequencies within a frequency range of interest. A response signal is received from an in vivo sensor. The response signal includes a mix component having a frequency equal to one of a sum of a first excitation frequency associated with the first frequency component and a second excitation frequency associated with the second frequency component and a difference between the first and second excitation frequencies. The mix component is evaluated to determine a resonant frequency of the in vivo sensor.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for in vivo sensing, comprising the steps of:
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producing an excitation signal, having a first frequency component and a second frequency component, wherein a first excitation frequency associated with the first frequency component is swept through a plurality of excitation frequencies within a frequency range of interest; receiving a response signal from an in vivo sensor, the response signal comprising a mix component having a frequency equal to one of a sum of a first excitation frequency associated with the first frequency component and a second excitation frequency associated with the second frequency component and a difference between the first and second excitation frequencies; and evaluating the mix component to determine a characteristic of the in vivo sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer program product, encoded on a computer readable medium and operative in a data processing system, for controlling an RF probe, comprising:
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a frequency selector that selects a first excitation frequency and a second excitation frequency for the probe; an amplitude detector that, for each of a plurality of selected values for the first excitation frequency, determines an associated power of a mix component, having an associated frequency equal to one of a sum of the first and second excitation frequencies and a difference between the first and second excitation frequencies, of a response signal from an in vivo sensor to record a frequency response for the signal; and a response analyzer that evaluates the recorded frequency response to determine a characteristic of the in vivo sensor. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. An RF probe assembly for determining a characteristic of an in vivo sensor having an associated nonlinear element, comprising:
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a transmit element that provides an excitation signal for the probe, the excitation signal comprising a first frequency component, having a first associated frequency, and a second frequency component, having a second associated frequency; a response element that receives a response signal from the in vivo sensor, the response signal comprising a mix component having a frequency equal to one of a sum of the first and second frequencies and a difference between the first and second frequencies; and a system control that evaluates the mix component to determine the characteristic of the associated in vivo sensor. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification