Medical devices

• US 7,416,530 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2003
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: L & P 100 Limited
• Original Assignee: L & P 100 Limited
• Inventors: Davies, G. Alban, O'Riordan, Simon John Patrick, Turner, Nicholas McMahon, Payne, Peter Alfred, Davies, Julie A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nasser; Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US10/718,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20050102026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,741 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/485
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• 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 5/1473 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter A61B5/1482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/005 Detecting noise caused by implants, e.g. cardiac valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/07 Stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/065 Y-shaped blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/075 the stent being loosely attached to the graft material, e.g. by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer

Abstract

There is disclosed a medical device adapted to be implanted in the heart of a patient and operable therein i) as a heart valve; or ii) to assist in the functioning of one of the patient'"'"'s heart valves; or iii) to monitor the functioning of one of the patient'"'"'s heart valves. The device includes one or more sensors for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter of a patient. A telemetric communication device telemetrically transmits data related to a parameter sensed by the sensor to a remote device.

Claims

1. A medical device adapted to be implanted in the heart of a patient and operable therein i) as a heart valve;

or ii) to assist in the functioning of one of the patient'"'"'s heart valves;

the medical device comprising;

at least one sensor for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter of the patient wherein said at least one sensor includes a piezoelectric sensor comprising a polymeric active sensing area which senses blood pressure of the patient;

telemetric communication means comprising an RFID device for telemetrically transmitting data related to the parameter sensed by the sensor to a remote device; and

wherein said at least one sensor includes at least two spaced apart piezoelectric sensors for sensing blood pressure at different locations in the heart of the patient, each of the spaced apart sensors comprising a polymeric active sensing area which senses blood pressure of the patient.

2. The medical device according to claim, 1 wherein the medical device comprises a heart valve for regulating the flow of blood through the medical device.

3. The medical device according to claim 1 wherein the telemetric communication means comprises an integrated circuit.

4. The medical device according to claim 1 wherein said piezoelectric sensors also sense acoustic signals.

5. The medical device according to claim 4 wherein said piezoelectric sensors sense both blood pressure and acoustic signals.

6. A medical device according to claim 1 wherein the polymeric active sensing area comprises PVDF.

7. The medical device according to claim 1 wherein the medical device comprises a tissue valve device having a valve wall formed from tissue.

8. The medical device according to claim 7 further comprising a stent support for the valve wall, and wherein the piezoelectric sensors and the telemetric communication means are disposed between the stent support and the valve wall.

9. The medical device according to claim 7 wherein the medical device is stentless.

10. The medical device according to claim 7 further comprising a protective cover disposed around the periphery of the medical device, and wherein the piezoelectric sensors and the telemetric communication means are disposed between the valve wall and the protective cover.

11. The medical device according to claim 1 wherein the medical device comprises a mechanical heart valve.

12. A medical device adapted to be implanted in the heart of a patient and operable therein i) as a heart valve;

or ii) to assist in the functioning of one of the patient'"'"'s heart valves;

the medical device comprising;

at least one sensor for sensing a physiologically or clinically relevant parameter of the patient wherein said at least one sensor includes a piezoelectric sensor comprising a polymeric active sensing area which senses blood pressure of the patient;

telemetric communication means comprising an RFID device for telemetrically transmitting data related to the parameter sensed by the sensor to a remote device;

wherein said at least one sensor includes at least two spaced apart piezoelectric sensors for sensing blood pressure at different locations in the heart of the patient, each of the spaced apart sensors comprising a polymeric active sensing area which senses blood pressure of the patient; and

wherein the telemetric communication means telemetrically transmits data related to the difference in the blood pressures sensed by the at least two spaced apart sensors.