Pressure sensor circuits

• US 7,762,138 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Proteus Biomedical, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Arne, Lawrence, Li, Haifeng, Zdeblick, Mark, Jani, Nilay
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Application Number:
  US12/137,439
• Publication Number:
  US 20090013791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 73700-756, 600/513
• US Class Current: 73/700
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/412 Detecting or monitoring sepsis

Abstract

Implantable pressure sensors and methods for making and using the same are provided. A feature of embodiments of the subject pressure sensors is that they are low-drift sensors. The subject sensors find use in a variety of applications.

Claims

1. A method for measuring cardiac pressure, the method comprising:

providing a power supply voltage for a number of control chips over two wires, each control chip coupled to one or more pressure sensors;

transmitting a number of bit sequences carrying address information with the power supply voltage over the two wires;

configuring a pressure sensor for measuring cardiac pressure; and

receiving a digital signal indicating a measured cardiac pressure,

wherein the one or more pressure sensors includes a Wheatstone bridge and wherein the transmitting a number of bit sequences over the two wires involves modulating the power supply voltage with a digital signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signal is a frequency-shift-keying (FSK) modulated signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the power supply voltage is provided for approximately 50 μ

s.

4. A method for measuring cardiac pressure, the method comprising:

providing a power supply voltage for a number of control chips over two wires, each control chip coupled to one or more pressure sensors;

transmitting a number of bit sequences carrying address information with the power supply voltage over the two wires;

configuring a pressure sensor for measuring cardiac pressure; and

receiving a digital signal indicating a measured cardiac pressure,

wherein the one or more pressure sensors includes a Wheatstone bridge, wherein the transmitting a number of bit sequences over the two wires involves modulating the power supply voltage with a digital signal, and wherein the power supply voltage is provided for approximately 50 μ

s.

5. An integrated circuit for measuring cardiac pressure, the integrated circuit comprising:

a first terminal coupled to a conductor provided in an implanted lead;

a second terminal; and

a control circuit comprising a clock recovery circuit, the control circuit coupled to the first and second terminals wherein, during a first time interval, when digital configuration signals are provided from the controller on the first terminal, the control circuit selectively configures a selected pressure sensor, and wherein, during a second time interval, the control circuit administers electrical signals to the pressure sensor and measures a response voltage from the pressure sensor, and wherein the clock recovery circuit recovers a clock signal from received configuration signals.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein during a third time interval the control circuit communicates a digital signal indicating the measured voltage through the first and second terminals.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 5, wherein the second terminal is coupled to a conductor provided in the implantable lead.