Implantable micro-electromechanical system sensor

• US 8,573,062 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zhao, Yong D., Dixit, Apratim
• Primary Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US13/365,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20120130219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 73700-754
• US Class Current: 73/754
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0271 Thermal or temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6869 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 27/002 Calibrating, i.e. establishing true relation between transducer output value and value to be measured, zeroing, linearising or span error determination
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm

Abstract

The disclosure relates in some aspects to an implantable pressure sensor and a method of measuring pressure. In some embodiments pressure may be measured through the use of an implantable lead incorporating one or more pressure sensors. In some aspects a pressure sensor is implemented in a micro-electromechanical system (“MEMS”) that employs direct mechanical sensing. A biocompatible material is attached to one or more portions of the MEMS sensor to facilitate implant in a body of a patient. The MEMS sensor may thus be incorporated into an implantable lead for measuring blood pressure in, for example, one or more chambers of the patient'"'"'s heart.

Claims

1. An implantable lead, comprising:

a lead body;

a sensor housing attached to the lead body; and

a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor enclosed within the sensor housing and comprising;

a primary pressure sensor generating primary pressure signals indicative of a primary pressure measured by the primary pressure sensor;

a reference pressure sensor generating reference pressure signals indicative of a secondary pressure measured by the secondary pressure sensor; and

a compensation circuit generating a compensated pressure reading based on the primary pressure signals and the reference pressure signals.

2. The implantable lead of claim 1, comprising a temperature sensor generating temperature signals indicative of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor, wherein the pressure compensation circuit is adapted to adjust the primary pressure signals based on the temperature signals.

3. The implantable lead of claim 1, wherein the sensor housing comprises a sealed chamber, the sealed chamber maintaining a known pressure for the reference pressure sensor.

4. The implantable lead of claim 1, wherein the MEMS sensor comprises:

a first layer comprising the primary pressure sensor;

a second layer comprising the temperature sensor; and

a third layer comprising the reference pressure sensor.

5. A method of measuring pressure in a heart of a patient, comprising:

generating a primary pressure reading from a primary pressure sensor of an implanted micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor;

generating a reference pressure reading from a reference pressure sensor of the MEMS sensor; and

generating a temperature compensated pressure reading based on the primary pressure reading and the reference pressure reading.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising generating a temperature reading from a temperature sensor of the MEMS sensor, wherein the generation of the temperature compensated pressure reading is further based on the temperature reading.