Self-powered pressure sensor assembly

• US 9,212,962 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH, Robert Bosch Healthcare Systems, Inc. (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Macchiarolo, Peter
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US13/939,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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: G01L 19/0092 Pressure sensor associated with other sensors, e.g. for measuring acceleration or temperature G01L9/025, G01L9/045, G01L9/065, G01L9/085, G01L9/105, G01L9/125, G01L19/02, G01L19/04 take precedence; measuring two or more variable G01D21/02; temperature sensors with pressure compensation G01K1/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/086 for remote indication
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods

Abstract

In one embodiment, a pressure sensor assembly includes an accelerometer configured to produce a first current upon movement of the accelerometer, a capacitor configured to receive the first current thereby charging the capacitor, a gate element operably connected to the capacitor and configured to discharge a second current from the capacitor upon the capacitor attaining a threshold voltage, a pressure sensor configured to receive the discharged current to produce a first signal corresponding to at least one pressure reading of the pressure sensor, and a transmitter operably connected to the pressure sensor and configured to transmit a second signal based upon the first signal to an external device configured to store data corresponding to the second signal.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor assembly comprising:

an accelerometer configured to produce a first current upon movement of the accelerometer;

a capacitor configured to receive the first current thereby charging the capacitor;

a gate element operably connected to the capacitor and configured to discharge a second current from the capacitor upon the capacitor attaining a threshold voltage;

a pressure sensor configured to receive the discharged current to produce a first signal corresponding to at least one pressure reading of the pressure sensor; and

a transmitter operably connected to the pressure sensor and configured to transmit a second signal based upon the first signal to an external device configured to store data corresponding to the second signal.

2. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the accelerometer is a piezoelectric tri-axial accelerometer.

3. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is a blood pressure sensor.

4. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the external device is configured to time stamp the second signal.

5. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the second signal includes identification data uniquely identifying the pressure sensor assembly.

6. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor is a low power pressure sensor.

7. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is an RFID transmitter.

8. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the second signal comprises a discrete pressure data.

9. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein the second signal comprises at least a full cycle of pressure data.

10. The pressure sensor assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing configured to be implanted in an individual.

11. A method for measuring blood pressure by a pressure sensing assembly, comprising:

attaching a pressure sensing assembly with an accelerometer to an individual;

producing a first current with the accelerometer;

charging a capacitor with the first current;

automatically discharging a second current from the capacitor with a gate element when the capacitor reaches a predetermined voltage;

powering a pressure sensor with the second current to generate a first signal associated with at least one first pressure sensed by the pressure sensor;

transmitting a second signal based upon the first signal to an external device; and

storing the second signal at the external device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein storing the second signal comprises:

time stamping the second signal.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining an activity level of the individual using the time stamp.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining the at least one first pressure from the second signal;

comparing the obtained at least one first pressure to a baseline; and

providing feedback to the individual based upon the comparison.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting a second signal comprises:

activating a radio frequency identification reader external to the pressure sensing assembly; and

transmitting the second signal using an RFID transmitter.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

storing the first signal in a memory in the pressure sensing assembly; and

time stamping the stored first signal.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one first pressure comprises pressure data for a full cycle.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein attaching the pressure sensing assembly comprises:

implanting the pressure sensing assembly in the individual.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

producing a third current with the accelerometer after transmitting the second signal;

charging the capacitor with the third current;

automatically discharging a fourth current from the capacitor with a gate element when the capacitor reaches a predetermined voltage after being charged with the third current;

powering the pressure sensor with the fourth current to generate a third signal associated with at least one second pressure sensed by the pressure sensor;

transmitting a fourth signal based upon the third signal to the external device; and

storing the fourth signal at the external device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

time stamping the second signal with a first time stamp;

time stamping the fourth signal with a second time stamp; and

determining an activity level of the individual based upon the time difference between the first time stamp and the second time stamp.