Wireless LC sensor reader
First Claim
1. A wireless sensor reader for an implanted sensor, comprising:
- a pulser configured to generate an excitation energy pulse, wherein the pulser uses a capacitor discharging technique to generate the excitation energy pulse;
an antenna configured to transmit the excitation energy pulse to excite a wireless sensor, causing the wireless sensor to emit a ring-down signal, and to receive the ring-down signal from the wireless sensor, the antenna having a ferrite backing shield;
a receiver configured to receive the ring-down signal from the antenna and to amplify the ring-down signal;
a data acquisition circuit configured to acquire the ring-down signal from the receiver and digitize the ring-down signal; and
a processing unit including a processor, the processing unit being configured to receive the digitized ring-down signal, digitally filter out noise from the ring-down signal, and to compute a resonant frequency of the wireless sensor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An energy-efficient, wide-band, and compact wireless sensor reader remotely interrogates an implanted wireless inductive-capacitive (LC) sensor in order to measure a physiologic parameter of interest within a human body. The wireless sensor reader generates an instantaneous, spike-shaped, high-amplitude, low-energy pulse to excite the wireless LC sensor, causing it to emit a ring-down signal. The wireless sensor reader subsequently receives, amplifies, and filters the ring-down signal. Next, the wireless sensor reader digitizes the ring-down signal and transfers the digitized ring-down signal to a processing unit. The processing unit computes a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) of the digitized ring-down signal and then locates the resonant frequency of the LC sensor using a threshold peak detection technique.
47 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A wireless sensor reader for an implanted sensor, comprising:
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a pulser configured to generate an excitation energy pulse, wherein the pulser uses a capacitor discharging technique to generate the excitation energy pulse; an antenna configured to transmit the excitation energy pulse to excite a wireless sensor, causing the wireless sensor to emit a ring-down signal, and to receive the ring-down signal from the wireless sensor, the antenna having a ferrite backing shield; a receiver configured to receive the ring-down signal from the antenna and to amplify the ring-down signal; a data acquisition circuit configured to acquire the ring-down signal from the receiver and digitize the ring-down signal; and a processing unit including a processor, the processing unit being configured to receive the digitized ring-down signal, digitally filter out noise from the ring-down signal, and to compute a resonant frequency of the wireless sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for operating a sensor reader to identify one or more resonant frequencies of an LC sensor implanted within a human body, the method comprising:
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energizing one or more capacitors under the control of a pulser; setting a T/R switch to a transmission mode; generating a spike-shaped, low-energy, high-amplitude radio frequency pulse using the one or more capacitors; transmitting the spike-shape, low-energy, high-amplitude radio frequency pulse to an LC sensor through an antenna; receiving, using the antenna, a ring-down signal sent from the LC sensor in response to the spike-shaped, low-energy, high-amplitude radio frequency pulse; setting the T/R switch to a receiving mode; and processing the ring-down signal to identify one or more resonant frequencies of the LC sensor. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A wireless sensor reader for an implanted sensor, comprising:
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an antenna configured to transmit an excitation energy pulse to excite a wireless sensor and to receive a ring-down signal sent from the sensor in response to the excitation energy pulse; a pulser configured to generate the excitation energy pulse using a capacitor discharging technique; a receiver configured to receive the ring-down signal from the antenna and to amplify the ring-down signal; a T/R switch configured to automatically transition between a transmission mode, in which the pulser is electrically connected to the antenna and the receiver is shielded from the pulser, and a receiving mode, in which the receiver is electrically connected to the antenna and the pulser is shielded from the receiver; and a processing unit including a processor, the processing unit being configured to receive the ring-down signal, digitally filter out noise from the ring-down signal, and to compute a resonant frequency of the wireless sensor. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification