IMPLANTABLE VISCOSITY MONITORING DEVICE AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20090025459A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Yunlong, Mi, Bin
• Application Number:
  US11/781,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20090025459A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/54.410
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means

Abstract

An apparatus includes an implantable acoustic viscosity sensor configured to acoustically obtain a viscosity signal indicative of a viscosity of a fluid in contact with the viscosity sensor. A viscosity measurement circuit produces a viscosity measurement from the viscosity signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an implantable acoustic viscosity sensor configured to acoustically obtain a viscosity signal indicative of a viscosity of a fluid in contact with the viscosity sensor; and

a viscosity measurement circuit in communication with the acoustic viscosity sensor, the viscosity measurement circuit producing a viscosity measurement from the viscosity signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustic viscosity sensor is configured to wirelessly communicate with the viscosity measurement circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a lead connecting the acoustic viscosity sensor with the viscosity measurement circuit, wherein the acoustic viscosity sensor is configured to communicate with the viscosity measurement circuit via the lead.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus comprises an implantable cardiac function management (CFM) device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a housing including an anchor configured to anchor the housing within a subject, the acoustic viscosity sensor being carried by or coupled with the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the housing is configured to be anchored within a blood vessel of the subject.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the housing is configured to be anchored within a vein of the subject.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising an automatic drug dispenser, in communication with the viscosity measurement circuit, the drug dispenser configured to titrate delivery of a drug to a subject using the viscosity measurement as a control input.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the viscosity measurement circuit is configured to produce an International Normalized Ratio (INR) value from the viscosity measurement.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustic viscosity sensor comprises a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustic viscosity sensor comprises a bulk acoustic wave (BAW) sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustic viscosity sensor comprises a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) based sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a local or remote external interface configured to be communicatively coupled to the viscosity measurement circuit or the viscosity sensor to receive information obtained from the viscosity signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the external interface is configured to display the information obtained from the viscosity signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the external interface is configured to display an International Normalized Ratio (INR) obtained using the information from the viscosity signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising a separate implantable device, in addition to the acoustic viscosity sensor, the separate implantable device configured to be communicatively coupled to the viscosity measurement circuit or the viscosity sensor to receive information obtained from the viscosity signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

an implantable temperature sensor configured to obtain a temperature signal; and

a temperature measurement circuit in communication with the temperature sensor, the temperature measurement circuit producing a temperature measurement from the temperature signal.

18. A method, comprising:

implantably acoustically generating a viscosity signal indicative of a viscosity of a physiological fluid of a subject;

measuring a viscosity of the physiological fluid using information from the viscosity signal; and

providing information about the measured viscosity to a user or process.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising at least partially wirelessly communicating the viscosity signal to a viscosity measurement circuit.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising communicating the viscosity signal to a viscosity measurement circuit via using an at least partially intravascular lead.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein implantably acoustically generating a viscosity signal comprises using an acoustic viscosity sensor that is anchored within a subject.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising anchoring the acoustic viscosity sensor within a blood vessel of the subject.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein anchoring includes anchoring within a vein of the subject.

24. The method of claim 18, comprising automatically titrating drug delivery using the measured viscosity to control the titrating.

25. The method of claim 18, comprising producing an International Normalized Ratio (INR) value from the viscosity measurement.

26. The method of claim 18, comprising communicating, internally within the subject, information obtained from the viscosity signal.

27. The method of claim 18, comprising communicating, to a location external to the subject, information obtained from the viscosity signal.

28. The method of claim 27, comprising displaying the information obtained from the viscosity signal.

29. The method of claim 28, comprising displaying an International Normalized Ratio (INR) obtained from the viscosity signal.

30. The method of claim 18, comprising sensing a viscosity of a physiological fluid using a surface acoustic wave.

31. An implantable medical device, comprising:

means for implantably acoustically generating a signal indicative of a viscosity of a physiological fluid of a subject;

means for measuring a viscosity of the physiological fluid using information from the viscosity signal; and

means for providing information about the measured viscosity to a user or a process.

32. The implantable medical device of claim 31, comprising means for automatically titrating drug delivery using the viscosity measurement to control the titrating.

33. The implantable medical device of claim 31, comprising means for communicating information obtained from the signal to a local or remote external location.

34. The implantable medical device of claim 33, comprising means for communicating information obtained from the signal to a remote external location.