WIRELESS PRESSURE SETTING INDICATOR

• US 20110040233A1
• Filed: 10/27/2010
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integra LifeSciences Switzerland Sàrl
• Original Assignee: Codman & Shurtleff Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Kassem, Salim
• Granted Patent: US 8,579,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3344 Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/006 Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 27/008 pre-shaped, for use in the urethral or ureteral tract

Abstract

Devices and methods useful for non-invasively indicating the position or setting of a mechanical device, such as a sensor or control in an implanted medical device, are disclosed. In one exemplary embodiment, a valve housing adapted to receive fluid flow therethrough is provided. The flow of fluid through the valve housing can be controlled, for example, by a valve assembly that has a plurality of predetermined pressure settings. A radio frequency tag can be disposed in the valve assembly, and the masking element and the radio frequency tag can be configured to move relative to one another. The relative positions of the masking element and the radio frequency tag can alter the response of the radio frequency tag to a wireless signal (which can be emitted from an external reading device, for example) and thereby indicate the pressure setting of the valve assembly. For example, in some embodiments, the masking element can selectively cover at least part of the radio frequency tag according to the pressure setting of the valve assembly, which can change a characteristic of the radio frequency tag'"'"'s response to the wireless signal.

Claims

1. A method for indicating a pressure setting of an implantable valve, comprising:

transmitting a wireless signal from a reading device to a radio frequency tag disposed within a valve housing positioned between an inlet tube and an outlet tube, the radio frequency tag adapted to indicate a pressure setting of a valve disposed within the valve housing;

wirelessly receiving a response from the radio frequency tag to the wireless signal that indicates the current pressure setting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

changing the pressure setting of the valve to a second pressure setting,

wirelessly receiving a second response from the radio frequency tag that indicates the second pressure setting.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising analyzing the response from the radio frequency tag to detect any of resonant frequency, harmonic spectra, decay characteristic, and Q factor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the response from the radio frequency tag communicates information previously stored therein.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting one of the plurality of pressure settings with an external control device adapted to emit a magnetic field.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising coupling the inlet tube to a catheter within a patient'"'"'s ventricle, and coupling the outlet tube to a drainage catheter for draining the patient'"'"'s cerebrospinal fluid.