Stent with embedded pressure sensors

• US 9,999,528 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2014
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Original Assignee: University of Utah Research Foundation (State of Utah)
• Inventors: Kim, Hanseup, Bulbul, Ashrafuzzaman, Patel, Amit, Tandar, Anwar
• Primary Examiner(s): Natnithithadha, Navin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Messersmith, Eric
• Application Number:
  US14/772,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20160022447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0247 Pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/043 in a linear array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02158 provided with two or more sensor elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4851 Prosthesis assessment or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6862 Stents
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/82 Devices providing patency to, or preventing collapsing of, tubular structures of the body, e.g. stents stent-grafts for tubular structures of the body other than blood vessels A61F2/04; stent-grafts for blood vessels A61F2/07; instruments specially adapted for placement or removal of stents or stent-grafts A61F2/95; for closing wounds, or holding wounds closed A61B17/04 - A61B17/115; dilators A61M29/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/86 Stents in a form characterised by the wire-like elements; Stents in the form characterised by a net-like or mesh-like structure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/88 the wire-like elements formed as helical or spiral coils forming a net-like or mesh-like structure A61F2/90
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2230/0069 cylindrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0096 Markers and sensors for detecting a position or changes of a position of an implant, e.g. RF sensors, ultrasound markers

Abstract

A stent including a wire tube and at least one pressure sensor in electrical contact with the wire tube. The pressure sensor includes a diaphragm in communication with a reservoir of liquid, a channel in fluid communication with the reservoir of liquid, and at least one pair of electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the channel, wherein deflection of the diaphragm causes fluid to move from the reservoir into the channel.

Claims

1. A stent, comprising:

a wire tube; and

at least one pressure sensor in electrical contact with the wire tube, the pressure sensor including a diaphragm in communication with a reservoir of liquid, a channel in fluid communication with the reservoir of liquid, and a plurality of pairs of electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the channel, wherein deflection of the diaphragm causes fluid to move from the reservoir into the channel.

2. The stent of claim 1, wherein fluid moves into the channel between the at least one pair of electrodes.

3. The stent of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pairs of electrodes has a capacitance and wherein the capacitance increases when fluid moves into the channel between each of the plurality of pairs of electrodes.

4. The stent of claim 3, wherein the plurality of pairs of electrodes are connected in parallel.

5. The stent of claim 4, wherein the wire tube and the at least one pressure sensor form a circuit having a resonance and wherein the resonance changes when fluid moves into the channel between each of the plurality of pairs of electrodes.

6. The stent of claim 5, wherein the plurality of pairs of electrodes are spaced apart from one another and wherein the pairs of electrodes furthest from the diaphragm are spaced closer together than the pairs of electrodes closest to the diaphragm.

7. The stent of claim 1, wherein the wire tube comprises a plurality of wires that are electrically isolated from each other, wherein each of the plurality of wires has two pressure sensors in electric contact therewith.

8. The stent of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of wires has a resonance that is different than a resonance of each of the other wires.

9. The stent of claim 1, wherein the at least one pressure sensor is embedded within a wire of the wire tube.

10. The stent of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein the wire tube has a length and wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed along the length of the wire tube.

11. A stent, comprising:

a wire tube; and

at least one pressure sensor in electrical contact with the wire tube, the pressure sensor including a diaphragm in communication with a reservoir of liquid, a channel in fluid communication with the reservoir of liquid, and at least three pairs of electrodes, each pair disposed on opposite sides of the channel, wherein deflection of the diaphragm causes fluid to move from the reservoir into the channel.

12. The stent of claim 11, wherein fluid moves into the channel between at least one of the pairs of electrodes.

13. The stent of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of pairs of electrodes has a capacitance and wherein the capacitance increases when fluid moves into the channel between each of the pairs of electrodes.

14. The stent of claim 13, wherein the pairs of electrodes are connected in parallel.

15. The stent of claim 14, wherein the wire tube and the at least one pressure sensor form a circuit having a resonance and wherein the resonance changes when fluid moves into the channel between each of the pairs of electrodes.

16. The stent of claim 11, wherein the pairs of electrodes are spaced apart from one another and wherein the pairs of electrodes furthest from the diaphragm are spaced closer together than the pairs of electrodes closest to the diaphragm.

17. The stent of claim 11, wherein the wire tube comprises a plurality of wires that are electrically isolated from each other, wherein each of the plurality of wires has two pressure sensors in electric contact therewith.

18. The stent of claim 17, wherein each of the plurality of wires has a resonance that is different than a resonance of each of the other wires.

19. The stent of claim 11, wherein the at least one pressure sensor is embedded within a wire of the wire tube.

20. The stent of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of sensors, wherein the wire tube has a length and wherein the plurality of sensors are distributed along the length of the wire tube.

21. A stent, comprising:

a wire tube comprising at least one wire; and

at least one pressure sensor embedded in the wire of the wire tube, each pressure sensor comprising a diaphragm in communication with a reservoir of liquid, a channel in fluid communication with the reservoir of liquid, and a plurality of pairs of electrodes disposed on opposite sides of the channel, wherein deflection of the diaphragm causes fluid to move from the reservoir into the channel.

22. The stent of claim 21, further comprising a plurality of pressure sensors embedded in the wire of the wire tube.

23. The stent of claim 22, wherein the wire tube comprises a plurality of wires, wherein each of the wire comprises a plurality of pressure sensors embedded therein.