IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0876781
(2004-06-28)
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등록번호 |
US-8162839
(2012-04-24)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
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출원인 / 주소 |
- Microtech Medical Technologies Ltd.
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대리인 / 주소 |
Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
1 인용 특허 :
47 |
초록
▼
A protected resonating sensor may include at least one resonating sensor unit. Each sensor unit has one or more vibratable members. The protected sensor includes a compliant member that forms part of one or more chambers. A first side of the compliant member may be exposed to a medium in a measureme
A protected resonating sensor may include at least one resonating sensor unit. Each sensor unit has one or more vibratable members. The protected sensor includes a compliant member that forms part of one or more chambers. A first side of the compliant member may be exposed to a medium in a measurement environment. The sensor unit may be any resonating sensor unit having a resonance frequency that depends on the value of a physical variable in a measurement environment. The protected sensor includes a substantially non-compressible medium disposed within the chamber(s). The substantially non-compressible medium may be a liquid or a gel. When the medium is a liquid, the chamber is sealed. When the medium is a gel, the chamber may be sealed or non-sealed. The medium is in contact the vibratable member(s) and with a second side of the compliant member. The medium may have a low vapor pressure. The protected sensor may also be attached to or included in or formed as part of any suitable device or sensor anchoring device and may also be implanted or inserted into a body or an organism. Methods are described for constructing the protected sensor.
대표청구항
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1. A protected, implantable passive ultrasonically excitable sensor consisting essentially of: (a) a housing;(b) one or more passive ultrasonically excitable sensor units, each sensor unit of said one or more sensor units includes a substrate and at least one vibratable membrane overlying at least o
1. A protected, implantable passive ultrasonically excitable sensor consisting essentially of: (a) a housing;(b) one or more passive ultrasonically excitable sensor units, each sensor unit of said one or more sensor units includes a substrate and at least one vibratable membrane overlying at least one first chamber defined between said substrate and said vibratable membrane, said first chamber being a sensor unit chamber, wherein said vibratable membrane has a resonance frequency that varies as a function of a physical variable in a measurement environment in which said sensor is implanted in response to an interrogating ultrasound beam; and(c) a second chamber defined between at least part of said housing, said at least one vibratable membrane and a compliant member attached to said housing to protect said vibratable membrane, said second chamber including a substantially non-compressible medium disposed therein, wherein said medium is in contact with (i) said at least one vibratable membrane, (ii) said compliant member, and (iii) at least part of said housing, wherein said second chamber is fluidically isolated from said at least one first chamber;wherein said compliant member has a first side and a second side, said first side is in contact with said measurement environment to form a first interface when said sensor is implanted into said measurement environment and said second side is in contact with said medium to form a second interface, and wherein said compliant member has a structure that limits reflection of said interrogating ultrasound beam at said first interface, and said non-compressible medium has a structure that limits reflection of said interrogating ultrasound beam at said second interface. 2. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is a liquid and wherein said second chamber is a sealed second chamber. 3. The implantable sensor according to claim 2 wherein said liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, a water based solution, a liquid comprising one or more silicon based compounds, Dow Corning 710(R) Silicon Fluid, Fluorinert FC40 fluid, Fluorinert FC 70 fluid, a liquid having a low vapor pressure, and combinations thereof. 4. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is a gel and wherein said second chamber is a non-sealed second chamber. 5. The implantable sensor according to claim 4 wherein said gel is selected from the group consisting of a synthetic gel, a natural gel, a hydrogel, a lipogel, a hydrophobic gel, a hydrophilic gel, a biocompatible gel, a hemocompatible gel, a polymer based gel, a cross-linked polymer based gel and combinations thereof. 6. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said substantially non-compressible medium completely fills said second chamber. 7. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said implantable sensor is adapted for implantation within an organism, and wherein the acoustic impedance of said substantially non-compressible medium is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of at least one tissue or bodily fluid of said organism. 8. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is configured for implantation within an organism, and wherein the acoustic impedance of said compliant member is close to or equal to the acoustic impedance of at least one tissue or bodily fluid of said organism. 9. The sensor according to claim 1 wherein said housing comprises one or more substances selected from a metal, a metal alloy, titanium, platinum, stainless steel, a shape memory alloy, NITINOL®, a ceramic material, a composite material, silicon, glass, a nitride, a carbide, a metal oxide, a non-metallic oxide, a polymer based material, and combinations thereof. 10. The sensor according to claim 1 wherein at least part of said housing is formed as a contiguous part of the one or more sensor units. 11. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said one or more sensor units are selected from passive ultrasonic pressure sensors, passive ultrasonic temperature sensors, and passive ultrasonic sensors for sensing the concentration of a chemical species in said measurement environment. 12. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said one or more passive ultrasonically excitable sensor units each comprises, said substrate having one or more recesses formed therein, anda layer of material sealingly attached to said substrate to form one or more sealed first chambers within each said sensor unit, each of said one or more sealed first chambers having one or more overlying vibratable membranes. 13. The implantable sensor according to claim 12 wherein said one or more vibratable membranes of said one or more sensor units is selected from, at least one vibratable membrane comprising a portion of said substrate, andat least one vibratable membrane comprising a portion of said layer of material overlying said one or more recesses. 14. The implantable sensor according to claim 12 wherein each said sealed first chamber of said one or more sealed chambers has a pressure level therewithin, wherein said pressure level is selected from zero pressure level and a non-zero pressure level. 15. The implantable sensor according to claim 14 wherein said sensor comprises a first sensor unit having one or more sealed first chambers and at least a second sensor unit having one or more sealed first chambers, and wherein the pressure level within at least one sealed first chamber of said first sensor unit is different than the pressure level within at least one sealed first chamber of said at least second sensor unit. 16. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said one or more passive ultrasonically excitable sensor units is selected from, at least one passive ultrasonically excitable pressure sensor having a single vibratable membrane, and at least one passive ultrasonically excitable pressure sensor having multiple vibratable membranes. 17. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein said compliant member comprises a compliant material selected from a polymer based material, a plastic material, Kapton®, a polyurethane based polymer, an ethylvinyl acetate based polymer, Echothane®, CPC-41 Echothane®, CPC-29 Echothane®, and a Parylene® based polymer. 18. The implantable sensor according to claim 1 wherein one or more of the components of said implantable sensor comprises one or more materials selected from biocompatible materials and hemocompatible materials. 19. The sensor according to claim 1 wherein said sensor is configured for implantation within a measurement environment selected from, an eye, a urether, a cardiac chamber, a cardiovascular system, a part of a cardiovascular system, an aneurysmal sac after endovascular repair, a spine, an intervertebral disc, a spinal cord, a spinal column, an intracranial compartment, an intraluminal space of a blood vessel, an artery, a vein, an aorta, a pulmonary blood vessel, a carotid blood vessel, a brain blood vessel, and a coronary artery, a femoral artery, an iliac artery, a hepatic artery, a renal artery, and a vena cava. 20. A protected, resonating sensor comprising: (a) at least one passive ultrasonically excitable resonating sensor unit, wherein each sensor unit has at least one vibratable member, said vibratable member having a resonance frequency that varies as a function of a physical variable in a measurement environment in which said sensor is implanted in response to an interrogating ultrasound beam;(b) a compliant member having a first side and a second side, said compliant member forming part of at least one protective chamber to protect said vibratable membrane, wherein said first side of said compliant member is exposed to said measurement environment to form a first interface when said sensor is implanted into said measurement environment and said compliant member has a structure that limits reflection of said interrogating ultrasound beam at said first interface; and(c) a substantially non-compressible medium disposed within said at least one protective chamber, wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is in contact with (i) said second side of said compliant member to form a second interface, and (ii) said at least one vibratable member of said at least one resonating sensor unit, and wherein said non-compressible medium has a structure that limits reflection of said interrogating ultrasound beam at said second interface. 21. A protected implantable passive ultrasonically excitable sensor comprising: (a) a housing;(b) one or more passive ultrasonically excitable sensor units, each sensor unit of said one or more sensor units includes a substrate and at least one vibratable membrane overlying at least one first chamber defined between said substrate and said vibratable membrane, said first chamber being a sensor unit chamber, said vibratable membrane has a resonance frequency that varies as a function of a physical variable in a measurement environment in which said sensor is implanted in response to an interrogating ultrasound beam; and(c) a second chamber defined between at least part of said housing, said at least one vibratable membrane and a compliant member attached to said housing to protect said vibratable membrane, said second chamber includes a substantially non-compressible medium disposed therein, said medium is in contact with (i) said at least one vibratable membrane, (ii) said compliant member, and (iii) at least part of said housing, wherein said second chamber is fluidically isolated from said at least one first chamber;wherein said compliant member has a first side and a second side, said first side is in contact with said measurement environment when said sensor is implanted into said measurement environment and said second side is in contact with said non-compressible medium, and said compliant member comprises a material having an acoustic impedance in the same ultrasound range as that of bodily tissue and fluids. 22. A protected, implantable resonating sensor comprising: (a) at least one passive ultrasonically excitable resonating sensor unit, wherein each sensor unit has at least one vibratable membrane, said vibratable membrane having a resonance frequency that varies as a function of a physical variable in a measurement environment in which said sensor is implanted in response to an interrogating ultrasound beam;(b) a compliant member having a first side and a second side, said compliant member forming part of at least one protective chamber to protect said vibratable membrane, said first side of said compliant member configured to be exposed to said measurement environment, wherein said compliant member comprises a material having an acoustic impedance in the same ultrasound range as that of bodily tissue and fluids; and(c) a substantially non-compressible medium disposed within said at least one protective chamber, wherein said substantially non-compressible medium is in contact with (i) said second side of said compliant member and (ii) said at least one vibratable membrane of said at least one resonating sensor unit. 23. The implantable sensor according to any one of claim 1, 20, 21 or 22, wherein said sensor is attached to a supporting device. 24. The implantable sensor according to claim 23 wherein said supporting device is selected from a sensor anchor, a sensor positioner, an implantable graft, a sensor fixating device, an implant, an implantable device, a part of an implantable device, a pacemaker, part of a pacemaker, a defibrillator, part of a defibrillator, an implantable electrode, an insertable electrode, an endoscopic device, part of an endoscopic device, an autonomous endoscopic device, a part of an autonomous endoscopic device, a tethered endoscopic device, a part of a tethered endoscopic device, an implantable catheter, an insertable catheter, a stent, a part of a stent, a guide-wire, a part of a guide-wire, an implantable therapeutic substance releasing device, and an insertable therapeutic substance releasing device. 25. The sensor according to claim 20 or 22 wherein said sensor comprises at least one spacer member attached between said one or more sensor units and said compliant member to form said protective chamber. 26. The implantable sensor according to claim 20 or 22 wherein said protective chamber is selected from a protective chamber formed within a sensor anchoring device, anda protective chamber comprising part of a sensor anchoring device. 27. The implantable sensor according to claim 26 wherein said sensor anchoring device is selected from a sensor anchor, a sensor positioner, an implantable graft, a sensor fixating device, an implant, an implantable device, an implantable graft, a part of an implantable device, a pacemaker, a part of a pacemaker, a defibrillator, a part of a defibrillator, an implantable electrode, an insertable electrode, an endoscopic device, a part of an endoscopic device, an autonomous endoscopic device, a part of an autonomous endoscopic device, a tethered endoscopic device, a part of a tethered endoscopic device, an implantable catheter, an insertable catheter, a stent, a part of a stent, a guide-wire, a part of a guide-wire, an implantable therapeutic substance releasing device, and an insertable therapeutic substance releasing device. 28. The sensor of claim 1, 20, 21 or 22, wherein said compliant member and said non-compressible medium have substantially the same acoustic impedences. 29. The sensor of claim 1 or 20, wherein said compliant member structure is selected from the group consisting of a material, a thickness, and a material and thickness; and said non-compressible medium structure is selected from the group consisting of a material, a thickness, and a material and thickness. 30. The sensor of claim 21 or 22, wherein said compliant member has an acoustic impedence in the range of 1.5-1.54 Mrayls.
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