# US 10,244,954 B2 · Implantable bio-pressure transponder > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,244,954 B2 - Document ID: US10244954B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/525,270 - Filed: 2014-10-28 - Published: 2015-04-30 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2013-10-28 - Assignees: Arkis BioSciences Inc. - Applicants: Arkis Biosciences Inc. - Inventors: Chad E. Seaver; James A. Killeffer; James C. Arnott - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10244954B2 ## CPC - A61B 5/031: {Intracranial pressure} - A61B 5/0002: {Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07)} - A61B 5/6852: {Catheters} - A61B 5/6868: {Brain} - A61M 27/006: {Cerebrospinal drainage; Accessories therefor, e.g. valves} - A61M 2205/3344: Measuring or controlling pressure at the body treatment site - A61M 2205/3523: using telemetric means - A61M 2206/11: Laminar flow - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract An implantable subcutaneous device to measure internal body pressure and wirelessly transmit information corresponding to the measured internal body pressure, including a pressure sensor to sense pressure of a particular region of a body of a patient and output a pressure signal corresponding to the sensed pressure, an encoder to receive the pressure signal and encode a signal to produce a sensor information signal to be transmitted to an ex vivo receiver, a transceiver to receive the sensor information signal from the encoder and transmit the sensor information signal to the ex vivo receiver, and a biocompatible housing in which to enclose the pressure sensor, encoder, and transceiver. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An implantable subcutaneous device to measure internal body pressure and wirelessly transmit information corresponding to the measured internal body pressure, comprising: a pressure sensor configured to sense an inlet pressure of a particular region of a body of a patient via an inlet pressure port, and to sense a reference pressure of a reference chamber via a reference pressure port, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to selectively sense the inlet pressure and the reference pressure so as to compare the reference pressure to the inlet pressure to generate a calibrated inlet pressure signal; an encoder configured to receive the calibrated inlet pressure signal and encode the calibrated inlet pressure signal to produce a sensor information signal; a transceiver configured to receive the sensor information signal from the encoder and transmit the sensor information signal to an ex vivo receiver; and a biocompatible housing configured to enclose the pressure sensor, encoder, and transceiver, wherein: the encoder includes a sweep generator unit, an oscillator, and a signal delay unit, the sweep generator unit outputs a ramp signal to be compared to the calibrated inlet pressure signal, and the signal delay unit is connected to the sweep generator and the oscillator to delay starting of the oscillator and the sweep generator for a sufficient amount of time to facilitate settling of the pressure sensor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a catheter extending from the inlet pressure port to the particular region of the body of the patient through which body fluid may flow to the pressure sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The device of claim 2, further comprising a shunt distal catheter configured to receive the body fluid received through the catheter extending to the particular region of the body of the patient to drain the body fluid to a remote collection site. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, further comprising a T-connection configured to connect the shunt distal catheter to the inlet pressure port to receive the body fluid from the catheter extending to the particular region of the body of the patient. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the reference chamber comprises a fluid containing body coupled to the reference pressure port such that a pressure on a fluid in the fluid containing body is transferred to the pressure sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, further comprising a structural support provided to the fluid containing body to prevent incidental pressures incident to the fluid containing body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The device of claim 5, wherein the fluid containing body is configured to extend inwardly to an internal location in the patient to provide in vivo calibration of the pressure sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising an antenna configured to be external to the biocompatible housing and in electrical communication with the transceiver to transmit the sensor information signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising a power supply unit to provide power to the device, and to receive power from the transceiver that is induced from an ex vivo induction unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a power transceiver; and a power supply unit to receive power from the power transceiver that is induced from an ex vivo induction unit, and to provide power to the device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the encoder further includes a comparator to compare the calibrated inlet pressure signal to the ramp signal to generate a stop signal in response to the ramp signal being equal to the calibrated inlet pressure signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the oscillator outputs the sensor information signal such that an oscillator output is generated until the ramp signal reaches a level of the calibrated inlet pressure signal, and is stopped in response to the ramp signal becoming equal to or greater than the calibrated inlet pressure signal, during each cycle of the ramp signal so that the oscillator output is proportional in time relative to pressure incident on the pressure sensor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor supplies the calibrated inlet pressure signal in proportion to the reference pressure by means of piezo-resistance, capacitive or inductive reactance, or optical interferometry. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the ex vivo receiver is configured to transmit the reference pressure to pressure sensor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the calibrated inlet pressure signal is based on a proportion of the inlet pressure to the reference pressure. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The device of claim 15, wherein the reference chamber is sealed and external from the inlet port. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the pressure sensor selectively senses the reference pressure at predetermined times. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the encoder is configured to temporally encode the calibrated inlet pressure signal using pulse width modulation (PWM) to produce a temporally encoded sensor information signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The device of claim 18, wherein the temporally encoded sensor information signal modulates an alternating current signal to encode inlet pressure information into a carrier frequency selected to enhance transcutaneous electromagnetic transmission. ### Claim 20 A system to measure internal body pressure and wirelessly transmit information corresponding to the measured internal body pressure to be displayed at a location external to a patient, the system comprising: an implantable subcutaneous device comprising: a pressure sensor configured to sense an inlet pressure of a particular region of a body of a patient via an inlet pressure port, and to sense a reference pressure of a reference chamber via a reference pressure port, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to selectively sense the inlet pressure and the reference pressure so as to compare the reference pressure to the inlet pressure to generate a calibrated inlet pressure signal, an encoder configured to receive the calibrated inlet pressure signal and encode the calibrated inlet pressure signal to produce a sensor information signal, the encoder further comprising a sweep generator unit, an oscillator, and a signal delay unit, the sweep generator unit outputs a ramp signal to be compared to the calibrated inlet pressure signal, and the signal delay unit is connected to the sweep generator and the oscillator to delay starting of the oscillator and the sweep generator for a sufficient amount of time to facilitate settling of the pressure sensor, an internal transceiver configured to receive the sensor information signal from the encoder and transmit the sensor information signal to an ex vivo location, and a biocompatible housing configured to enclose the pressure sensor, encoder, and transceiver; an ex vivo transceiver to receive the sensor information signal transmitted from the internal transceiver of the subcutaneous device; a demodulator to decode the sensor information signal received by the ex vivo transceiver; and a display unit to display information corresponding to the pressure sensed by the pressure sensor. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, further comprising a communications means through which the internal transceiver and ex vivo transceiver communicate. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system of claim 21, wherein the communications means includes respective antennas provided to the internal and ex vivo transceivers. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the ex vivo transceiver supplies power to the internal transceiver of the subcutaneous device through induction. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the implantable subcutaneous device further comprises a power transceiver to receive power through induction from the ex vivo transceiver or other ex vivo device to power the implantable subcutaneous device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein the internal transceiver is configured as a first antenna, and the power transceiver is configured as a second antenna. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the encoder uses the received calibrated inlet pressure signal to modulate a communications alternating current frequency by means of pulse width modulation to produce the sensor information signal. ### Claim 27 An implantable pressure sensor system for the measurement of fluid pressures within a body, the system comprising: a pressure sensor configured to produce a calibrated inlet pressure signal proportionate to a sensed inlet pressure, the pressure sensor being configured to sense the inlet pressure via an inlet pressure port, and to sense a reference pressure of a reference chamber via a reference pressure port, wherein the pressure sensor is configured to selectively sense the inlet pressure and the reference pressure so as to compare the reference pressure to the inlet pressure to generate the calibrated inlet pressure signal; encoding circuitry configured to receive the calibrated inlet pressure signal from the pressure sensor and to modulate a communications alternating current frequency to produce a sensor information signal; a sweep generator unit, an oscillator, and a signal delay unit, the sweep generator unit outputs a ramp signal to be compared to the calibrated inlet pressure signal, and the signal delay unit is connected to the sweep generator and the oscillator to delay starting of the oscillator and the sweep generator for a sufficient amount of time to facilitate settling of the pressure sensor; and a telemetry unit configured to receive electromagnetic transcutaneous powering and to transmit the sensor information signal to a receiver unit external to the body; wherein the pressure sensor, encoding circuitry, sweep generator unit, oscillator, signal delay unit, and telemetry unit are configured to be implanted in a subcutaneous manner in the body. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the sensor information signal is modulated by amplitude, frequency, phase, or temporally to encode information proportional to the calibrated inlet pressure signal. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the pressure sensor is a differential pressure sensor configured to measure a desired body pressure, and the reference pressure port is used to detect a predetermined or predictable offset pressure for measuring desired in-vivo fluid pressure and to calibrate the pressure sensor. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the pressure sensor includes a sealed calibrated pressure signal reference chamber in which the calibrated inlet pressure signal is proportional to a pre-determined pressure reference of the reference chamber. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The system of claim 30, wherein the reference chamber is substantially a vacuum. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The system of claim 30, wherein the reference chamber contains a gas. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The system of claim 30, where the reference chamber contains a liquid.