Medical Diagnostic and Treatment Platform Using Near-Field Wireless Communication of Information Within a Patient's Body

A communications device for use within a body of a patient, said communications device comprising:

• (a) a power supply;
• (b) a signal generating circuit coupled to said power supply and configured to generate a signal;
• and
• (c) an antenna coupled to said signal generating circuit and configured to transmit said signal via quasi electrostatic coupling to said body.

An implantable fluid flow sensor comprising:

• (a) a substrate;
• (b) a pair of current flow electrodes disposed on a top surface of said substrate;
• (c) a current source on said substrate and configured to transfer charge between said first and second current flow electrodes;
• (d) a pair of sense electrodes disposed on said top surface of the substrate between said flow terminals and separated by a distance S;
• and
• (e) a detection circuit on said substrate configured to:
• (i) detect a potential difference between said sense electrodes, the potential difference correlating to a resistivity of flowing blood, and
• (ii) produce an output signal at an output node, the output signal correlating to the potential difference.

A kit comprising:

• (A) an implantable blood flow sensor comprising:
• (i) a substrate;
• (ii) a pair of current flow electrodes disposed on a top surface of said substrate;
• (iii) a current source on said substrate and configured to transfer charge between said first and second current flow electrodes;
• (iv) a pair of sense electrodes disposed on said top surface of the substrate between said flow terminals and separated by a distance S;
• and
• (v) a detection circuit on said substrate configured to:
• (a) detect a potential difference between said sense electrodes, the potential difference correlating to a resistivity of flowing blood, and
• (b) produce an output signal at an output node, the output signal correlating to the potential difference;
• and
• (B) a data collector.

An implantable fluid flow sensor comprising:

• (a) a pair of sense electrodes;
• and
• (b) a detection circuit configured to:
• (i) detect a potential difference between said sense electrodes, the potential difference resulting from an applied magnetic field to flowing fluid, and
• (ii) produce an output signal at an output node, the output signal correlating to the detected potential difference.

A method of determining a physiological parameter of a patient, said method comprising:

• (a) applying a magnetic field to a target fluid flow site of said patient;
• (b) obtaining a potential difference measure from a pair of sense electrodes positioned at said target fluid flow site;
• and
• (b) processing said potential difference measure to determine said physiological parameter.

A kit comprising:

• (1) an implantable fluid flow sensor comprising:
• (a) a pair of sense electrodes;
• and
• (b) a detection circuit configured to:
• (i) detect a potential difference between said sense electrodes, the potential difference resulting from an applied magnetic field to flowing fluid, and
• (ii) produce an output signal at an output node, the output signal correlating to the potential difference;
• and
• (2) instructions for using said fluid flow sensor to determine a physiological parameter of a patient.