System for transcutaneous monitoring of intracranial pressure

A method of determining intracranial fluid pressure providing the steps of:

• providing a cylindrical crystal oscillator probe having a transducer section and a reference section;
• providing at least one driver circuit within the cylindrical crystal oscillator probe connected to the transducer section and the reference section;
• exposing the reference section to a reference pressure;
• exposing the transducer section to the intracranial fluid pressure;
• exciting the transducer section to provide a first radio frequency energy absorption;
• exciting the reference section to produce a second radio frequency energy absorption;
• measuring the first radio frequency energy absorption;
• measuring the second radio frequency energy absorption;
• comparing the measurement of the first radio frequency energy absorption and the measurement of the second radio frequency energy absorption to determine a difference;
• relaying the difference to the reference pressure to determine the intracranial fluid pressure;
• and
• reporting the intracranial fluid pressure.

A system for measuring and converting to an observer intelligible form an internal physiological parameter of a medical patient, comprising:

• (a) a patient-implantable sensor for detecting and measuring the internal physiological parameter thereby producing a measured parameter;
• (b) a patient-implantable means connected to the patient implantable sensor for converting the measured parameter to a NIR telemetry signal for transcutaneous transmission;
• (c) the patient-implantable means including a source of NIR wavelength light and means for modulating the NIR wavelength light to produce the NIR telemetry signal indicative of the measured parameter;
• (d) the patient-implantable means further including a rigid case, a transducer crystal supported by the rigid case, adjacent a body fluid of the medical patient, and having a central NIR portal;
• a reference crystal supported by the rigid case;
• and a monolithic circuit, connected to the source of NIR wavelength light, positioned by the rigid case between the transducer crystal and the reference crystal and focusing the source of NIR wavelength light through the central NIR portal;
• and
• (e) a coupling and display means positionable externally of the patient for receiving the NIR telemetry signal and generating the observer intelligible form indicative of the internal physiological parameter.