Wireless acoustic interrogation of a packaged medical implant
AssigneeCardiac Pacemaker, Inc.
InventorsBinh C. Tran, Thomas W. Piaget
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods of acoustically interrogating a packaged medical implant such as an implantable sensor are disclosed. An illustrative system includes a sterilizable package including a package tray and a cover, a sensor module disposed within the package, and an acoustic coupling member disposed within an interior space of the package tray. An external interrogator located outside of the sealed package can be used to acoustically communicate with the sensor module.
Claims20
A system for acoustically interrogating an implantable medical device sealed within a package, the system comprising:
- a sterilizable package;
- an implantable medical device disposed within the sterilizable package, the implantable medical device including an acoustic transducer configured to transmit and receive ultrasonic pulses;
- and
- a means for acoustically coupling the implantable medical device to an external interrogator disposed outside of the package, the acoustic coupling means configured to provide a solid conduit for propagation of the ultrasonic pulses through an interior space of the package.
A system for acoustically interrogating an implantable medical device sealed within a package, the system comprising:
- a sterilizable package;
- a sensor module disposed within the sterilizable package, the sensor module including a sensor housing configured to contain an acoustic transducer configured to acoustically communicate with an external interrogator;
- an acoustic coupling member disposed within an interior space of the package tray, the acoustic coupling member including a channel adapted to frictionally receive the sensor housing and a pad configured to engage a surface of the package;
- and
- wherein the acoustic coupling member provides a solid medium interface for ultrasonic pulses transmitted in the interior space between the sensor housing and the external interrogator.
A method of acoustically interrogating a medical implant sealed within a sterilizable package, the method comprising:
- coupling a medical implant including an acoustic transducer to a solid acoustic coupling member;
- inserting the implant and acoustic coupling member into a recess or cavity of a sterilizable package;
- sealing the implant within the package;
- and
- transmitting ultrasonic pulses between the sealed implant and an external interrogator disposed outside of the package.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.