Implantable pressure sensor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016249818-A1
Application number	US-201615045693-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Feb 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An implantable pressure sensor device ( 100 ) has a housing ( 10 ) which is at least partially made of a pressure transmitting membrane ( 20 ), and which includes one or more regions which can reversibly deform while maintaining the surface area of the membrane ( 20 ) when the internal volume of the housing ( 10 ) is changed. The housing ( 10 ) has a non-circular cross-section which can deform to a more circular shape when pressure in the internal volume increases. An inner housing is preferably situated within the housing, with its exterior spaced from the interior of the housing, and has its inner volume in fluid communication with the space between the housing and inner housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An implantable pressure sensor device ( 100 ) including a housing ( 10 ) having an interior volume ( 12 ), wherein the housing:
a. is at least partially formed of a pressure transmitting membrane ( 20 ) having a surface area, b. includes one or more regions which are reversibly deformable while maintaining the size of the membrane's ( 20 ) surface area when the interior volume ( 12 ) is changed, c. is configured as a tube ( 30 ) having a cross-section which is:
(1) less circular when the membrane ( 20 ) is not deformed, and
(2) more circular when the membrane ( 20 ) is deformed by pressure higher is in the interior volume ( 12 ) of the housing ( 10 ) than outside the housing ( 10 ).

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein at least 5% of the housing ( 10 ) is formed of the pressure transmitting membrane ( 20 ).

3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the membrane ( 20 ) is configured to generate a temperature coefficient ΔP/ΔT of not more than 10 mbar/K.

4 . The device of claim 1 wherein a thickness of the membrane ( 20 ) is not more than 30 μm, preferably not more than 25 μm.

5 . The device of claim 1 further including a microelectromechanical pressure sensor chip ( 50 ) within the interior volume ( 12 ).

6 . The device of claim 5 wherein the pressure sensor chip ( 50 ) is surrounded by the pressure transmitting membrane ( 20 ).

7 . The device of claim 1 further including:
a. a pressure sensor ( 50 ) within the housing ( 10 ), and
b. an inner housing ( 40 ) within the housing ( 10 ), the inner housing ( 40 ) surrounding the pressure sensor ( 50 ).

8 . The device of claim 7 wherein an interior volume ( 42 ) of the inner housing ( 40 ) is in fluid connection with a volume defined between the housing ( 10 ) and the inner housing ( 40 ).

9 . The device of claim 8 wherein the inner housing ( 40 ) is a tube ( 30 ) extending between opposing elliptical plates ( 44 / 46 ).

10 . The device of claim 9 wherein the membrane ( 20 ) is connected between the elliptical plates ( 44 / 46 ).

11 . The device of claim 1 wherein the housing ( 10 ) is configured as a tube ( 30 ) with an elliptical cross section.

12 . The device of claim 1 wherein:
a. the housing ( 10 ) is configured as a tube ( 30 ) extending between opposing front faces ( 14 / 16 ),
b. at least one of the front faces ( 14 / 16 ) has an opening ( 18 ) configured to introduce a liquid into the housing ( 10 ).

13 . The device of claim 1 wherein the membrane ( 20 ) has a corrugated inner surface ( 22 ).

14 . The device of claim 13 wherein the housing ( 10 ) is configured as a tube ( 30 ) having a longitudinal axis ( 32 ).

15 . The device of claim 10 wherein the corrugated inner surface ( 22 ) of the membrane ( 20 ) includes valleys ( 24 ) and ridges ( 26 ) extending parallel to the longitudinal axis ( 32 ).

16 . The device of claim 1 wherein:
a. the housing ( 10 ) is configured as a tube ( 30 ) extending between opposing front faces ( 14 / 16 );
b. the front faces ( 14 / 16 ) have non-circular perimeters from which the tube ( 30 ) extends.

17 . The device of claim 16 further including an inner housing ( 40 ) within the housing ( 10 ), the inner housing ( 40 ) being configured as a tube ( 30 ):
a. spaced inwardly from the housing ( 10 ), and
b. extending between the front faces ( 14 / 16 ).
wherein an interior volume ( 42 ) of the inner housing ( 40 ) is in fluid connection with the space defined between the housing ( 10 ) and the inner housing ( 40 ).

18 . The device of claim 17 further including a pressure sensor ( 50 ) within the inner housing ( 40 ).

19 . The device of claim 1 :
a. wherein the housing ( 10 ) is configured as a tube ( 30 ) extending between opposing front faces ( 14 / 16 ); b. further including an inner housing ( 40 ):
(1) configured as a tube ( 30 ) spaced inwardly from the housing ( 10 ),
(2) having an interior volume ( 42 ) in fluid connection with the space between the housing ( 10 ) and the inner housing ( 40 ).

20 . The device of claim 19 wherein:
a. the front faces ( 14 / 16 ) have noncircular perimeters from which the tube ( 30 ) extends, and
b. the cross-sectional shape of the tube ( 30 ) adopts the shape of the noncircular perimeters when the membrane ( 20 ) is not deformed.

21 . An implantable pressure sensor device ( 100 ) including a housing ( 10 ) having:
a. opposing front faces ( 14 / 16 ) with non-circular perimeters, b. a tube ( 30 ) extending from and between the perimeters of the front faces ( 14 / 16 ), c. an interior volume ( 12 ) within the tube ( 30 ) and the front faces ( 14 / 16 ), the housing being at least partially formed of a pressure transmitting membrane ( 20 ) configured to: (1) reversibly deform, and (2) maintain its surface area, when the interior volume ( 12 ) of the housing ( 10 ) changes.

22 . An implantable pressure sensor device ( 100 ) including
a. a housing ( 10 ) having:
(1) a tube ( 30 ) extending between opposing front faces ( 14 / 16 ),
(2) an interior volume ( 12 ) within the tube ( 30 ) and the front faces ( 14 / 16 ),
the housing being at least partially formed of a pressure transmitting membrane ( 20 ) configured to:
i. reversibly deform, and
ii. maintain its surface area,
when the interior volume ( 12 ) of the housing ( 10 ) changes;
b. an inner housing ( 40 ):
(1) configured as a tube ( 30 ) situated within, and spaced inwardly from, the housing ( 10 ),
(2) having an interior volume ( 42 ) in fluid connection with the space is between the housing ( 10 ) and the inner housing ( 40 ).

Assignees

• Biotronik Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Philipp Jens
• Elsner Joachim
• Biela Sarah
• Pfenniger Alois
• Bitzer Andreas
• Ebert Henning
• Skerl Olaf
• van Ooyen Andre

Classifications

• A61B5/686

  Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips (A61B5/6861 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2562/0247

  Pressure sensors · CPC title

• A61B5/0215 Primary

  by means inserted into the body · CPC title

• A61B5/02141

  Details of apparatus construction, e.g. pump units or housings therefor, cuff pressurising systems, arrangements of fluid conduits or circuits (A61B5/02233, A61B5/0235 take precedence) · CPC title