JP2011521678A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (10)

  In an implantable device for acoustically measuring a parameter of at least one of a mammalian blood vessel and blood flowing through the blood vessel,
  A housing having a first side and a second side;
  An acoustic sensor assembly attached to the housing for transmitting acoustic energy through the first side of the housing, receiving acoustic energy through the first side of the housing, and converting the acoustic energy into a signal An acoustic sensor assembly including a transducer
  An optical sensor configured to transmit and receive multiple optical signals;
  A calculation device,
    Based on the optical signal, calculate the diameter of the blood vessel and the distance between the blood vessel and the device;
    Based on the distance and the diameter of the vessel, determine which transducer does not produce a usable signal, and for each of a plurality of pressure calculations,
      Only activate a transducer that can produce a usable signal,
      Interpreting the signal from the acoustic sensor assembly to determine the area of the blood vessel and the velocity of the blood;
      Calculating blood pressure based on the velocity and the area;
  A calculation device configured as follows:
  An energy storage device;
  Including
  The housing surrounds the acoustic sensor, the light sensor, the energy storage device, and the calculation device.   The apparatus of claim 1.
  The blood pressure is a maximum and minimum blood velocity, calculated from a plurality of blood velocity measurements corresponding to systolic and diastolic pressures, respectively, obtained from reflected waves detected by the transducer segments; An apparatus based on the maximum and minimum diameters of the blood vessel calculated based on first and second distance measurements obtained at time points corresponding to systolic pressure and diastolic pressure.   The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
  The at least one or more transducers include a first transducer and a second transducer that transmit the acoustic energy through a first window and a second window;
  The apparatus, wherein the first window is at least partially surrounded by a blocking material that reduces acoustic interference between the first transducer and the second transducer.   The device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
  The calculation device is a device that diagnoses a state using blood parameters and executes a function in response to the state.   The apparatus according to claim 4.
  The function includes transmitting an alarm along with global positioning information.   The apparatus according to claim 4.
  The function includes at least one of transmitting an alarm, initiating therapy, and continuously communicating data with a communication device located within the housing.   In the apparatus of any one of Claims 1-6,
  The apparatus is configured to perform the plurality of pressure calculations in response to an external command received through a communication device.   In the apparatus of any one of Claims 1-7,
  The apparatus wherein one of the transducers is oriented at an angle greater than zero relative to another of the transducers.   The device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
  An apparatus wherein one of the transducers and another of the transducers transmit acoustic energy at different frequencies.   The device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
  The calculation device calculates one or more of oxygen saturation, stroke volume, and cardiac output.