SENSOR SYSTEM, IMPLANTABLE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR REMOTE SENSING OF A STIMULUS IN VIVO

摘要

A sensor system for sensing a stimulus in vivo includes an implantable sensor. The sensor comprises a passive resonator circuit having a resonant frequency and including at least a pair of generally parallel spirally wound unconnected conductive coils sandwiching a layer of solid dielectric material that manifest a change in property affecting the resonant frequency in response to application of the stimulus to the layer. A resonant frequency of the sensor is modulated by altering the spacing or gap between the coils or altering the overlapping area of the coils. The sensor is energized through application of radiofrequency energy and the responding resonant frequency is detected. The sensor can be advantageously attached to a medical implant to form a practical smart implant for clinical purposes.

主权项

1. A sensor system for sensing a stimulus in vivo, comprising:
a sensor implantable in a patient, the sensor including at least a first single component L-C element, a second single component L-C element spaced from and electrically unconnected to the first element, and a solid dielectric layer sandwiched between the first element and the second element, the solid dielectric layer having a property that varies in response to application of the stimulus to said solid dielectric layer; an energizer, external to said patient, energizing the first element and the second element with radiofrequency energy such that the energized first element and second element form a passive resonator circuit having a resonant frequency that varies with said property; and a detector, external to the patient, determining the resonant frequency of the passive resonator circuit as a measure of the stimulus applied to the dielectric layer in vivo.