IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL SENSOR SYSTEM

摘要

An implantable chemical sensor system for medical applications is described which permits selective recognition of an analyte using an expandable biocompatible sensor (16), such as a polymer, that undergoes a dimensional change in the presence of the analyte. The expandable polymer is incorporated into an electronic circuit component (14) that changes its properties (e.g., frequency) when the polymer changes dimension. As the circuit (14) changes its characteristics, an external interrogator (18) transmits a signal transdermally to the transducer (12), and the concentration of the analyte is determined from the measured changes in the circuit. This invention may be used for minimally invasive monitoring of blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. The sensor system may also be extended to applications outside the body where the interrogator transmits a signal remotely across a physical barrier.