Implantable Resonance Pressure Sensor for Portal Hypertension Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for monitoring portal and hepatic blood pressure are invasive and imprecise, requiring large, active sensors that necessitate wires or cables, making frequent monitoring impractical.
Innovation Solution
A miniature, passive, wireless sensor device is implanted in the portal and/or hepatic veins, utilizing a vibratable membrane with a resonance frequency response to ambient pressure, allowing non-invasive monitoring through acoustic interrogation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If large, active sensors with wires or cables are used for pressure monitoring, then measurement capability is achieved, but invasiveness increases and frequent monitoring becomes impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the active electronic components (power source, signal processing electronics) from the sensor itself, leaving only a passive sensing element (membrane) that can be implanted. The external interrogating system provides the acoustic energy and processes the signals, enabling pressure measurement without invasive wires or cables while maintaining measurement capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/electrical pressure sensing mechanisms with an acoustic resonance-based sensing mechanism. The membrane's resonance frequency responds to pressure changes, and this acoustic response is interrogated non-invasively from outside the body, eliminating the need for invasive electrical connections
2Ease of operation
If miniature, passive, wireless sensor is used, then invasiveness is reduced and frequent monitoring is enabled, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex active components (power source, electronics) from the implantable sensor, leaving only a simple passive membrane structure. This dramatically simplifies the implanted device while the external interrogating system handles the complexity of signal processing and pressure calculation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the natural mechanical vibration (acoustic resonance) properties of a simple membrane structure to enable pressure sensing. The membrane's resonance frequency naturally responds to pressure changes, providing a complex sensing function through a simple mechanical structure that requires no active components
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables frequent, accurate measurement of portal and hepatic pressures without invasiveness, providing a reliable portal pressure gradient for detecting portal hypertension.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing a vibratable membrane with a resonance frequency response to ambient pressure
Data Source
AI summary
The devices and methods generally relate to vibratable sensors for measuring ambient fluid pressure, in particular implantable sensors. The devices and methods are suited to implantation within the body to monitor physiological conditions, such as portal and/or hepatic venous blood pressure, and allow frequent, remote interrogation of venous pressure. The sensor devices are relatively small compared to conventional devices for measuring fluid pressure and can be implanted in the portohepatic venous system, whereas conventional devices are too large. The small size of the device is accomplished by using a thick sensor membrane, compared to conventional devices, and by limiting the size of additional elements of the device relative to the size of the sensor membrane. The thicker sensor member also obviates the need for multiple sensor arrays and maintains the accuracy and robustness of the sensor device. A data capture, processing, and display system provides a pressure measurement reading.