Medical device provided with sensors

Abstract

The invention relates to a medical device (12) comprising an electrical measurement circuit (16), in which are connected at least two variable-impedance sensors (22), the impedance of which varies according to a detected physical quantity, an electrical power source (18) for supplying power to the electrical measurement circuit (16), an antenna (18) for emitting an electromagnetic field according to the impedance of the electrical measurement circuit (16), each of the sensors (22) being associated with a switch (24) for interrupting the current supply of the sensor (22) in said measurement circuit (16), the medical device (12) additionally comprising a system (26) for controlling the switches (24) in order to successively control the opening or the closing of the switches (24), according to determined configurations. The medical device (12) may in particular be applied to the human body or implanted within the human body.

1 .- 34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . A stent, comprising:
 a plurality of impedance sensors, wherein one or more of the plurality of impedance sensors are positioned on an abluminal surface of the stent; and   a communication circuit configured to communicate data regarding impedance from the stent to a computing device;   wherein the stent is configured to be implanted in a body of a patient.   
     
     
         36 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein one or more of the plurality of impedance sensors are positioned on a luminal surface of the stent. 
     
     
         37 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the stent comprises a mesh; and   one or more of the plurality of impedance sensors are fixed to a vertex of the mesh.   
     
     
         38 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the stent comprises a mesh; and   one or more of the plurality of impedance sensors are fixed to a mid-point of a side of the mesh.   
     
     
         39 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 a first group of the plurality of impedance sensors are positioned on the abluminal surface of the stent;   a second group of the plurality of impedance sensors are positioned on a luminal surface of the stent; and   the impedance sensors of the first group and the impedance sensors of the second group are disposed at opposite positions at common points along a body of the stent.   
     
     
         40 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the stent comprises a mesh, wherein the mesh comprises a plurality of struts;   the stent comprises a plurality of measurement lines, wherein each of the plurality of measurement lines comprises two or more of the plurality of impedance sensors; and   the plurality of measurement lines are woven between struts of the plurality of struts.   
     
     
         41 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the stent comprises a plurality of measurement lines, wherein each of the plurality of measurement lines comprises two or more of the plurality of impedance sensors; and   the plurality of measurement lines extend along the stent in imbricated helices.   
     
     
         42 . The stent of  claim 35 , further comprising:
 an hyperplasia-limiting coating on one or more of the plurality of impedance sensors.   
     
     
         43 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the stent comprises an electronic measurement circuit, wherein the plurality of impedance sensors are connected to the electronic measurement circuit; and   the electronic measurement circuit is implanted in an electrically insulating and biocompatible polymeric substrate.   
     
     
         44 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the plurality of impedance sensors are arranged in series in a measurement line; and   each impedance sensor of the plurality of impedance sensors is associated with a respective switch of a plurality of switches, wherein each of the plurality of switches are configured to regulate power to a respective impedance sensor of the plurality of impedance sensors.   
     
     
         45 . The stent of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the plurality of impedance sensors are arranged in a plurality of measurement lines;   a measurement line of the plurality of measurement lines comprises at least two impedance sensors arranged in series; and   each impedance sensor of the plurality of impedance sensors is associated with a respective switch of a plurality of switches to regulate power to each of the plurality of impedance sensors.   
     
     
         46 . The stent of  claim 35 , further comprising a plurality of control circuits arranged in series with respect to one another, wherein:
 the plurality of impedance sensors are arranged in series in a plurality of measurement lines;   each impedance sensor of the plurality of impedance sensors is associated with a respective switch of a plurality of switches; and   each control circuit of the plurality of control circuits is configured to control one or more associated switches of the plurality of switches to regulate power to a respective impedance sensor of the plurality of impedance sensors.   
     
     
         47 . A medical system, comprising:
 an implantable medical device, comprising:
 a measurement circuit comprising one or more impedance sensors; and 
 a power source; and 
   a computing device configured to communicate with the implantable medical device and receive data regarding impedance from the implantable medical device.   
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the implantable medical device further comprises:
 an antenna to emit an electromagnetic field according to an impedance of the measurement circuit; and   an analogue/digital converter situated between the measurement circuit and the antenna.   
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the measurement circuit further comprises:
 a resistor between two sensors of the one or more impedance sensors, wherein the resistor comprises a fixed impedance.   
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the implantable medical device further comprises:
 a plurality of measurement circuits, each comprising a measurement line comprising one or more sensors, wherein the measurement lines are mounted in parallel; and   a plurality of line selectors, wherein each line selector of the plurality of line selectors is associated with a respective measurement line and configured to control current supply to the respective measurement line.   
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the computing device further comprises an antenna configured to emit an electromagnetic field to induce power in the measurement circuit. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the measurement circuit of the implantable medical device comprises at least one circuit to generate an electrical signal at a frequency, the electrical signal to be applied to anatomy contacted by the implantable medical device and to be received by an impedance sensor of the one or more impedance sensors. 
     
     
         53 . A method of operating an implantable medical device, comprising:
 successively controlling opening and closing of a plurality of switches of a measurement circuit, the measurement circuit comprising a plurality of sensors each associated with a respective switch of the plurality of switches, such that each of the respective switches are selectively electrically connected between a power source of the implantable medical device and an antenna of the implantable medical device; and   adjusting an electromagnetic field emitted by the antenna of the implanted medical device at a time to be indicative of a value measured at the time by a sensor of the plurality of sensors.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising at least one of:
 with a comparator of the implantable medical device, comparing an identifier emitted by a computing device separate from the implantable medical device with a binary code associated with at least one fixed impedance of the implantable medical device; or   with a computing device separate from the implantable medical device, analyzing a portion of a signal emitted by the antenna of the implantable medical device to determine an identifier for the implantable medical device.