US 7,320,676 B2 | ||
Pressure sensing in implantable medical devices | ||
Keith A. Miesel, St. Paul, Minn. (US) | ||
Assigned to Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn. (US) | ||
Filed on Apr. 30, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/836,115. | ||
Claims priority of provisional application 60/508020, filed on Oct. 02, 2003. | ||
Prior Publication US 2005/0075624 A1, Apr. 07, 2005 | ||
Int. Cl. A61M 31/00 (2006.01) |
U.S. Cl. 604—67 [604/505; 604/503; 604/65] | 41 Claims |
1. An implantable medical device for delivering a liquid therapeutic substance to a delivery site in a patient comprising:
a reservoir holding a supply of said fluid therapeutic substance;
a catheter having a proximal end, a delivery region and a lumen extending from said proximal end to said delivery region,
said proximal end of said catheter being operatively coupled to said reservoir, said delivery region of said catheter being
adapted to be placed proximate said delivery site in said patient, said therapeutic substance adapted to be delivered through
said lumen to said patient;
a sensing device operatively coupled with said lumen of said catheter being capable of detecting a pressure of said therapeutic
substance in said lumen;
a controller operatively coupled to said sensing device, said controller being capable of taking an action is response to
said pressure in said lumen;
wherein said therapeutic substance comprises a fluid;
wherein said therapeutic substance comprises a liquid;
wherein said sensing device is further capable of detecting a reference pressure outside of said lumen and wherein said controller
is capable of taking action in response to relative pressures between said pressure in said lumen and said reference pressure
outside of said lumen;
wherein said location outside of said lumen is in proximity to said delivery region of said catheter; and
wherein said lumen is a first lumen and wherein said catheter has a second lumen and wherein said location outside of said
first lumen is in said second lumen.
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