Abstract: Anchors and anchoring methods suitable for use with implantable assemblies that include an implantable device, including but not limited to implantable sensing devices and implantable wireless sensing devices adapted to monitor physiological parameters within living bodies. Such an implantable device has a housing containing a transducer, electrical circuitry, and an antenna. The transducer is located at a first end of the housing opposite a second end of the housing. At least the transducer is located within a housing portion of the housing in which the antenna is not located. The implantable assembly further includes an anchor is adapted for securing the implantable device within a living body.

Abstract: Anchors and anchoring methods suitable for use with implantable assemblies that include an implantable device, including but not limited to implantable sensing devices and implantable wireless sensing devices adapted to monitor physiological parameters within living bodies. Such an implantable device has a housing containing a transducer, electrical circuitry, and an antenna. The transducer is located at a first end of the housing opposite a second end of the housing. At least the transducer is located within a housing portion of the housing in which the antenna is not located. The implantable assembly further includes an anchor is adapted for securing the implantable device within a living body.

Abstract: Implantable wireless sensor assemblies and methods for monitoring physiological parameters within living bodies. Such sensor assembly includes a sensing device with a housing having an internal cavity, a transducer and electrical circuitry within the cavity, and an antenna that is within the cavity or outside the housing. The sensor assembly further includes a housing portion in which the transducer, the electrical circuitry, and the antenna are not located, and anchoring elements for securing the sensing device within a living body. The housing portion is separately formed and directly attached to a distal end of the housing, or is integrally formed as a discrete region of the housing at the distal end thereof. The anchor elements surround a coupling feature of the housing portion but does not surround the transducer or the antenna of the sensing device.

Abstract: Wireless medical implants and methods for wirelessly monitoring cardiac output (CO) of a subject. Such a method includes placing the wireless medical implant in a wall of an organ of the subject such that an end of the wireless medical implant containing a temperature transducer is exposed to blood flowing in the organ, introducing a substance into the blood flowing at a site so that the substance is at a different temperature than the blood flowing through the organ and the wireless medical implant is downstream of the site where the substance was introduced, and wirelessly and continuously measuring cardiac output by wirelessly and continuously obtaining temperature measurements with the wireless medical implant downstream of the site where the substance was introduced to generate of a thermodilution curve from which reproducible calculations of cardiac output are obtained.

Abstract: Procedures, implantable wireless sensing devices, and sensor assemblies suitable for monitoring physiological parameters within living bodies. Such sensor assembly includes a sensing device and an anchor for securing the sensing device within a living body. The sensing device comprises a housing having at least one internal cavity and a transducer and electrical circuitry within the at least one internal cavity. The sensing device further comprises an antenna that is within the at least one internal cavity or outside the housing. The housing has at least one additional housing portion in which the transducer, the electrical circuitry, and the antenna are not located. The anchor has a metal portion that surrounds the at least one additional housing portion so as not to surround the transducer, the electrical circuitry, or the antenna.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing at least one chronic disease in a population of patients by collecting information from the population of patients and prescribing courses of medical action based on collaboration between human beings and artificial intelligence (AI). Sensors are placed within the human bodies of the population of patients to continuously sense and monitor at least one physiological parameter and generate data corresponding to the physiological parameter, and the data are transmitted via the Internet and stored in a database. Artificial intelligence is then used to prescribe a course of medical action in an individual patient if the data indicates a medical condition that is within the database and known by the artificial intelligence. The artificial intelligence is also used to request an individualized course of medical action from a medical provider if the data indicates a medical condition not within the database or known by the artificial intelligence.

Abstract: Wireless implants and systems and methods that employ such implants to monitor multiple physiological parameters within living bodies, such as monitoring cardiovascular pressures/hemodynamics. Such an includes a hermetically-sealed housing having an elongate shape that defines oppositely-disposed first and second ends of the implant, first and second sensing elements located at the first and second ends of the implant, respectively, and at least one wireless transmitting device within an internal cavity of the implant and connected to the first and second sensing elements for wirelessly transmitting output signals generated by the first and second sensing elements. The implant is adapted to be implanted to monitor at least two different physiological parameters, for example, the pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure as two different cardiovascular pressures within the human body.

Abstract: Minimally-invasive surgical procedures for monitoring physiological parameters within internal organs of living bodies, and anchors therefor. Such an anchor may have a tubular portion defining a distal end of the anchor, a disk-shaped portion having a proximal surface at a proximal end of the anchor, and an internal passage within the tubular and disk-shaped portions for receiving a sensing device. The internal passage has a proximal portion and an oppositely-disposed distal portion that defines a distal opening in the tubular portion that is configured to retain the sensing device within the internal passage, in combination with one or more features at the proximal end of the anchor. One or more features are defined on the disk-shaped portion for securing the anchor to the wall of the internal organ.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a cardiac monitoring system includes multiple sensors configured for implantation in a cardiovascular system of a user. Each sensor includes a sensing unit configured to be disposed in sensory communication with the location for measuring a biological parameter in the at least one heart chamber. The sensing unit is also configured to generate a sensory signal associated with the biological parameter. Each sensor also includes a wireless transceiver configured to receive the sensory signal from the sensing unit. The wireless transceiver is further configured to wirelessly transmit the sensory signal to an external processing device disposed outside a body of the user. The external processing device monitors, based on the sensory signal received from at least two sensors from the plurality of sensors, cardiac health associated with at least one of an implanted device or a surgery.

Abstract: Implantable wireless sensor assemblies and methods for monitoring physiological parameters within living bodies. Such sensor assembly includes a sensing device with a housing having an internal cavity, a transducer and electrical circuitry within the cavity, and an antenna that is within the cavity or outside the housing. The sensor assembly further includes a housing portion in which the transducer, the electrical circuitry, and the antenna are not located, and anchoring elements for securing the sensing device within a living body. The housing portion is separately formed and directly attached to a distal end of the housing, or is integrally formed as a discrete region of the housing at the distal end thereof. The anchor elements surround a coupling feature of the housing portion but does not surround the transducer or the antenna of the sensing device.

Abstract: Procedures, implantable wireless sensing devices, and sensor assemblies suitable for monitoring physiological parameters within living bodies. Such sensor assembly includes a sensing device and an anchor for securing the sensing device within a living body. The sensing device comprises a housing having at least one internal cavity and a transducer and electrical circuitry within the at least one internal cavity. The sensing device further comprises an antenna that is within the at least one internal cavity or outside the housing. The housing has at least one additional housing portion in which the transducer, the electrical circuitry, and the antenna are not located. The anchor has a metal portion that surrounds the at least one additional housing portion so as not to surround the transducer, the electrical circuitry, or the antenna.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a base structure and a tube. The tube has a first tube portion, a second tube portion substantially parallel to the first tube portion, an inlet portion, and an outlet portion. The tube is configured to have a material pass from the inlet portion to the outlet portion. The apparatus further includes a drive element in contact with the tube. The drive element is configured to vibrate the tube such that the first tube portion conducts vibrational movements out of phase with vibrational movements of the second tube portion. The apparatus also includes a sensing element, at least a portion of which is in contact with the tube. The sensing element is configured to sense deflections of the first tube portion and the second tube portion such that at least one property of the material is determined.

Abstract: Minimally-invasive surgical procedures for monitoring physiological parameters within internal organs of living bodies, and anchors therefor. Such an anchor may have a tubular portion defining a distal end of the anchor, a disk-shaped portion having a proximal surface at a proximal end of the anchor, and an internal passage within the tubular and disk-shaped portions for receiving a sensing device. The internal passage has a proximal portion and an oppositely-disposed distal portion that defines a distal opening in the tubular portion that is configured to retain the sensing device within the internal passage, in combination with one or more features at the proximal end of the anchor. One or more features are defined on the disk-shaped portion for securing the anchor to the wall of the internal organ.

Abstract: A system for monitoring blood pressure and other physiologic parameters is provided. The system is designed such that it can be delivered to the patient with ease and minimal invasion. The system contains at least one self contained implantable sensing device consisting of a sensor, an electrical circuit for signal conditioning and magnetic telemetry, a biocompatible outer surface and seal, an anchoring method, and an external readout device. The implant is small in size so that it may be delivered to the desired location and implanted using a catheter, although direct surgical implantation is also possible. The circuit, sensor, and antenna for telemetry are packaged together and sealed hermetically to the biologic environment. The larger readout unit remains outside the body but proximal to the implant for minimizing communication distance.

Abstract: A delivery system and method for placing a medical implant, such as for diagnosing, monitoring and/or treating cardiovascular diseases. The delivery system includes a hollow catheter, an anchor coupled to the catheter, and an implant secured within the anchor. The anchor has a base portion with first and second longitudinal ends and a cage therebetween. The anchor further has flexible arms, flexible legs, features for securing the medical implant within the cage of the base portion, and a coupler portion connected to and spaced apart from the second longitudinal end of the base portion. Surfaces of the arms and legs are adapted to clamp the anchor to a wall. The system further includes a pusher wire adapted to cause the anchor to acquire a stowed configuration in which the legs axially extend from the base portion, permitting the anchor to be retrieved after its deployment.

Abstract: A system and surgical procedure for monitoring physiological parameters within an internal organ of a living body. The procedure entails making a first incision to expose the organ and a second incision through an external wall of the organ and into an internal cavity. A sensing unit is placed in the second incision such that a proximal end thereof remains outside the organ. The unit includes a sensing device having a sensing element for sensing the physiological parameter within the organ, and an anchor to which the sensing device is secured. The unit occludes the second incision and a distal end of the unit does not extend more than one centimeter into the cavity. The anchor is then secured to the wall of the organ, after which the first incision is closed and a readout device telemetrically communicates with the sensing device to obtain a reading of the physiological parameter.

Abstract: A minimally-invasive surgical procedure for monitoring a physiological parameter within an internal organ of a living body. The procedure entails making a first incision in the body to enable access to the organ. An endoscopic instrument is then inserted through the first incision and a second incision is made therewith through an external wall of the organ and into the internal cavity thereof. A sensing unit is placed in the second incision such that the second incision is occluded by the unit and a proximal end of the unit is outside the organ. The unit includes a sensing device having a sensing element adapted to sense the physiological parameter within the organ, and an anchor to which the sensing device is secured. The first incision is closed, after which a readout device outside the body telemetrically communicates with the sensing device to obtain a reading of the physiological parameter.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a base structure and a tube. The tube has a first tube portion, a second tube portion substantially parallel to the first tube portion, an inlet portion, and an outlet portion. The tube is configured to have a material pass from the inlet portion to the outlet portion. The apparatus further includes a drive element in contact with the tube. The drive element is configured to vibrate the tube such that the first tube portion conducts vibrational movements out of phase with vibrational movements of the second tube portion. The apparatus also includes a sensing element, at least a portion of which is in contact with the tube. The sensing element is configured to sense deflections of the first tube portion and the second tube portion such that at least one property of the material is determined.

Abstract: A micromachined tube (microtube) suitable for microfluidic devices. The microtube is formed by isotropically etching a surface of a first substrate to define therein a channel having an arcuate cross-sectional profile, and forming a substrate structure by bonding the first substrate to a second substrate so that the second substrate overlies and encloses the channel to define a passage having a cross-sectional profile of which at least half is arcuate. The substrate structure is thinned to define the microtube and walls thereof that surround the passage.

Abstract: A delivery system and method for placing a medical implant, such as for diagnosing, monitoring and/or treating cardiovascular diseases. The delivery system includes a hollow catheter, an anchor coupled to the catheter, and an implant secured within the anchor. The anchor has a base portion with first and second longitudinal ends and a cage therebetween. The anchor further has flexible arms, flexible legs, features for securing the medical implant within the cage of the base portion, and a coupler portion connected to and spaced apart from the second longitudinal end of the base portion. Surfaces of the arms and legs are adapted to clamp the anchor to a wall. The system further includes a pusher wire adapted to cause the anchor to acquire a stowed configuration in which the legs axially extend from the base portion, permitting the anchor to be retrieved after its deployment.