Cardiac implant devices with integrated pressure sensing

Abstract

A sensor implant device includes a shunt structure comprising a flow path conduit and a plurality of arms configured to secure the shunt structure to a tissue wall, and a pressure sensor device attached to one of the plurality of arms of the shunt structure. The pressure sensor device comprises one or more sensor elements, an antenna, control circuitry electrically coupled to the one or more sensor elements and the antenna, and a housing that houses the control circuitry.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sensor implant device comprising:
 a shunt structure comprising a flow path conduit and a plurality of arms configured to secure the shunt structure to a tissue wall; and   a first pressure sensor attached to the shunt structure and configured to be positioned in the left atrium to sense the left atrial pressure;   an antenna;   control circuitry electrically coupled to the first sensor and the antenna; and   a housing that houses the control circuitry.   
     
     
         2 . The sensor implant device of  claim 1 , further comprising
 a second pressure sensor attached to the shunt structure and configured to be positioned in a right atrium to sense a right atrial pressure or in a coronary sinus to sense a coronary sinus pressure.   
     
     
         3 . The sensor implant device of  claim 2 , wherein the second pressure sensor is configured to be positioned in the right atrium to sense the right atrial pressure. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor implant device of  claim 3 , wherein a differential pressure between the left atrium and the right atrium can be determined using the left atrial pressure sensed by the first pressure sensor and the right atrial pressure sensed by the second pressure sensor. 
     
     
         5 . The sensor implant device of  claim 2 , wherein the second pressure sensor is configured to be positioned in the coronary sinus to sense the coronary sinus pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The sensor implant device of  claim 5 , wherein the right atrial pressure of the right atrium can be determined using the coronary sinus pressure sensed by the second pressure sensor. 
     
     
         7 . The sensor implant device of  claim 6 , wherein a differential pressure between the left atrium and the right atrium can be determined using the left atrial pressure sensed by the first sensor and the right atrial pressure determined using the coronary sinus pressure sensed by the second sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The sensor implant device of  claim 2 , wherein the control circuitry is electrically coupled to the second sensor 
     
     
         9 . The sensor implant device of  claim 8 , wherein the first pressure sensor is disposed at a first end of the housing that is disposed on a first side of the flow path conduit with respect to a flow path axis, and wherein the second pressure sensor is disposed at a second end of the housing that is disposed on a second side of the flow path conduit with respect to the flow path axis. 
     
     
         10 . The sensor implant device of  claim 9  wherein the housing is attached to the flow path conduit. 
     
     
         11 . The sensor implant device of  claim 10 , wherein the second pressure sensor is configured to be positioned in the right atrium to sense the right atrial pressure. 
     
     
         12 . The sensor implant device of  claim 10 , wherein the second pressure sensor is configured to be positioned in the coronary sinus to sense the coronary sinus pressure, and wherein the right atrial pressure of the right atrium can be determined using the coronary sinus pressure sensed by the second sensor. 
     
     
         13 . The sensor implant device of  claim 10 , wherein the housing is secured within a receptacle in an outside surface of the flow path conduit. 
     
     
         14 . The sensor implant device of  claim 10 , wherein the housing is disposed in a flow path extending through the flow path conduit. 
     
     
         15 . The sensor implant device of  claim 2 , wherein the first pressure sensor is attached to a first arm of the shunt structure and configured to be positioned in the left atrium. 
     
     
         16 . The sensor implant of  claim 15 , wherein the second pressure sensor further comprises:
 an antenna;   control circuitry electrically coupled to the second sensor and the antenna; and   a housing that houses the control circuitry.   
     
     
         17 . The sensor implant device of  claim 16 , wherein the second pressure sensor is attached to a second arm of the shunt structure and configured to be positioned in the coronary sinus to sense the coronary sinus pressure. 
     
     
         18 . The sensor implant device of  claim 16 , wherein the second pressure sensor is attached to a second arm of the shunt structure and configured to be positioned in the right atrium to sense the right atrial pressure. 
     
     
         19 . A method of measuring a left atrial pressure and a right atrial pressure using a pressure sensor device attached to a shunt structure of a sensor implant device, the method comprising:
 positioning the shunt structure of the sensor implant device in a tissue wall, wherein the tissue wall extends between a left atrium and a right atrium or between the left atrium and a coronary sinus;   securing the shunt structure to the tissue wall using a plurality of arms of the shunt structure;   measuring a left atrial pressure in the left atrium using a first sensor on the pressure sensor device; and   measuring the right atrial pressure of the right atrium using a second sensor on the pressure sensor device that either is configured to sense the right atrial pressure or is configured to sense a coronary sinus pressure that is related to the right atrial pressure.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 determining a differential pressure between the left atrium and the right atrium using the left atrial pressure sensed by the first pressure sensor and the right atrial pressure or the coronary sinus pressure sensed by the second sensor.