Sensor with electromagnetically coupled hermetic pressure reference

1. An apparatus comprising:

a monolithic body of substantial uniformity formed by thermal bonding defining a hermetic chamber having an upper wall and an opposed lower wall;

a first conductive structure disposed within said hermetic chamber, said first conductive structure comprising a distributed LC circuit, wherein a first portion of said distributed LC circuit is fixed to the upper wall of the chamber, and wherein a second portion of said distributed LC circuit is positioned oppositely disposed and substantially parallel to the first portion of said distributed LC circuit and is fixed to an upper surface of the lower wall of the chamber;

a second conductive structure fixedly disposed on a bottom surface of the lower wall outside said hermetic chamber in spaced, substantially parallel opposition to the second portion of said distributed LC circuit of said first conductive structure; and

means physically attached to the lower wall of said hermetic chamber for at least partially enclosing and isolating said second conductive structure;

wherein said first conductive structure is electromagnetically coupled to said second conductive structure without direct electrical paths connecting said first and second conductive structures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical characteristics of said first conductive structure are altered by variations in the geometry of the hermetic chamber; and wherein said apparatus further comprises means responsive to a change in an environmental parameter for varying the geometry of the hermetic chamber.

3. A sensor for indicating a physical state within a patient, comprising:

a monolithic sensor body of substantial uniformity formed by thermal bonding defining a hermetic chamber having an upper wall and a lower wall;

a first conductive structure disposed within said hermetic chamber and having an element providing an inductance, said first conductive structure comprising a distributed LC circuit, wherein a first portion of said distributed LC circuit is fixed to the upper wall of the chamber, and wherein a second portion of said distributed LC circuit is positioned oppositely disposed and substantially parallel to the first portion of said distributed LC circuit and is fixed to an upper surface of the lower wall of the chamber;

a second conductive structure fixedly disposed on a bottom surface of the lower wall outside said hermetic chamber in spaced, substantially parallel opposition to the second portion of said distributed LC circuit of said first conductive structure;

means physically attached to the lower wall of said hermetic chamber for at least partially enclosing and isolating said second conductive structure; and

means for connecting said second conductive structure to remote electronics disposed outside of said sensor body;

wherein there are no direct electrical paths connecting said first conductive structure disposed within said hermetic chamber to said second conductive structure disposed outside said hermetic chamber; and

wherein said second conductive structure can be excited using time-varying electrical excitation via said remote electronics and, subsequently, electromagnetically coupled to said first conductive structure disposed within said hermetic chamber.

4. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein each of said first and second conductive structures comprise a capacitor.

5. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said first and second conductive structures comprise inductors.

6. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said body comprises ceramic material.

7. The sensor of claim 6 , wherein said ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of glass, fused silica, sapphire, quartz, and silicon.

8. The sensor of claim 7 , wherein said body comprises fused silica.

9. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein a portion of said sensor body defining said hermetic chamber comprises a deflective region deflectable in response to a physiologically relevant pressure; and wherein at least a portion of said first portion of the distributed LC circuit of said first conductive structure is coupled to said deflective region.

10. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said first conductive structure disposed within said hermetic chamber provides a capacitance and an inductance.

11. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein the distributed LC circuit of said first conductive structure further comprises: a first element providing an inductance; and a second element providing a capacitance, said first and second elements being electrically connected.

12. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said means for isolating at least a major portion of said second conductive structure from the ambient comprises a coating.

13. The sensor of claim 12 , wherein said coating is selected from the group consisting of polyimide, liquid crystal polymer (LCP), urethane, polyester, Teflon, FEP, PTFE, polyamide and silicone rubber.

14. The sensor of claim 12 , wherein said coating comprises silicone rubber.

15. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said means for connecting said second conductive structure to remote electronics disposed outside of said hermetic chamber comprises wires connected to said second conductive structure and extending through said means for isolating said second conductive structure from the ambient.

16. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said means for isolating at least a major portion of said second conductive structure from the ambient comprises ceramic material.

17. The sensor of claim 16 , wherein said ceramic material is selected from the group consisting of glass, fused silica, sapphire, quartz, and silicon.

18. The sensor of claim 17 , wherein said ceramic material is fused silica.

19. The sensor of claim 16 , wherein said means for connecting said second structure to remote electronics comprises electrical feedthroughs disposed across said isolating means and coupled to said second structure.

20. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said second conductive structure is further connected to an integrated circuit.

21. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said means for isolating at least a major portion of said second conductive structure from the ambient comprises a cavity defined by said sensor body separate from said hermetic chamber.

22. The sensor of claim 21 , wherein said integrated circuit is further coupled to electrical feedthroughs communicating between said second chamber and the ambient.

23. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein said means physically attached to at least one of said walls defining said hermetic chamber for at least partially enclosing said second conductive structure comprises a coating physically contacting at least a portion of said at least one of said walls defining said hermetic chamber and at least partially encapsulating said second conductive structure.

24. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein said means for at least partially enclosing said second conductive structure comprises a cavity defined by said sensor body separate from said hermetic chamber, and wherein said second conductive structure is disposed within said cavity.

25. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein said means physically attached to at least one of said walls defining said hermetic chamber for at least partially enclosing said second conductive structure comprises means physically attached to at least one of said walls defining said hermetic chamber for completely enclosing said second conductive structure.

26. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein said means physically attached to at least one of said walls defining said hermetic chamber for at least partially enclosing said second conductive structure comprises means physically attached to at least one of said walls defining said hermetic chamber for completely enclosing said second conductive structure.

27. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the distributed LC circuit of the first conductive structure comprises a first planar spiral coil, wherein the second portion of the distributed LC circuit of the first conductive structure comprises a second planar spiral coil, wherein the first and second planar spiral coils are disposed in parallel, spaced-apart relation.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the second conductive structure comprises a third planar spiral coil, and wherein the second and third spiral coils are disposed in parallel, spaced-apart relation.

29. The sensor of claim 3 , wherein the first portion of the distributed LC circuit of the first conductive structure comprises a first planar spiral coil, wherein the second portion of the distributed LC circuit of the first conductive structure comprises a second planar spiral coil, wherein the first and second planar spiral coils are disposed in parallel, spaced-apart relation.

30. The sensor of claim 29 , wherein the second conductive structure comprises a third planar spiral coil, and wherein the second and third spiral coils are disposed in parallel, spaced-apart relation.