Wireless shunts with storage
View Patent ↗Devices and methods useful for storing and retrieving information related to a medical device such as an implantable valve or an implantable sensor are disclosed. An implantable valve can include a valve housing adapted to receive fluid flow therethrough between a valve inlet and a valve outlet. A valve assembly can be disposed within the valve housing and adapted to control a rate of fluid flowing through the valve housing. The implantable valve can also include a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag associated with the valve housing, adapted to store data, and including an antenna for communicating stored data to an external reading device. The RFID tag can store data related to, for example, a patient, a pressure setting of the valve assembly, and/or pressure sensor disposed within the valve. The RFID tag can also store an identifier that identifies the implantable valve, a pressure sensor disposed in the valve housing, a patient associated with the implantable valve, and/or patient clinical history.
1. An implantable system, comprising
a first implantable device configured to be implanted in a patient; and
a second implantable device configured to be implanted in the patient separately from the first implantable device such that the first implantable device and the second implantable device are both implanted in the patient, the second implantable device comprising
a valve housing adapted to receive fluid flow therethrough between a valve inlet and a valve outlet, the valve inlet and a valve outlet defining a longitudinal axis of the valve housing;
a valve assembly disposed within the valve housing along the longitudinal axis and adapted to control a rate of fluid flowing through the valve housing; and
a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag disposed within the valve housing at a location laterally offset from the longitudinal axis, the RFID tag being adapted to store first data related to the first implantable device and to store second data related to the rate of fluid flowing through the valve housing, the RFID tag including an antenna for communicating the stored first and second data to an external reading device, and the RFID tag being adapted to communicate the stored first data uniquely relating the stored first data to the first implantable device and communicate the stored second data uniquely relating the stored second data related to the rate of fluid flowing through the valve housing to the second implantable device.
2. The implantable system of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor disposed within the valve housing along the longitudinal axis and adapted to measure a pressure of fluid flowing through the valve housing.