Patent US3682160A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3682160A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Physiological signal transmitter for use inside the body
Assignee: Panasonic Holdings Corp
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Filing: 1969-10-16
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Granted: 1972-08-08
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Expires: 1989-10-16
Abstract
Abstract A miniature medical transmitter detects a physiological variable in a human body and transmits a signal to a receiver placed at the outside of a human body, more particularly to an orally swallawable minature transmitter for measuring pH value or any other variable in a gastro-intestinal tract. The transmitter comprises detecting means for generating a voltage relating to a physiological variable in a human body, limiting network means, a storing capacitor and oscillator means, and its operation is based on an arrangement wherein the voltage from the detecting means activates the oscillator means and, at the same time, modulates the oscillator means. Accordingly, the transmitter does not require conventional power supply means such as battery means and external energy sender means placed outside the body.
Inventors
- 👤 Norio Murata
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 23:37
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/42; A61B5/0002; A61B5/0031; A61B5/07; A61B5/073; A61B18/00; A61B18/04; A61B18/12; A61B18/14; A61B2018/1405; A61B2018/1435
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
280 words
A medical transmitter adapted for transmission of an electric signal corresponding to a physiological variable in a human body, which comprises detecting means having two detecting terminals provided with a detected voltage E relating to said physiological variable; limiting network means which has two input terminals connected with said two detecting terminals and which has two output terminals provided with a limiting current I therefrom; a storing capacitor of a capacitance, Co, which is connected with said two output terminals; and oscillator means which has two energizing terminals connected with two terminals of said storing capacitor and energizable by an electric charge stored in said storing capacitor which functions as a power source for said oscillator means, said oscillator means for starting oscillation in an oscillation frequency f when a voltage between said two energizing terminals rises up to a starting voltage Vt and for stopping said oscillation when said voltage between said two energizing terminals falls down to a stopping voltage Vp, and said oscillator means having a leakage current I1 adapted to flow therethrough upon the cessation of said oscillation and an actuating current Ia to flow therethrough during oscillation, said oscillating means having the following operating characteristic: 0 < (I1)max < (I)min < (I)max < (Ia< (Ia)max << Co.f.(Vt-Vp) where (I1)max is a maximum value of said leakage current I1, (I)min and (I)max are a minimum value and a maximum value of said limiting current I, respectively, and (Ia)min and (Ia)max are a minimum value and a maximum value of said actuating current Ia, respectively; whereby said oscillator means is intermittently oscillating with an intermittent oscillation period which is variable with a change in said detected voltage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
280 words
A medical transmitter adapted for transmission of an electric signal corresponding to a physiological variable in a human body, which comprises detecting means having two detecting terminals provided with a detected voltage E relating to said physiological variable; limiting network means which has two input terminals connected with said two detecting terminals and which has two output terminals provided with a limiting current I therefrom; a storing capacitor of a capacitance, Co, which is connected with said two output terminals; and oscillator means which has two energizing terminals connected with two terminals of said storing capacitor and energizable by an electric charge stored in said storing capacitor which functions as a power source for said oscillator means, said oscillator means for starting oscillation in an oscillation frequency f when a voltage between said two energizing terminals rises up to a starting voltage Vt and for stopping said oscillation when said voltage between said two energizing terminals falls down to a stopping voltage Vp, and said oscillator means having a leakage current I1 adapted to flow therethrough upon the cessation of said oscillation and an actuating current Ia to flow therethrough during oscillation, said oscillating means having the following operating characteristic: 0 < (I1)max < (I)min < (I)max < (Ia< (Ia)max << Co.f.(Vt-Vp) where (I1)max is a maximum value of said leakage current I1, (I)min and (I)max are a minimum value and a maximum value of said limiting current I, respectively, and (Ia)min and (Ia)max are a minimum value and a maximum value of said actuating current Ia, respectively; whereby said oscillator means is intermittently oscillating with an intermittent oscillation period which is variable with a change in said detected voltage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 23, wherein said limiting network means comprises a limiting resistor having resistance Ro.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 2, wherein said oscillator means comprises a transistor tuned oscillator.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
15 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 3, wherein said detecting means comprises a pH sensor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 4, wherein said pH sensor has a pH sensitive electrode comprising an antimony electrode, and a reference electrode comprising a zinc electrode.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 4, wherein said pH sensor has a pH sensitive electrode comprising an antimony electrode, and a reference electrode comprising a manganese electrode.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
A medical transmitter as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pH sensor has a pH sensitive electrode comprising an antimony electrode, and a reference electrode comprising a magnesium-zinc alloy electrode.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
A medical transmitter as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pH sensor has a pH sensitive electrode comprising an antimony electrode, and a reference electrode comprising a manganese dioxide electrode.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
A medical transmitter as claimed in claim 4, wherein said pH sensor has a pH sensitive electrode comprising an antimony electrode and a reference electrode comprising a vanadium pentoxide electrode.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 3, wherein said transistor tuned oscillator has a tuning capacitor having a variable capacitance sensitive to an enviromental condition surrounding said medical transmitter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 10, wherein said tuning capacitor is a temperature sensitive capacitor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 3, wherein said transistor tuned oscillator has a tuning inductor, an inductance of which is variable depending upon a second physiological.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 12, wherein said second physiological variable is pressure and said tuning inductor has a magnetic core movable with a change in said pressure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
16 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 1, wherein said storing capacitor is a voltage dependent capacitor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
16 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 1, wherein said limiting network means comprises voltage dependent elements.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 1, wherein said storing capacitor consists essentially of a temperature sensitive capacitor capable of compensating a temperature dependence of said intermittent oscillation period of said medical transmitter.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
A medical transmitter defined by claim 1, wherein said limiting network means comprises temperature sensitive elements capable of compensating a temperature dependence of said intermittent oscillation period of said medical transmitter.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3231834A
Cited
US3218638A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-08 | 1976-02-07 | 1976-08-08 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-08 | 1980-02-07 | 1980-08-08 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-08 | 1984-02-07 | 1984-08-08 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |