Patent ID: 9433515
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F,A61L,B23K

Claim Text:
1. A method of using an in-vivo sensor device, the method comprising the steps of: delivering an in-vivo sensor device into vasculature, the in vivo sensor device comprising a plurality of structural elements forming the in-vivo sensor device, the plurality of structural elements each include a first region being composed of a first material, the first material having a first transition temperature and a first transition coefficient to expand from a first diametric state to a second diametric state, the plurality of structural elements each include a second region being composed of a second material, the second material having a second transition temperature and a second transition coefficient higher than the first transition temperature and the first transition coefficient, wherein the second transition temperature and the second transition coefficient allows for a change in the geometry or conformation of the second region in the second diametric state upon application of at least one of an internal force and an external force to the in vivo sensor device, wherein the change in geometry or conformation changes the positioning of the second region relative to the geometry of the first region during the second transition temperature; and means for detecting the change in the geometry or conformation of the in vivo sensor device, the means for detecting further comprising at least one of: radiography, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, and radio frequency detection, and wherein the second material comprises at least one of a shape memory material and a superelastic material; at least one of the geometry and the conformation of the in-vivo sensor device changing due to application of the at least one of the internal force and the external force to the in-vivo sensor device; and imaging the in-vivo sensor device to provide an image of a profile of the vasculature.