Patent ID: 9662066
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: A61B,H01F

Claim:
1. A method of sensing a stimulus in vivo, comprising: implanting in a patient, in a position subject to the stimulus, a passive resonator circuit with a characteristic resonant frequency and comprising at least a pair of generally parallel spirally wound unconnected conductive coils with a spacing in between, wherein the characteristic resonant frequency is defined by the spacing of the generally parallel spirally wound unconnected conductive coils, and further comprising a layer of solid dielectric material with at least one dimensional property and positioned in between the pair of generally parallel spirally wound unconnected conductive coils, wherein the layer of solid dielectric material is exposed to the stimulus in vivo, and the layer of solid dielectric material is configured to sense the stimulus via a variation in the at least one dimensional property, wherein such variation in the at least one dimensional property changes the characteristic resonant frequency of the passive resonator by altering the spacing between the pair of generally parallel spirally wound unconnected conductive coils; energizing the passive resonator circuit with radiofrequency energy from a source external to the patient; and remotely detecting a change in the characteristic resonant frequency of the energized passive resonator circuit, with a detector, wherein the detected change in the characteristic resonant frequency provides a measurement of the stimulus.