Patent ID: 8267863
Filing Date: 2012-09-18
Classification: A61B,A61N

Abstract:
1. A surgical procedure comprising: making a first incision in a living body to expose at least a portion of an internal organ of the living body, the organ having an internal cavity within which an internal physiological parameter is desired to be sensed; making a second incision through an external wall of the organ and into the internal cavity; placing a sensing unit in the second incision such that a proximal end of the sensing unit at a first extremity thereof is outside the organ and a distal end of the sensing unit at an oppositely-disposed second extremity thereof is within the internal cavity of the organ, the sensing unit consisting essentially of a sensing device having a sensing element adapted to sense the physiological parameter within the organ and an anchor to which the sensing device is secured, the anchor comprising first and second portions, the first portion of the anchor comprising a tubular housing in which the sensing device is housed and an open end adjacent the distal end of the sensing unit through which the sensing device is received into the tubular housing and through which the sensing element is exposed, either the first portion of the anchor or the sensing device defining the distal end of the sensing unit, the second portion of the anchor projecting radially from and surrounding the first portion, defining the proximal end of the sensing unit, and comprising means for securing the anchor to an external wall of the organ by engaging a proximal surface of the external wall disposed nearer the proximal end of the sensing unit and not engaging a distal surface of the external wall disposed nearer the distal end of the sensing unit, the sensing unit being placed in the second incision so that the second portion of the anchor, the securing means thereof, and the proximal end of the sensing unit defined thereby are outside the organ, and so that only the first portion of the anchor and the distal end of the sensing unit extend entirely through the external wall, the distal end of the sensing unit does not extend more than one centimeter into the internal cavity of the organ, and the first portion of the anchor occludes the incision; and securing the anchor to the external wall of the organ such that the sensing device is secured within the second incision by only the anchor and the second incision is occluded by only the first portion of the anchor; closing the first incision; and then telemetrically communicating with the sensing device to obtain a reading of the physiological parameter using a readout device located outside the living body.