Patent ID: 7963920
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: A61B,G01F,G01S

Abstract:
1. A system for monitoring blood flow confined by at least one wall of a vessel, the system comprising; at least one implantable diffraction-grating transducer, said diffraction-grating transducer configured for being implanted on or within and parallel to a wall of a vessel through which blood flows, said diffraction-grating transducer being configured for emitting an ultrasound beam into the blood flow; a source configured for exciting said implantable diffraction-grating transducer to cause said ultrasound emission, wherein said excitation source creates a driving signal of one or more frequency components; and at least one implantable substantially planar slab transducer configured for being implanted on or within and parallel to the wall of the vessel, said at least one substantially planar slab transducer configured for receiving at substantially right angles relative to the wall of the vessel said ultrasound emissions including Doppler-shifted signals scattered from blood passing through said ultrasound beam produced by said at least one diffraction-grating transducer, the Doppler shift indicative of the scattering blood velocity.