STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

NOT APPLICABLE

BACKGROUND

Implantable medical devices are used for a wide range of medical applications. Some of the applications relate to monitoring medical conditions. Other applications relate to proactively or reactively effectuating particular medical operations.

Generally, an implantable medical device has a small form factor to support implantation in a subject, such as a human patient. In certain medical applications, the implanted medical device resides within an internal environment of the subject (e.g., in proximity of a particular organ within the subject's body) for a period of time. In operation, the implanted medical device is subject to various conditions of the internal environment during the time period. The conditions can affect the short and long term operations of the implanted medical device. For example, agents of the internal environment, such as fluids, can corrode components of the implanted medical device. The corrosion degrades the capability for monitoring a medical condition or effectuation a medical operation.

Packaging of the implantable medical device helps protecting against the conditions of the subject's internal environment. For example, a protective layer encapsulates the implantable medical device to form a package. A variety of materials are available for the encapsulation. A material is deposited on an outer surface of the implantable medical device to form the protective layer. Commonly, the material forms a solid protective layer after the deposition. In certain medical applications, the solidity nonetheless affects the operations of the implantable medical device when implanted in the subject's internal environment.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Generally described is an implantable medical device. In an example, the implantable medical device includes a sensor, such as a pressure sensor. The sensor is configured for implantation in a subject. Once implanted, the sensor is subject to different conditions of the operational environment. To protect against negative effects of these conditions, the sensor is packaged in a liquid encapsulation. The packaging includes a flexible outer membrane that surrounds at least a portion of the sensor. The flexible outer membrane can include corrugations or a cuvature that facilitate expansion and compression. The packaging also includes a hydrophobic liquid disposed between at least the portion of the pressure sensor and the flexible outer membrane.

Generally also described is a manufacturing method for packaging the sensor. The manufacturing method incudes forming a volume of hydrophobic liquid around at least the portion of the sensor. The manufacturing method also includes forming the flexible outer membrane on a free surface of the hydrophobic liquid.

Generally also described is a medical system. The medical system includes the implantable medical device and a computer. Data sensed by the packaged sensor is analyzed by a medical application running on the computer. The medical application facilitates diagnosis of a medical condition, provides control instructions to perform a medical operation, and/or tracks an operational status of the sensor based on the sensed data.

