A device measures pressures in animals and humans and includes a pressure
transmission catheter (PTC) filled with a pressure transmitting medium
and implantable in an area in having a physiological pressure. A
transducer communicates with the pressure transmitting medium to provide
a pressure signal representing variations in the physiologic pressure on
electrical wires. A connecting catheter carries the electrical wires to
signal processing and telemetry circuitry, which transmits a telemetry
signal representing the pressure signal to a receiver external to the
animal or human. A housing holds the signal processing and telemetry
circuitry, but the transducer is remote from the housing. The device is
particularly useful in measuring venous pressure, pulmonary pressure,
bladder pressure, or intracranial pressure without significant head
pressure artifact and with a sufficient dynamic response. One embodiment
of the PTC includes a multi-durometer stem.