Devices and methods useful for sensing or measuring a pressure and
remotely indicating or communicating that pressure are provided. The
devices and methods have particular utility in sensing pressures in
implantable medical devices and more particularly in hydrocephalus
shunts. In one exemplary embodiment, an implantable valve can include a
housing having a reservoir adapted to receive fluid flow therethrough
between an inlet port and an outlet port. The implantable valve can also
include a needle-penetrable septum to allow fluid delivery to the
reservoir and/or a needle guard disposed within the housing and adapted
to protect the radio frequency tag from a needle penetrating into the
housing. A radio frequency (RF) tag can be disposed within the reservoir
and can be adapted to change one or more of its electromagnetic
characteristics in response pressure applied thereto by fluid in or
flowing through the reservoir. The RF tag can produce a response to a
wireless signal characterized by the one or more electromagnetic
characteristics that correlates to a pressure of fluid in or flowing
through the reservoir.