Method and apparatus for the treatment of urinary tract dysfunction
First Claim
1. An apparatus for exciting urethral afferents to induce micturition comprising:
- a) a first injectable microstimulator comprising;
1) a chamber separating a plurality of exposed electrodes for delivering controllable electrical current in the area of the urethral afferents;
2) an electronic circuit within said chamber in communication with said electrodes for generating the controllable electrical current in response to control signals;
3) a receiving antenna within said chamber in communication with said electronic circuit for receiving control signals;
b) a control unit for generating the control signals; and
c) a transmitting antenna in communication with said control unit for transmitting the control signals to said receiving antenna.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electrical stimulation of specific sensory nerves to control the filling and/or emptying of the urinary bladder. A wireless, injectable microstimulator is implanted into the soft tissues through which the sensory nerves pass, but where they are not normally accessible by conventional open surgical implantation of conventional electrical stimulators or electrodes with leads. In males, the dorsal penile nerves 6 are stimulated by a microstimulator injected into the dorsal quadrant of the penis. The activity induced in these nerves cause the spinal cord to generate reflex responses that result in relaxation of the detrusor muscle, increasing bladder capacity and preventing incontinence as a result of inappropriate bladder contractions. The sensory nerves, such as urethral afferents 4, supplying the urethra are stimulated by a microstimulator implanted into the corpus of the penis, adjacent to the urethra. The activity induced in the urethral afferents 4 cause the spinal cord to generate reflex responses that result in contractions of the detrusor muscle and relaxation of the sphincter 5, emptying the bladder.
-
Citations
23 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for exciting urethral afferents to induce micturition comprising:
-
a) a first injectable microstimulator comprising;
1) a chamber separating a plurality of exposed electrodes for delivering controllable electrical current in the area of the urethral afferents;
2) an electronic circuit within said chamber in communication with said electrodes for generating the controllable electrical current in response to control signals;
3) a receiving antenna within said chamber in communication with said electronic circuit for receiving control signals;
b) a control unit for generating the control signals; and
c) a transmitting antenna in communication with said control unit for transmitting the control signals to said receiving antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. An apparatus for exciting urethral afferents to induce micturition comprising an injectable microstimulator having a plurality of exposed electrodes for delivering controllable electrical current in the area of the urethral afferents which cause the urethral afferents to induce micturition.
-
11. An apparatus for exciting urethral afferents to induce micturition comprising:
-
a) a first microstimulator implanted in proximity to urethral afferents having a chamber separating a plurality of exposed electrodes for delivering controllable electrical current in the area of the urethral afferents in response to control signals and a receiving antenna within said chamber for receiving control signals;
b) a control unit for generating the control signals; and
c) a transmitting antenna in communication with said control unit for transmitting the control signals to said receiving antenna. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
15. A method for exciting urethral afferents to induce micturition comprising:
-
a) generating electrical signals by a control unit;
b) delivering the signals to a transmitting antenna;
c) receiving signals by a receiving antenna within a first microstimulator in the area of urethral afferents;
d) generating electrical signals in the first microstimulator in the area of urethral afferents; and
e) inducing micturition.
-
- 20. A method for creating an electronic interface to urethral afferents to induce micturition comprising injecting a first microstimulator into a human recipient in the area of urethral afferents.
-
23. A method for creating an electronic interface to control micturition comprising injecting an injectable microstimulator into the corpus of a penis.
Specification