Wireless functional electrical stimulation system
First Claim
1. A wireless, multi-purpose functional electrical stimulation (FES) system which includes a plurality of implantable stimulator units, each unit being implanted, in use, at a particular site in a patient'"'"'s body for at least one of stimulating and monitoring that site, each stimulator unit including a power source and a programmable control means for controlling stimulation at its associated site, each stimulator unit further having a plurality of implantable transducer elements connected to and in communication with the programmable control means, at least certain of the transducer elements operating as stimulating electrodes;
- and a controller arranged, in use, externally of the patient'"'"'s body for supplying programming and control signals transcutaneously to each of the stimulator units independently to effect stimulation of the site associated with the stimulator unit being addressed at that time by the controller.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wireless, multi-purpose functional electrical stimulation (FES) system 10 includes a plurality of implantable stimulator units 12. Each unit 12 is implanted, in use, at a particular site in a patient'"'"'s body 14 for stimulating and/or monitoring that site. Each stimulator unit 12 includes a power source and a programmable microcontroller for controlling stimulation at its associated site. Each stimulator unit 12 further has a plurality of implantable transducer elements 22 connected to and in communication with the microcontroller. At least certain of the transducer elements 22operate as stimulating electrodes. A controller 16 is arranged, in use, externally of the patient'"'"'s body 14 for supplying programming and control signals transcutaneously to each of the stimulator units 12 independently to effect stimulation of the site associated with the stimulator unit 12 being addressed at that time by the controller 16.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A wireless, multi-purpose functional electrical stimulation (FES) system which includes
a plurality of implantable stimulator units, each unit being implanted, in use, at a particular site in a patient'"'"'s body for at least one of stimulating and monitoring that site, each stimulator unit including a power source and a programmable control means for controlling stimulation at its associated site, each stimulator unit further having a plurality of implantable transducer elements connected to and in communication with the programmable control means, at least certain of the transducer elements operating as stimulating electrodes; - and
a controller arranged, in use, externally of the patient'"'"'s body for supplying programming and control signals transcutaneously to each of the stimulator units independently to effect stimulation of the site associated with the stimulator unit being addressed at that time by the controller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An implantable stimulator unit for use in a wireless, multi-purpose functional electrical stimulation (FES) system, the stimulator unit including a power source;
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a control means which receives power from the power source and which receives data signals from an external controller of the system; and
a plurality of implantable transducer elements connected to and in communication with the programmable control means, at least certain of the transducer elements operating as stimulating electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification