Device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator

• US 20060253173A1
• Filed: 08/25/2005
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Shieh, Pei-Ying, Tseng, Kuo-Hua, Chou, Yu-Kon
• Application Number:
  US11/210,819
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253173A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/283 Power depending on the position of the mobile

Abstract

A device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator is provided. The device utilizes a design of a wireless energy transmitting and positioning device with an external energy-feedback control, which can automatically detect an optimum energy-transmitting position through an external antenna performing an adjustable energy transmission method, and through a wireless-feedback control method to provide the optimum energy. As such, the implantable electrical stimulator can exactly and effectively stimulate the nervous muscle.

Claims

1. A device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator, comprising:

an external energy-transmitting module, which is located outside an organism and comprises a first energy-transmitting antenna, a first wireless radio frequency interface circuit, an adjustable power control circuit, and an output control circuit, wherein said first energy-transmitting antenna is used to perform wireless energy transmission, said first wireless radio frequency interface circuit is used to drive said first energy-transmitting antenna to emit energy and convert a sense signal received by said first energy-transmitting antenna into a first electronic signal, said adjustable power control circuit determines the optimum power control mode for transmitting energy based on said first electronic signal, said output control circuit outputs a corresponding output signal to said first wireless radio frequency interface circuit based on said optimum power control mode for transmitting energy, in order to drive said first energy-transmitting antenna to perform wireless energy transmission; and

an internal implantable module, which is implanted into the organism and comprises a second energy-transmitting antenna, a second wireless radio frequency interface circuit, a feedback modulation control circuit, and an electrical stimulating control circuit, wherein said second energy-transmitting antenna receives the energy emitted by said first energy-transmitting antenna, said second wireless radio frequency interface circuit converts the received energy into a second electronic signal and then sends said second electronic signal to said feedback modulation control circuit, said feedback modulation control circuit determines based on said second electronic signal whether to drive electrical stimulating control circuit or generate a feedback signal.

2. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 1, wherein said external energy-transmitting module further comprises a display device, which displays the optimum orientation for transmitting energy and the optimum transmission energy based on said optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

3. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 2, wherein said display device is either of a liquid crystal display device and a light-emitting diode display device.

4. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 1, wherein said output control circuit is a digital control circuit.

5. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 2, wherein said output control circuit is a digital control circuit.

6. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 1, wherein said feedback modulation control circuit has an energy-storing capacitor, an ADC(Analog-to-Digital Converter), a MCU(Micro Central Unit) and a load modulation circuit, wherein said energy-storing capacitor converts said second electronic signal into a voltage level, said ADC detects said voltage level, said MCU determines said feedback signal to be sent based on said voltage level, and said load modulation circuit is activated to transmit said feedback signal.

7. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 2, wherein said feedback modulation control circuit has an energy-storing capacitor, an ADC(Analog-to-Digital Converter), a MCU(Micro Central Unit) and a load modulation circuit, wherein said energy-storing capacitor converts said second electronic signal into a voltage level, said ADC detects said voltage level, said MCU determines said feedback signal to be sent based on said voltage level, and said load modulation circuit is activated to transmit said feedback signal.

8. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 4, wherein said feedback modulation control circuit has an energy-storing capacitor, an ADC(Analog-to-Digital Converter), a MCU(Micro Central Unit) and a load modulation circuit, wherein said energy-storing capacitor converts said second electronic signal into a voltage level, said ADC detects said voltage level, said MCU determines said feedback signal to be sent based on said voltage level, and said load modulation circuit is activated to transmit said feedback signal.

9. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 5, wherein said feedback modulation control circuit has an energy-storing capacitor, an ADC(Analog-to-Digital Converter), a MCU(Micro Central Unit) and a load modulation circuit, wherein said energy-storing capacitor converts said second electronic signal into a voltage level, said ADC detects said voltage level, said MCU determines said feedback signal to be sent based on said voltage level, and said load modulation circuit is activated to transmit said feedback signal.

10. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 1, wherein said adjustable power control circuit determines based on said feedback signal an inclination angle and a distance of said implantable electrical stimulator and said first energy-transmitting antenna in order to determine the optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

11. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 2, wherein said adjustable power control circuit determines based on said feedback signal an inclination angle and a distance of said second energy-transmitting antenna and said first energy-transmitting antenna in order to determine the optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

12. The device for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electrical stimulator of claim 5, wherein said adjustable power control circuit determines based on said feedback signal an inclination angle and a distance of said second energy-transmitting antenna and said first energy-transmitting antenna in order to determine the optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

13. A method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element, comprising:

activating an external energy-transmitting module having an energy-transmitting antenna to drive said energy-transmitting antenna to emit energy;

receiving said energy by an internal implantable module and determining based on said energy whether to drive said implantable electronic element or generate a feedback signal;

receiving said feedback signal by said external energy-transmitting module to determine an optimum power control mode for transmitting energy; and

transmitting energy. based on said optimum power control mode for transmitting energy by said external energy-transmitting module.

14. The method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element of claim 13, wherein further comprising adjusting the position of said energy-transmitting antenna when said feedback signal has not been received by said external energy-transmitting module, until said feedback signal is received.

15. The method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element of claim 13, wherein said external energy-transmitting module receives said feedback signal and determines based on said feedback signal the relative position and the distance of said implantable electronic element and said energy-transmitting antenna in order to determine the optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

16. The method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element of claim 14, wherein said external energy-transmitting module receives said feedback signal and determines based on said feedback signal the relative position and the distance of said implantable electronic element and said energy-transmitting antenna in order to determine the optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

17. The method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element of claim 13, wherein further comprising displaying the optimum orientation and the optimum transmission energy for said energy-transmitting antenna based on said optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

18. The method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element of claim 14, wherein further comprising displaying the optimum orientation and the optimum transmission energy for said energy-transmitting antenna based on said optimum power control mode for transmitting energy.

19. The method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element of claim 13, wherein said implantable electronic element is an implantable electrical stimulator.

20. The method for optimizing transmitting energy and transmitting position for an implantable electronic element of claim 14, wherein said implantable electronic element is an implantable electrical stimulator.