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Gradual Recruitment of Muscle/Neural Excitable Tissue Using High-Rate Electrical Stimulation Parameters

  • US 20070244522A1
  • Filed: 06/13/2007
  • Published: 10/18/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. A neurostimulator for stimulating muscle or neural excitable tissue, the neurostimulator having multiple electrode contacts through which electrical stimulation may be applied to the muscle or neural tissue, the neurostimulator comprising:

  • means for generating a pulsatile stimulation waveform having a pulse rate sufficiently fast and a pulse width sufficiently narrow to induce stochastic neural firing within the muscle or nerve excitable tissue;

    means for amplitude modulating the pulsatile stimulation waveform with control information representative of a mean neural firing rate for the muscle or nerve excitable tissue to achieve a desired function; and

    means for applying the amplitude-modulated pulsatile stimulation waveform to selected ones of the multiple electrode contacts, whereby excitable tissue is stochastically stimulated;

    wherein the neurostimulator comprises a visual prosthetic having multiple electrical contacts adapted to be positioned within a human eye in contact with the retina of the eye, and wherein the visual prosthetic includes means for sensing visual information, and wherein said visual information is used to amplitude modulate the pulsatile stimulation waveform, which amplitude-modulated pulsatile stimulation waveform is applied through the electrical contacts for the purpose of eliciting stochastic neural firing of light sensitive cells located in or near the retina.

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