IMPLANTABLE HIGH EFFICIENCY DIGITAL STIMULATION DEVICE
First Claim
1. An implantable apparatus for artificial electrical stimulation of tissue in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes in contact with the tissue at one or more locations inside the patient; and
an implantable stimulator comprising;
(a) a power supply furnishing energy for the artificial electrical stimulation,(b) a control unit for controlling the artificial electrical stimulation by programmable selection of at least some of the plurality of electrodes, and(c) a stimulation signal generator connected to the control unit and producing a segmented stimulation waveform comprising a positive a segment, a pause segment, and a negative segment, wherein the segmented stimulation waveform is controlled by the control unit with respect to shape, duration and duty cycle.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable device provides artificial electrical stimulation of animal tissue using a plurality of electrodes. A sensing unit detects a physiological parameter at a stimulation site. A control unit governs the stimulation, in response to the detected physiological parameter, by selecting certain pairs of the electrodes and by defining the shape, duration, and duty cycle of a segmented stimulation waveform. A stimulation signal generator produces the segmented stimulation waveform that has a first segment and a second segment that with respect to the first segment is longer in duration lesser in magnitude and opposite in polarity.
71 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An implantable apparatus for artificial electrical stimulation of tissue in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electrodes in contact with the tissue at one or more locations inside the patient; and an implantable stimulator comprising; (a) a power supply furnishing energy for the artificial electrical stimulation, (b) a control unit for controlling the artificial electrical stimulation by programmable selection of at least some of the plurality of electrodes, and (c) a stimulation signal generator connected to the control unit and producing a segmented stimulation waveform comprising a positive a segment, a pause segment, and a negative segment, wherein the segmented stimulation waveform is controlled by the control unit with respect to shape, duration and duty cycle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An implantable apparatus for artificial electrical stimulation of tissue in a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electrodes in contact with the tissue at one or more locations inside the patient; a power supply furnishing energy for the artificial electrical stimulation, an implantable control unit for controlling the artificial electrical stimulation by programmable selection of at least some of the plurality of electrodes, and by selection of a stimulation waveform; a stimulation signal generator connected to the control unit and producing a segmented stimulation waveform that has a first segment with a first amplitude of a first polarity, and a second segment that is longer in duration than the first segment, wherein the second segment has a second amplitude which lesser in absolute magnitude that the first amplitude, and has a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An implantable apparatus for artificial electrical stimulation of tissue in a patient, the implantable apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of electrodes in contact with the tissue at one or more locations inside the patient; a power supply furnishing energy to the apparatus; an implantable control unit comprising a microcomputer with analog and digital input/output circuits and an internal memory storing a software control program; a stimulation signal generator controlled by the control unit and producing a segmented voltage waveforms across pairs of the plurality of electrodes to stimulate the tissue, wherein the segmented voltage waveforms are variable in shape, duration, and duty cycle. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification