SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVELY LOCATING IMPLANTABLE DEVICES

• US 20140094891A1
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, David, Willis, N. Parker, Pare, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 9,616,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/119
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators

Abstract

Method and systems for determining the location or identify of implantable devices are disclosed. An implantable device generates an electrical output and then modifies the output at a pre-configured interval for a pre-configured period. A sensor detects the modified output and locates or identifies the implantable device based on the modified output.

Claims

1. A method of locating wireless implantable devices, comprising:

generating an electrical output by an implantable device;

modifying the output with a glitch generated by a glitch generator located within the implantable device, wherein the glitch generator generates the glitch by modifying the output and wherein the modifying occurs at a pre-configured interval; and

using a sensor to sense the glitch that is incorporated within the modified output.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the state of the implantable device based on characteristics of the sensed glitch.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a locator signal to the implantable device, whereupon receiving the locator signal, the implantable device generates the output modified by the glitch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable device is an acoustic receiver-stimulator configured to receive acoustic energy and convert the acoustic energy to an electrical output.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiver-stimulator comprises at least two electrodes configured to transmit the electrical output to a body region.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the sensor is in or on an implantable controller-transmitter configured to transmit acoustic energy to the receiver-stimulator.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a second output by a second implantable device, modifying the second output with a second glitch generated by a second glitch generator within the second implantable device, wherein the second glitch generator generates the second glitch by modifying the second output and wherein the modifying occurs at a second pre-configured interval;

and using the sensor to detect the second glitch incorporated within the second modified output.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using the sensor to distinguish between the first glitch and the second glitch.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising using the sensor to select one of the two implantable devices based on the distinguished glitches;

and sending a stimulation signal to the selected implantable device;

wherein the stimulation signal causes the selected implantable device to deliver a stimulating electrical output.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the distinguishing comprises analyzing presence, absence, or timing information of the first glitch and the second glitch.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the location of the implantable device based on the detected glitch.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the identity of the implantable device based on the detected glitch.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the pre-configured interval occurs after the receiver-stimulator receives the acoustic energy generated by the controller-transmitter.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying comprises shorting the electrical output.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the glitch generator comprises a switch in series with the output electrodes.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the modifying comprises opening the switch to allow the voltage to rise without a load to power a timing circuitry.

17. An implantable device, comprising:

at least two electrodes to deliver an electrical output to the body; and

a glitch generator configured to modify the output with a glitch, wherein the modifying occurs at a pre-configured interval;

wherein the modified output is configured to be sensed by a controller-transmitter.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising an acoustic transducer configured to receive acoustic energy and convert the acoustic energy to electrical energy.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the controller-transmitter is implantable and is configured to transmit acoustic energy to the implantable device.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the glitch communicates state information of implantable device using presence, absence, or timing information.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the implantable device is configured to receive a locator signal generated by the controller-transmitter, and upon receiving the locator signal, the implantable device generates the output modified by the glitch.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the implantable device is configured to receive a signal generated by the controller-transmitter, and upon receiving the signal, the implantable device generates an unmodified electrical output that is not modified by the glitch generator.

23. The device of claim 17, wherein the glitch generator is configured to short the electrical output.

24. The device of claim 17, wherein the glitch generator comprises a switch in series with the output electrodes.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the modifying comprises opening the switch to allow the voltage to rise without a load to power a timing circuitry.

26. A system for locating implantable devices, comprising:

an implantable device, wherein the implantable device comprises at least two electrodes configured to transmit an electrical output to the body and a glitch generator configured to modify the output with a glitch, wherein the modifying occurs at a pre-configured interval;

a controller-transmitter, wherein the controller-transmitter comprises at least one sensor configured to detect the glitch generated by the implantable device and a processor configured to analyze the glitch.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the implantable device further comprises an acoustic transducer configured to receive acoustic energy and convert it into electrical energy.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the controller-transmitter is configured to transmit acoustic energy to the implantable device.