OPTMIZING ENERGY TRANSMISSION IN A LEADLESS TISSUE STIMULATION SYSTEM

• US 20140207210A1
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Willis, N. Parker, Brisken, Axel F., Cowan, Mark W., Pare, Mike, Fowler, Robert, Brennan, James
• Granted Patent: US 10,080,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0093 Detecting, measuring or recording by applying one single type of energy and measuring its conversion into another type of energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Method and systems for optimizing acoustic energy transmission in implantable devices are disclosed. Transducer elements transmit acoustic locator signals towards a receiver assembly, and the receiver responds with a location signal. The location signal can reveal information related to the location of the receiver and the efficiency of the transmitted acoustic beam received by the receiver. This information enables the transmitter to target the receiver and optimize the acoustic energy transfer between the transmitter and the receiver. The energy can be used for therapeutic purposes, for example, stimulating tissue or for diagnostic purposes.

Claims

1. A system for locating an acoustic receiver-stimulator, comprising:

an implantable acoustic controller-transmitter comprising an array of acoustic transducers configured to transmit focused acoustic energy to a tissue location;

at least one implantable acoustic receiver-stimulator adapted to receive the focused acoustic energy and convert the focused acoustic energy into electrical energy;

wherein the receiver-stimulator further comprises two electrodes configured to be in electrical connection with tissue and to deliver the electrical energy to the tissue; and

wherein the controller-transmitter is configured to detect the delivered electrical energy to determine whether the receiver-stimulator is present at the tissue location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller-transmitter is further configured to deliver additional focused acoustic energy to the receiver-stimulator at the tissue location, wherein the receiver-stimulator delivers the electrical energy to stimulate the tissue.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer array is configured to sequentially steer the focused acoustic energy to unique tissue locations until the delivered electrical energy is detected or a preset time limit has been reached.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the controller-transmitter is further configured to adjust the transducer array to transmit focused acoustic energy to the tissue location associated with the detected electrical energy.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller-transmitter further comprises a sensing circuit and a sensing electrode assembly configured to be in electrical connection with the body, wherein the delivered electrical energy is detected by the sensing circuit.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the sensing circuit comprises a spike detector.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the detected electrical energy indicates whether the transducer array is focused on the receiver-stimulator.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the controller-transmitter is configured to (1) determine whether the focused acoustic energy is targeting the receiver-stimulator using one or more signal characteristics of the delivered electrical energy detected by the spike detector assembly;

and (2) adjust the transducer array to transmit focused acoustic energy to another tissue region where the receiver-stimulator may be located.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller-transmitter is further configured to determine that the focused acoustic energy is targeting the receiver-stimulator when the characterizing indicates that the delivered electrical energy is detected within a predetermined time frame.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transducer array is configured to sequentially transmit a sequence of focused acoustic energy transmissions towards a sequence of unique tissue locations, and wherein the controller-transmitter is configured to characterize the detected electrical energy following any one of the acoustic energy transmissions to determine whether the focused acoustic energy is targeting the receiver-stimulator at the corresponding tissue location.

11. A system for transferring acoustic energy, comprising:

an implantable acoustic controller-transmitter comprising an acoustic transducer array configured to transmit acoustic energy into tissue;

an implantable acoustic receiver-converter adapted to receive the acoustic energy and convert the acoustic energy to electrical energy, wherein the controller-transmitter is configured to transmit an acoustic locator signal and the receiver-converter is configured to generate a location signal in response to the locator signal, wherein the controller-transmitter is configured to detect the location signal and to direct a focused acoustic beam towards the receiver-converter by using one or more characteristics of the detected location signal.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the transducer array is configured to transmit a wide beam acoustic locator signal.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the transducer array is configured to transmit the acoustic locator signal as a focused acoustic beam and the transducer array is further configured to sequentially transmit a series of the locator signals until the receiver-converter generates a location signal or a preset time limit has been reached.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the location signal is an electrical output, wherein the electrical output is detected by a sensing circuit comprising an electrode assembly adapted to be in electrical connection with tissue.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiver-converter is adapted to generate an acoustic output and the location signal is an acoustic transmission.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiver-converter is configured to convert the focused acoustic beam to electrical energy and wherein the receiver-converter is adapted to store the converted electrical energy.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiver-converter is configured to convert the focused acoustic beam to electrical energy and wherein the receiver-converter is adapted to use the electrical energy to operate one or more of control circuitry, diagnostic sensing circuitry, and communication circuitry.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the receiver-converter is further adapted to use the electrical energy to transmit sensed diagnostic data and the controller-transmitter is further adapted to receive the sensed diagnostic data.

19. A system for stimulating tissue, comprising:

an implantable acoustic controller-transmitter comprising an acoustic transducer array adapted to transmit acoustic energy into tissue; and

an implantable acoustic receiver-stimulator configured to receive the acoustic energy and to convert the acoustic energy to electrical energy and wherein the implantable acoustic receiver-stimulator comprises a electrode assembly adapted to be in electrical connection with the tissue,

wherein the receiver-stimulator is configured to periodically transmit a location signal and the controller-transmitter is configured to detect the location signal, and wherein the location signal is used by the controller-transmitter to direct the acoustic energy as a focused acoustic beam towards the receiver-stimulator.