MINIATURE IMPLANTABLE DEVICE AND METHODS

• US 20160023003A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stimwave Technologies Incorporated (Stimwave LLC)
• Original Assignee: Stimwave Technologies Incorporated (Stimwave LLC)
• Inventors: Perryman, Laura Tyler, Andresen, Chad
• Granted Patent: US 10,245,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• 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

Some implementations may provide an implantable wirelessly powered device that includes: one or more electrodes configured to apply one or more electrical pulses to an excitable tissue; and a first antenna configured to: receive, from a second antenna and through electrical radiative coupling, an input signal containing electrical energy, the second antenna being physically separate from the implantable device; and one or more circuits electrically connected to the first antenna, the circuits configured to: create the one or more electrical pulses suitable for stimulation of excitable tissue using the electrical energy contained in the input signal; and supply the one or more electrical pulses to the one or more electrodes, wherein the implantable device is shaped and arranged for delivery into a subject'"'"'s body through an introducer or a needle of 18 gauge or smaller.

Claims

1. An implantable wirelessly powered device comprising:

one or more electrodes configured to apply one or more electrical pulses to an excitable tissue; and

a first antenna configured to;

receive, from a second antenna and through electrical radiative coupling, an input signal containing electrical energy, the second antenna being physically separate from the implantable device; and

one or more circuits electrically connected to the first antenna, the circuits configured to;

create the one or more electrical pulses suitable for stimulation of excitable tissue using the electrical energy contained in the input signal; and

supply the one or more electrical pulses to the one or more electrodes, wherein the implantable device is shaped and arranged for delivery into a subject'"'"'s body through an introducer or a needle of 18 gauge or smaller.

2. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the one or more electrodes comprise at least one recording electrode configured to sense neural activity of the subject.

3. The implantable device of claim 2, wherein the one or more circuits are further configured to generate a recorded electrical signal encoding the sensed neural activity.

4. The implantable device of claim 2, wherein the first antenna is further configured to transmit the recorded electrical signal to the second antenna using the electrical energy contained in the input signal.

5. The implantable device of claim 1, further comprising a mating feature configured to mate with a stylet.

6. The implantable device of claim 5, wherein the mating feature comprises an indentation located at a proximal end of the implantable device, the indentation being configured to mate with a protrusion on a distal end of the stylet.

7. The implantable device of claim 5, when mated with a stylet, is sized and shaped for insertion into an inner lumen of the introducer or the needle of 18 gauge or smaller.

8. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes include two (2) to twenty four (24) electrodes, each having a longitudinal length between 0.25 and 6.0 mm and a diameter between 0.1 and 0.8 mm.

9. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are spaced between 1 mm to 6 mm apart and have a combined surface area of between 0.06 mm² to 60.00 mm².

10. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the implantable device is a paddle style device.

11. The implantable device of claim 10, wherein the implantable device has a height between 0.1 mm and 0.8 mm, and a width between 0.5 mm and 0.8 mm.

12. The implantable device of claim 10, wherein the implantable device is shaped concavely to secure a lateral position on the excitable tissue after the implantable device has been delivered into the subject'"'"'s body.

13. A device, comprising:

a stylet comprising a mating feature at a distal end thereof; and

an implantable device with a cylindrical body comprising a mating feature at a proximal end thereof, the mating feature of the implantable device configured to mate with the mating feature of the stylet to form a subassembly;

wherein the subassembly of the stylet and implantable device with a cylindrical body is sized and shape for delivery into a subject'"'"'s body through an introducer or needle that is 18 gauge or smaller.

14. The combination device of claim 13, wherein the stylet comprises a placement stylet.

15. The combination device of claim 14, wherein the mating feature of the stylet includes a protrusion and the mating feature of the implantable device includes an indentation, the protrusion being configured to mate with the indentation.

16. The combination device of claim 13, wherein the stylet comprises a suction stylet, the suction stylet including an inner plunger in a shaft, a suction tip, and an air chamber between the suction tip and a distal end of the inner plunger.

17. The combination device of claim 16, wherein:

the stylet mates with the implantable device when a sliding motion of the inner plunger in the shaft creates a negative pressure in the air chamber to engage the suction tip with the mating feature on the implantable device.

18. A method for treating neurological pain comprising:

placing an introducer through an incision site on a patient, the introducer including a needle that is 18 gauge or less;

advancing a first implantable device to a target site in the patient'"'"'s body through the introducer and

causing an electrical impulse to be applied to one or more electrodes within the implantable device to modulate excitable tissue at the target site within the patient'"'"'s body.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein advancing the first implantable device comprises:

advancing a wirelessly powered implantable device that includes;

a first antenna configured to;

receive, from a second antenna and through electrical radiative coupling, an input signal containing electrical energy, the second antenna being physically separate from the implantable device; and

one or more circuits electrically connected to the first antenna, the circuits configured to;

create the one or more electrical pulses suitable for stimulation of the excitable tissue using the electrical energy contained in the input signal; and

supply the one or more electrical pulses to the one or more electrodes.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising mating the implantable device with a stylet.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein advancing the implantable device comprises advancing the miniature implantable device mated with the stylet through the introducer.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein mating the implantable device with a stylet comprises mating the miniature implantable device with a placement stylet.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein mating the implantable device with a stylet comprises mating the implantable device with a suction stylet.

24. The method of claim 23 comprising activating the suction stylet by pulling a plunger in the suction stylet to create a negative pressure in an air chamber of the suction stylet so that the suction stylet is mated with the implantable device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein advancing the implantable device further comprises advancing the implantable device mated with the suction stylet.

26. The method of claim 24 comprising withdrawing the implantable device mated with the suction stylet.

27. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

advancing a second implantable device to the target site in the patient'"'"'s body through the introducer; and

causing a second electrical impulse to be applied to one or more electrodes within the second implantable device to modulate one or more excitable tissue at the target site within the patient'"'"'s body.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein placing an introducer further comprises:

placing an introducer that includes a tuohy needle.