Electrical stimulation system
First Claim
1. In an electrical stimulation system for selectively stimulating portions of the body of the type having external means for transmitting stimulus signals and control signals, implantable means for receiving said transmitted signals, a plurality of output means adapted to apply said stimulus signals to the body and means interconnecting said receiving means and said output means and responsive to said control signals for routing said stimulus signals to said output means, the improvement wherein:
- said output means are adapted for combination in a plurality of preselected configurations;
said transmitting means includes means for alterably preselecting a predetermined characteristic of each control signal, said predetermined characteristic manifesting a desired one of said output means configurations; and
said routing means comprises means for selectively routing said stimulus signals to the desired output means configuration in accordance with the predetermined characteristic of said control signals.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical stimulation system for selectively stimulating portions of the body. The system includes an external device for alternately transmitting stimulus signals and control signals to an implantable receiver. The receiver includes a plurality of output devies adapted to apply the stimulus signals to the body and circuitry for routing the stimulus signal to the output devices under the control of the control signals. In a preferred embodiment, the control signals are formed of an alterably preselected number of pulse signals with the routing circuitry routing each of the stimulus signals to the output devices in predetermined correspondance with the number of pulse signals within a different one of the control signals. The system of the present invention may be employed to sequentially stimulate several stimulation sites, with the stimulation sites being selected to combat the same or different body disfunctions. Alternatively, the system of the present invention may be employed to repetitively stimulate the same stimulation sites while allowing an alteration in the stimulation sites to combat nerve fatigue or to provide a more effective electrode configuration, for example.
-
Citations
34 Claims
-
1. In an electrical stimulation system for selectively stimulating portions of the body of the type having external means for transmitting stimulus signals and control signals, implantable means for receiving said transmitted signals, a plurality of output means adapted to apply said stimulus signals to the body and means interconnecting said receiving means and said output means and responsive to said control signals for routing said stimulus signals to said output means, the improvement wherein:
- said output means are adapted for combination in a plurality of preselected configurations;
said transmitting means includes means for alterably preselecting a predetermined characteristic of each control signal, said predetermined characteristic manifesting a desired one of said output means configurations; and
said routing means comprises means for selectively routing said stimulus signals to the desired output means configuration in accordance with the predetermined characteristic of said control signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- said output means are adapted for combination in a plurality of preselected configurations;
-
25. A body implantable stimulator which comprises:
-
means for receiving transmitted signals of first and second frequencies; a plurality of output means adapted for connection to the body in a plurality of preselected configurations; means for detecting a predetermined characteristic of the first frequency signals occurring between consecutive second frequency signals, said predetermined characteristic manifesting a desired one of said output means configurations; and means for selectively applying each second frequency signal to the desired output means configuration in predetermined correspondence with the predetermined characteristic of the first frequency signals detected between different, consecutive second frequency signals. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
Specification