Battery-powered patient implantable device

• US 6,185,452 B1
• Filed: 02/25/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research
• Original Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research
• Inventors: Schulman, Joseph H., Gord, John C., Dell, Robert Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): KENNEDY, SHARON E
• Application Number:
  US09/030,106
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 604/20, 604/21, 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/93, 128/899, 607/2, 607/9, 607/17, 607/30, 607/32, 607/33, 607/39-48, 607/50-57, 607/60-65
• US Class Current: 604/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/063 Devices specially adapted for delivering implantable medical measuring apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/07 Endoradiosondes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/5058 having means for restoring the perception of senses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/704 computer-controlled, e.g. robotic control
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer for implantable prostheses A61F2250/0002
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A device configured for implanting beneath a patient'"'"'s skin for the purpose of tissue, e.g., nerve or muscle, stimulation and/or parameter monitoring and/or data communication. Devices in accordance with the invention are comprised of a sealed housing, typically having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm, containing a power source for powering electronic circuitry within including a controller, an address storage means, a data signal receiver and an input/output transducer. When used as a stimulator, such a device is useful in a wide variety of applications to stimulate nerves and associated neural pathways, e.g., to decrease or relieve pain, stimulate specific muscles or organs to better carry out a body function (e.g., to exercise weak or unconditioned muscles or to control urinary incontinence), and the like. Alternatively, devices of the present invention are configurable to monitor a biological parameter or to operate as a transponder to retransmit received command messages.

Claims

1. A system configured for stimulating tissue internal to a patient'"'"'s body, said system comprising:

a sealed elongate housing configured for implantation in said patient'"'"'s body, said housing having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm;

power consuming circuitry carried by said housing including at least one electrode extending externally of said housing, said power consuming circuitry including a capacitor and pulse control circuitry for controlling (1) the charging of said capacitor and (2) the discharging of said capacitor to produce a current pulse through said electrode;

a battery disposed in said housing electrically connected to said power consuming circuitry for powering said pulse control circuitry and charging said capacitor, said battery having a capacity of at least one microwatt-hour;

an internal coil and a charging circuit disposed in said housing for supplying a charging current to said battery;

an external coil adapted to be mounted outside of said patient'"'"'s body; and

means for energizing said external coil to generate an alternating magnetic field for supplying energy to said charging circuit via said internal coil.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery includes first and second conductive electrodes mounted in spaced opposed relationship;

an electrolyte disposed between said first and second electrodes; and

wherein

said first and second electrodes are configured to minimize eddy current flow in said first and second electrodes.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein at least one of said battery electrodes is configured as a plurality of electrode elements connected in series.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said power consuming circuitry further includes;

a controller coupled to said pulse control circuitry and responsive to stored configuration data for defining the characteristics of said current pulse; and

a data signal receiver responsive to a command signal for modifying said stored configuration data.

5. The system of claim 4 further including a sensor in said housing for detecting a static magnetic field;

and wherein

said sensor is coupled to said controller for modifying said current pulse produced in said externally extending electrode.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said wireless communication means includes said internal coil.

7. The system of claim 4 further including a command signal generator;

and

wireless communication means for coupling said command signal generator to said data signal receiver.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein said data signal receiver includes a transducer responsive to a command signal defined by a modulated ultrasonic signal.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein said power consuming circuitry further includes a data signal transmitter for transmitting a data signal.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said transmitter includes means for transmitting a data signal in the form of a modulated magnetic field.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said transmitter includes means for transmitting a data signal in the form of a modulated ultrasonic signal.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein said controller is selectively operable to (1) produce a sequence of drive pulses through said externally extending electrode, (2) monitor an electrical signal from said externally extending electrode, and/or (3) cause said data signal transmitter to transmit a data signal related through said command signal received by said data signal receiver.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said charging circuit is responsive to the status of the battery coupled thereto for controlling the charging current supplied to said battery.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said power consuming circuitry further includes means for generating a data signal representative of the status of said battery.

15. The system of claim 9 further including means for causing said transmitter to transmit a data signal related to said command signal received by said data signal receiver.

16. A system for stimulating tissue within a patient'"'"'s body, said system including:

a plurality of devices configured for implantation in said patient'"'"'s body, each of said devices comprising;

a housing having an axial dimension less than about 60 mm and a lateral dimension less than about 6 mm;

power consuming circuitry mounted in said housing including at least one electrode extending externally of said housing, said power consuming circuitry including;

a stimulation circuit including a capacitor, and pulse control circuitry for controlling (1) the charging of said capacitor and (2) the discharging of said capacitor to produce a current pulse through said electrode;

controller circuitry including an addressable controller for controlling said pulse control circuitry

a receiver for receiving externally transmitted command signals coupled to said controller;

a battery having a capacity of at least one microwatt-hour mounted in said housing for supplying power to said power consuming circuitry;

a secondary coil mounted in said housing and coupled to said battery; and

a power source adapted to be located externally of said body, for generating an alternating magnetic field for coupling energy to said secondary coil to supply a charging current to said battery.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein each of said devices further includes a signal transmitter mounted within the housing for transmitting a status signal representative of the charge state of the battery therein.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said external charger includes means for selectively addressing said controllers to cause the signal transmitter associated with the selected controller to transmit said status signal.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein said external charger is responsive to said status signals for energizing said external coil.

20. A system configured for monitoring internal body parameters, said system comprising:

a sealed elongate housing configured for implantation in said patient'"'"'s body, said housing having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm;

power consuming circuitry carried by said housing including at least one electrode extending externally of said housing, said power consuming circuitry including a sensor coupled to said electrode for providing an indication representative of a sensed body parameter and a transmitter coupled to said sensor for transmitting a signal representative of said sensed body parameter;

a battery disposed in said housing for supplying power to said power consuming circuitry, said battery having a capacity of at least one microwatt-hour;

an internal coil and a charging circuit disposed in said housing for supplying a charging current to said battery;

an external coil adapted to be mounted outside of said patient'"'"'s body; and

means for energizing said external coil to generate an alternating magnetic field for supplying energy to said charging circuit via said internal coil.