Implantable device for patient communication
First Claim
1. A system for acoustic communication with a human patient having a body including a head, comprising:
- a control module implanted within the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the control module comprises electronic circuitry capable of generating an electrical signal;
an acoustic transducer implanted within the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the acoustic transducer is capable of emitting an acoustic signal audible to the patient, the acoustic signal being emitted in response to the electrical signal; and
an electrical connection between the control module and the buzzer.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable device incorporating an acoustic transducer allows information and alerts to be communicated from the device to a patient. Sounds, including but not limited to buzzes, tones, sequences of tones, combinations of tones, complex sounds, and segments of reproduced or simulated human speech, are transmitted from an intracranially implanted portion of the device via bone conduction to the patient'"'"'s ears, particularly the inner ears. In the disclosed embodiment, the acoustic transducer is used in cooperation with an implantable closed-loop system for the treatment of certain neurological disorders such as epilepsy, migraine headaches and Parkinson'"'"'s disease, to warn the patient of an imminent seizure or other episode, to provide information to the patient on the state of the implantable apparatus, and to provide reminders and other information to the patient.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for acoustic communication with a human patient having a body including a head, comprising:
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a control module implanted within the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the control module comprises electronic circuitry capable of generating an electrical signal;
an acoustic transducer implanted within the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the acoustic transducer is capable of emitting an acoustic signal audible to the patient, the acoustic signal being emitted in response to the electrical signal; and
an electrical connection between the control module and the buzzer.
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2. A system for acoustic communication with a human patient having a body including a head, comprising:
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a control module implanted within the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the control module comprises electronic circuitry capable of generating an electrical signal;
a buzzer implanted within the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the buzzer is capable of emitting an acoustic signal audible to the patient, the acoustic signal being emitted in response to the electrical signal; and
an electrical connection between the control module and the buzzer. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification