Telemetry system for use with microstimulator

• US 7,177,698 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Haller, Matthew I., McClure, Kelly H., Park, Rudolph V., Marnfeldt, Goran N., Klosterman, Daniel J., Parramon, Jordi
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman; Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/607,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 607 1- 3, 607 30- 33, 607 60- 61
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45147 Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 : MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 : in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 : off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 : The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 : using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 : using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 : using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/02 : Amplitude-modulated carrier systems, e.g. using on-off keying; Single sideband or vestigial sideband modulation H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 : Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 : Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 : by winding or coiling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 : by assembling coil and core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 : Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49945 : by driven force fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49968 : Metal fusion joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12264 : having outward flange, gripping means or interlocking feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12271 : having discrete fastener, marginal fastening, taper, or end structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12347 : Plural layers discontinuously bonded [e.g., spot-weld, mechanical fastener, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12375 : having member which crosses the plane of another member [e.g., T or X cross section, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12396 : Discontinuous surface component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12535 : with additional, spatially distinct nonmetal component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12806 : Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component

Abstract

An implantable microstimulator configured to be implanted beneath a patient'"'"'s skin for tissue stimulation employs a bi-directional RF telemetry link for allowing data-containing signals to be sent to and from the implantable microstimulator from at least two external devices. Further, a separate electromagnetic inductive telemetry link allows data containing signals to be sent to the implantable microstimulator from at least one of the two external devices. The RF bidirectional telemetry link allows the microstimulator to inform the patient or clinician regarding the status of the microstimulator device, including the charge level of a power source, and stimulation parameter states. The microstimulator has a cylindrical hermetically sealed case having a length no greater than about 27 mm and a diameter no greater than about 3.3 mm. A reference electrode is located on one end of the case and an active electrode is located on the other end of the case.

Claims

1. An implantable microstimulator, comprising:

an hermetically-sealed housing;

an electronic subassembly housed within the hermetically-sealed housing;

a power source contained within the hermetically-sealed housing and operatively connected to the electronic subassembly for providing operating power to the electronic subassembly;

a first electrode and a second electrode for stimulating tissue, each electrode external to the hermetically-sealed housing and electrically coupled to the electronic subassembly;

an antenna coil within the hermetically-sealed housing and electrically coupled to the electronic subassembly; and

telemetry circuitry coupled to the antenna coil for allowing data-containing signals to be received from at least one external device, said telemetry circuitry comprising

a first telemetry receiver for receiving data in accordance with a first telemetry scheme, and

a second telemetry receiver for receiving data in accordance with a second telemetry scheme.

2. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 wherein the electronic subassembly includes a ferrite core around which the antenna coil is wrapped.

3. The implantable microstimulator of claim 2 wherein the ferrite core includes a first half and a second half.

4. The implantable microstimulator of claim 2 wherein the first telemetry scheme comprises a binary frequency shift key (BFSK) scheme wherein a binary “

1”

is represented by a transmitted signal of a first frequency F1, and wherein a binary “

0”

is represented by a transmitted signal of a second frequency F2.

5. The implantable microstimulator of claim 4 wherein the first telemetry receiver includes a capacitor for tuning the antenna coil wrapped around the ferrite core to a frequency that is close to both the first frequency F1 and the second frequency F2, whereby both the first frequency F1 and the second frequency F2 may be received through the antenna coil with minimal degradation.

6. The implantable microstimulator of claim 5 wherein the first telemetry receiver includes a mixer circuit and a local oscillator circuit, and wherein the local oscillator circuit generates a local oscillator signal having a frequency F3, and wherein the received BFSK signal is mixed with the local oscillator signal at the mixer circuit to produce a difference signal, and wherein the local oscillator signal F3 is approximately mid way between the frequency F1 and F2.

7. The implantable microstimulator of claim 6 wherein the first frequency F1 is about 131 KHz, and the second frequency F2 is about 123 KHz, and the frequency F3 of the local oscillator signal is about 127 KHz.

8. The implantable microstimulator of claim 4 wherein the second telemetry scheme comprises an ON-OFF-KEY (OOK) Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) scheme.

9. The implantable microstimulator of claim 8 wherein the telemetry circuitry further includes transmission circuitry for transmitting a signal to the external device in accordance with the BFSK telemetry scheme.

10. An implantable microstimulator, comprising

an hermetically-sealed housing

an electronic subassembly housed within the hermetically-sealed housing;

a power source contained within the hermetically-sealed housing and operatively connected to the electronic subassembly for providing operating power to the electronic subassembly;

first and second electrodes external to the hermetically-sealed housing and electrically coupled to the electronic subassembly;

an antenna within the hermetically-sealed housing; and

telemetry circuitry, coupled to the antenna for allowing data-containing signals to be received from at least one external unit through a first radio frequency (RF) telemetry link, and for allowing data-containing signals to be received from at least one external unit through a second inductive telemetry link.

11. The implantable microstimulator of claim 10 wherein the RF telemetry link comprises a binary frequency shift key (BFSK) telemetry link.

12. The implantable microstimulator of claim 11 wherein the electromagnetic inductive telemetry link comprises an ON-OFF-KEY Pulse Width Modulation (OOK-PWM) telemetry link.

13. An implantable microstimulator, comprising:

an hermetically-sealed housing;

a first electrode and a second electrode for stimulating tissue, each electrode external to the hermetically-sealed housing;

an antenna within the hermetically-sealed housing; and

telemetry circuitry coupled to the antenna for receiving data-containing signals from at least one external device, said telemetry circuitry comprising

a first telemetry receiver for receiving data in accordance with a first telemetry scheme, and

a second telemetry receiver for receiving data in accordance with a second telemetry scheme.

14. The implantable microstimulator of claim 13 wherein the antenna is wrapped around a ferrite core.

15. The implantable microstimulator of claim 14 wherein the ferrite core includes a first half and a second half.

16. The implantable microstimulator of claim 14 wherein the first telemetry scheme comprises a binary frequency shift key (BFSK) scheme.

17. The implantable microstimulator of claim 16 wherein the second telemetry scheme comprises an ON-OFF-KEY (OOK) Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) scheme.

18. The implantable microstimulator of claim 16 wherein the telemetry circuitry further includes transmission circuitry for transmitting a signal to the external device in accordance with the BFSK telemetry scheme.

19. The implantable microstimulator of claim 13 wherein the first telemetry receiver includes a capacitor for tuning the antenna to a frequency that is close to both a first frequency F1 and a second frequency F2, whereby both the first frequency F1 and the second frequency F2 may be received through the antenna coil with minimal degradation.

20. The implantable microstimulator of claim 19 wherein the first telemetry receiver includes a mixer circuit and a local oscillator circuit, and wherein the local oscillator circuit generates a local oscillator signal having a frequency F3, and wherein the received BFSK signal is mixed with the local oscillator signal at the mixer circuit to produce a difference signal, and wherein the local oscillator signal F3 is approximately mid way between the frequency F1 and F2.