Implantable medical device with nerve signal sensing
First Claim
1. An implantable medical device adapted to be implanted within a patient, the device comprising:
- a nerve sensing system that senses the duration and magnitude of an electrical signal from a nerve of the patient and accumulates energy therefrom, wherein the nerve sensing system is programmed to;
i) compare the accumulated energy to a threshold;
ii) when the accumulated energy exceeds the threshold, provide an output signal;
iii) when the accumulated energy exceeds the threshold, partially dissipate the accumulated energy; and
iv) repeat steps i)–
iii) as the electrical signal is sensed from the nerve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable medical device which has a sensor that provides a waveform to an energy accumulator, such as a capacitor. The waveform is representative of electrical activity from a nerve. The implantable medical device further includes a threshold detector which provides a discrete output signal when the energy in the signal energy accumulator exceeds a threshold. The signal energy accumulator can be periodically discharged and then recharged during the time period that electrical activity is being sensed from the nerve thereby generating a number of discrete output signals each time the recharged energy accumulator exceeds the threshold. The frequency and number of pulsed outputs is indicative of the sensed electrical activity.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An implantable medical device adapted to be implanted within a patient, the device comprising:
a nerve sensing system that senses the duration and magnitude of an electrical signal from a nerve of the patient and accumulates energy therefrom, wherein the nerve sensing system is programmed to; i) compare the accumulated energy to a threshold; ii) when the accumulated energy exceeds the threshold, provide an output signal; iii) when the accumulated energy exceeds the threshold, partially dissipate the accumulated energy; and iv) repeat steps i)–
iii) as the electrical signal is sensed from the nerve.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An implantable stimulation device adapted to be implanted within a patient so as to provide therapeutic stimulation to a patient, the device comprising:
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means for delivering therapeutic electrical stimulation to the patient; means for sensing and storing energy from activity of a selected nerve of the patient'"'"'s body; means for consecutively partially dissipating the energy stored by the means for sensing and storing wherein the means for dissipating provides an output signal indicative of the nerve activity; and means for controlling delivery of therapeutic electrical stimulation to the patient, wherein the means for control uses the output signal to adjust the delivery of the therapeutic electrical stimulation to the patient. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification