Implanted antenna and radio communications link
First Claim
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1. A medical implant comprising:
- a housing;
a reference electrode plate mounted on the housing and configured to be in direct contact with a body tissue, control circuitry contained within the housing;
a plurality of electrodes each of which is connected via a lead to the control circuitry; and
a frequency-dependent isolating module interposed between the lead of a selected electrode of the plurality of electrodes and the control circuitry, the frequency-dependent isolating module for blocking stimulation signals generated by control circuitry to permit the selected electrode and its lead, reference electrode plate, and body tissue to form a resonant circuit to function as an antenna for transmission of signals between the control circuitry and an external unit arranged externally of a patient'"'"'s body.
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Abstract
A medical implant comprising a housing and an antenna member carried by the housing. The antenna member is configured to be capacitively coupled to body tissue in which the housing is implanted. This forms, together with the impedance of the body tissue, part of a resonant circuit. A reference electrode carried by the housing as a return for the antenna member also forms a further part of the resonant circuit. Transceiver circuitry is also provided and is operable as at least one of a source and a load for the antenna member and forms yet a further part of the series resonant circuit.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. A medical implant comprising:
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a housing; a reference electrode plate mounted on the housing and configured to be in direct contact with a body tissue, control circuitry contained within the housing; a plurality of electrodes each of which is connected via a lead to the control circuitry; and a frequency-dependent isolating module interposed between the lead of a selected electrode of the plurality of electrodes and the control circuitry, the frequency-dependent isolating module for blocking stimulation signals generated by control circuitry to permit the selected electrode and its lead, reference electrode plate, and body tissue to form a resonant circuit to function as an antenna for transmission of signals between the control circuitry and an external unit arranged externally of a patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification