Elongated implant having an external energy coupling

• US 8,170,672 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Weiss, Ingo, Doerr, Thomas, Neumann, Andreas, Flach, Erhard, Burch, André
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, EUGENE T
• Application Number:
  US12/467,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20090306738A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/9, 607/31, 607/33, 607/36, 607/37, 607/45, 607/61, 607/116, 607/117, 607/119
• US Class Current: 607/33
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• 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 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Electrotherapeutic implant for stimulation of body tissue, comprising at least two electrode poles (14) which are connected to electric feeder lines, a demodulation unit (22), at least one electric feeder line (20), which is designed as an antenna and contacts the demodulation unit (22), wherein the implant (10) is fabricated from one piece, can be affixed (16) at the treatment site and is equipped with a biocompatible insulation, whereby the components of the implant (10) are designed so that a therapeutic energy which can be injected from the outside over the antenna (20) during the treatment is delivered to the therapeutic target region without intermediate storage.

Claims

1. An electrotherapeutic implant (10) for stimulation of body tissue, comprising:

at least one electric feeder line (20);

at least two electrode poles (14) which are connected to the at least one electric feeder line (20);

a demodulation unit (22);

wherein the at least one electric feeder line (20) is configured as an antenna and is in contact with the demodulation unit (22);

wherein the electrotherapeutic implant (10) comprises one piece configured as a closed external form and which is further configured to affix at a treatment site and wherein the electrotherapeutic implant (10) further comprises a biocompatible insulation; and

,

at least one terminal (34) configured to electrically and mechanically connect with a heart pacemaker wherein said at least one terminal (34) is electrically coupled with said at least two electrode poles (14) and configured to remain coupled between said electrode poles (14) and heart pacemaker after implantation of said electrotherapeutic implant (10);

wherein said electrotherapeutic implant (10) is configured to deliver therapeutic energy received from said pacemaker via said at least one terminal (34), and

from outside of the electrotherapeutic implant (10) over the antenna without storage of the therapeutic energy,

to treat a therapeutic target region via the at least two electrode poles (14).

2. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 1, further comprising an enable device (23) configured to allow delivery of the therapeutic energy via the at least two electrode poles (14) only when an enable code is received.

3. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second antenna (24) which is configured to

receive the enable code required to enable the at least two electrode poles (14) and/or

receive control signals; and

,

wherein

an enable code signal frequency

differs from

a therapeutic energy frequency.

4. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 3, further comprising a control unit (30) that is configured to control a therapeutic sequence wherein a required energy to supply power to the control unit (30) is received over

the antenna that is configured to receive the therapeutic energy, or

the second antenna (24) that is configured to receive the control signals and/or the enable code.

5. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 2, wherein the enable code required to enable the at least two electrode poles (14) contains an implant-specific individual identifier.

6. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit (30) that is configured to control a therapeutic sequence.

7. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 6, further comprising a temporary energy storage mechanism that supplies power to the control unit (30) during the treatment.

8. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 1, having a ratio of longitudinal dimension to transverse dimension of greater than or equal to 10.

9. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit coupled with said at least one electric feeder line wherein said control unit is configured for placement within a body comprising the body tissue.

10. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 1, wherein the therapeutic energy received is delivered directly to the therapeutic target region with the antenna in contact with the demodulation unit (22) at a first end of the antenna and with the antenna in contact with one of the at least two electrode poles (14) at a second end of the antenna.

11. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 1, wherein the demodulation unit (22) is a diode.

12. The electrotherapeutic implant (10) according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second antenna (24); and

,

a measurement device (32) that is connected to the antenna or second antenna and wherein the measurement device (32) is configured to transmit patient-specific and/or device-specific measured data to the outside of the electrotherapeutic implant (10) over the antenna or second antenna.

13. A pulse generator for external supply of therapeutic energy to an electrotherapeutic implant according to claim 1, comprising:

a high-frequency generator configured to generate a high-frequency alternating voltage;

at least one antenna over which the therapeutic energy is transmitted as the high-frequency alternating voltage; and

,

a control unit configured to generate a control signal that contains information about a desired therapeutic sequence, and,

an enable code to enable the electrotherapeutic implant.

14. The pulse generator according to claim 13, wherein the control unit is configured to receive and analyze and/or store patient-specific measured data and/or instrument-specific measured data sent by the electrotherapeutic implant wherein the electrotherapeutic implant further comprises:

a second antenna (24); and

,

a measurement device (32) that is connected to the antenna or second antenna and wherein the measurement device (32) is configured to transmit patient-specific and/or device-specific measured data to the outside of the electrotherapeutic implant (10) over the antenna or second antenna.