Microstimulator with flap electrodes
First Claim
1. An implantable stimulator comprising:
- a casing having an interior cavity;
stimulation circuitry housed in the interior cavity of the casing;
a flap coupled directly to the casing, wherein the flap is implantable in a flat configuration; and
one or more electrodes disposed on the flap.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable microstimulator includes an elongate casing, a flap coupled directly to the casing, and electrodes attached to the flap such that the electrodes extend laterally relative to the longitudinal axis of the casing. The electrodes are coupled to active circuitry that is housed within the casing. Due to the lateral arrangement of the electrodes relative to the casing, effective operation of the microstimulator may still occur even after the microstimulator migrates away from the target stimulation site. Since there are not any leads associated with the microstimulator, the entire microstimulator, including the electrodes and the casing, is implanted adjacent to the target stimulation site. The electrodes may be configured for mono-polar or multi-polar stimulation. In one example, the microstimulator includes an insulative coating on the casing and the coating and the flap are contiguous.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An implantable stimulator comprising:
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a casing having an interior cavity; stimulation circuitry housed in the interior cavity of the casing; a flap coupled directly to the casing, wherein the flap is implantable in a flat configuration; and one or more electrodes disposed on the flap. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for performing a medical procedure on a patient using a microstimulator having a stimulation circuitry casing, a flap coupled directly to the casing, and electrodes disposed on the flap, the method comprising:
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implanting the microstimulator in the patient with the flap in a flat configuration, such that the electrodes extend laterally over a target nerve; and operating the microstimulator to apply stimulation to the target nerve. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. An implantable stimulator comprising:
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a casing having an interior cavity; stimulation circuitry housed in the interior cavity of the casing; one or more electrodes coupled to the stimulation circuitry for generating an electric field; and a flap coupled directly to the casing, wherein the flap is configured for shaping the electric field generated by the electrodes, and wherein the flap is implantable in a flat configuration. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An implantable stimulator comprising:
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a casing having an interior cavity; stimulation circuitry housed in the interior cavity of the casing; an electrically insulative coating disposed on the casing; an electrically insulative flap coupled to the casing, wherein the coating and the flap are contiguous, and wherein the flap is implantable in a flat configuration; and one or more electrodes disposed on the flap. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification