Implanted antenna and radio communications link
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A medical implant comprising:
- a housing configured to be implanted adjacent to body tissue;
an antenna member disposed in the housing and configured to be capacitively coupled to the body tissue, wherein the implant is configured such that the antenna member is not in direct contact with the body tissue;
a reference electrode configured as a return for the antenna member; and
a transceiver circuit operable as at least one of a source and a load for the antenna member, wherein the antenna member, body tissue, reference electrode and transceiver circuit collectively form a resonant circuit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
44 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A medical implant comprising:
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a housing configured to be implanted adjacent to body tissue; an antenna member disposed in the housing and configured to be capacitively coupled to the body tissue, wherein the implant is configured such that the antenna member is not in direct contact with the body tissue; a reference electrode configured as a return for the antenna member; and a transceiver circuit operable as at least one of a source and a load for the antenna member, wherein the antenna member, body tissue, reference electrode and transceiver circuit collectively form a resonant circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An electrically stimulating medical implant having a housing implanted in a patient, comprising:
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an antenna member disposed in the housing, and configured to be capacitively coupled to the patient'"'"'s body tissue, wherein the implant is configured such that the antenna member is not in direct contact with the body tissue a reference electrode at least one of disposed in or on the housing, and configured as a return electrode for the antenna member; and transceiver circuitry operable as at least one of a source and a load for the antenna member, wherein the antenna member, body tissue, reference electrode and transceiver circuitry collectively form a series resonant circuit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A medical implant comprising a housing configured to be implanted in a patient'"'"'s body tissue and external unit disposed external to the patient'"'"'s body, the implant comprising
control circuitry disposed in the housing; at least first and second electrodes each configured to be in contact with the body tissue, and connected to the control circuitry via leads; a frequency-dependent isolating module interposed between the first electrode lead and the control circuitry, the frequency-dependent isolating module being configured to block stimulation signals generated by the control circuitry so as to permit the first and second electrodes, the first electrode lead, and the body tissue to form at least a portion of a resonant circuit configured to transmit signals between the control circuitry and the external unit. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
Specification