Implantable wireless accoustic stimulators with high energy conversion efficiencies

• US 9,180,285 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2013
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Moore, David F., Mohr, Paul, Willis, N. Parker, Brisken, Axel F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US14/059,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046420A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/181 Circuits; Control arrangements or methods
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/186 Vibration harvesters
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/188 adapted for resonant operation
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/03 Assembling devices that include piezoelectric or electrostrictive parts
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/30 with mechanical input and electrical output, e.g. functioning as generators or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/42 Piezoelectric device making

Abstract

Receiver-stimulator with folded or rolled up assembly of piezoelectric components, causing the receiver-stimulator to operate with a high degree of isotropy are disclosed. The receiver-stimulator comprises piezoelectric components, rectifier circuitry, and at least two stimulation electrodes. Isotropy allows the receiver-stimulator to be implanted with less concern regarding the orientation relative the transmitted acoustic field from an acoustic energy source.

Claims

1. An implantable stimulator for harvesting acoustic power from an acoustic field comprising:

a hermetically sealed enclosure with an inner and outer surface wherein the inner or outer surface is etched to form a plurality of apertures each defined by width and length;

a plurality of acoustic piezoelectric components each affixed to the inner surface location of an etched acoustic aperture, wherein one or more of the etched acoustic aperture is larger than the widths and/or lengths of the piezoelectric components affixed to the aperture location,

wherein the acoustic piezoelectric components are distributed about the inner surface along three axes such that acoustic energy is harvested efficiently from any direction of the propagating acoustic energy field.

2. The implantable stimulator of claim 1, wherein each piezoelectric component is configured to convert the impinging acoustic field into electrical power.

3. The implantable stimulator of claim 2, comprising a plurality of rectifiers electrically connected to each of the plurality of acoustic piezoelectric components, wherein the output from each piezoelectric component is rectified independently.