Apparatus and method for treating body tissues with electricity or medicaments

• US 9,289,377 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MicroTech Medical Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: MicroTech Medical Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Richter, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Heller, Tammie K
• Application Number:
  US13/358,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20120123320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,517 Days
• Field of Search: 607/62, 607/115, 607/116, 600/439
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02

Abstract

A therapeutic device and therapeutic method for delivering electrical energy or medicament to a body tissue or organ utilizing ultrasonic vibration to cause a device implanted in the body tissue or organ to be treated to discharge an electrical current or medicament to the target area.

Claims

1. An implantable device for treating body tissue, comprising:

a housing provided with a medicament storage compartment bubble, wherein the bubble ruptures in response to ultrasonic stimulation applied to the medicament storage compartment bubble after implantation of the device;

wherein said device when implanted operates without physical connection to the outside of a patient'"'"'s body; and

a medicament port disposed on the housing and in fluid communication with the medicament storage bubble wherein said medicament port is separately positioned from said medicament storage bubble on the housing, said medicament port adapted to permit a medicament to be introduced into and contained in the medicament storage bubble.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said medicament port is structured to permit introduction of fluid within said medicament storage bubble.

3. An apparatus for treating body tissue, consisting essentially of:

a means for generating ultrasonic vibration;

an electrical stimulation device that generates a therapeutic electrical current via piezoelectric effect when ultrasonically vibrated by said means for generating ultrasonic vibration for treating said body tissue, said therapeutic electric current having a therapeutic voltage and amperage, the device to be disposed in the vicinity of the tissue to be treated;

an electrode disposed on said electrical stimulation device; and

a sensor in communication with said means for generating said ultrasonic vibration;

wherein said current is directly discharged from said electrode into said tissue to be treated and said device stops generating therapeutic electrical current when said ultrasonic vibration is stopped.

4. An apparatus for treating body tissue, comprising:

a ceramic motor that generates a therapeutic electrical current via piezoelectric effect when ultrasonically vibrated for treating said body tissue; and

electrodes disposed on said ceramic motor for discharging said therapeutic electrical current directly from said ceramic motor into said body tissue;

wherein said apparatus is adapted to be disposed in the vicinity of the tissue to be treated.