Neural stimulator system
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- an external controller module comprising;
a first antenna configured to;
send an input signal containing electrical energy to a second antenna through electrical radiative coupling, the second antenna being a dipole antenna and being located in an implantable neural stimulator that is without a battery and configured to create one or more electrical pulses suitable for stimulation of neural tissue solely using the electrical energy contained in the input signal, to apply the one or more electrical pulses to the neural tissue, to measure one or more parameters of the one or more electrical pulses as applied to the neural tissue, to store energy from the electrical energy in the input signal on the implantable neural stimulator, and to transmit, solely by using the stored energy, a feedback signal that includes (i) a stimulus feedback signal indicating the measured parameters, and (ii) a limit feedback signal indicating that a characteristic of the one or more electrical pulses had been limited such that a charge per phase resulting from the one or more electrical pulses applied at the electrodes would not have exceeded a threshold level, wherein the implantable neural stimulator is separate from the external controller module, andreceive one or more signals from the second antenna; and
one or more circuits configured to;
generate the input signal and send the input signal to the first antenna;
extract the stimulus feedback signal from the one or more signals received by the first antenna from the second antenna;
adjust parameters of the input signal based on the stimulus feedback signal; and
in response to the limit feedback signal being received, attenuate the input signal so that a charge per phase resulting from the one or more electrical pulses remains below the threshold level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable neural stimulator includes one or more electrodes, a dipole antenna, and one or more circuits and does not include an internal power source. The one or more electrodes are configured to apply one or more electrical pulses to neural tissue. The dipole antenna is configured to receive an input signal containing electrical energy utilizing electrical radiative coupling (for example, in the frequency range form 300 MHz to 8 GHz). The one or more circuits are configured to create one or more electrical pulses using the electrical energy contained in the input signal; supply the electrical pulses to the electrodes such the electrical pulses are applied to neural tissue; generate a stimulus feedback signal; and send the feedback to the dipole antenna to transmit to the second antenna through electrical radiative coupling.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
an external controller module comprising; a first antenna configured to; send an input signal containing electrical energy to a second antenna through electrical radiative coupling, the second antenna being a dipole antenna and being located in an implantable neural stimulator that is without a battery and configured to create one or more electrical pulses suitable for stimulation of neural tissue solely using the electrical energy contained in the input signal, to apply the one or more electrical pulses to the neural tissue, to measure one or more parameters of the one or more electrical pulses as applied to the neural tissue, to store energy from the electrical energy in the input signal on the implantable neural stimulator, and to transmit, solely by using the stored energy, a feedback signal that includes (i) a stimulus feedback signal indicating the measured parameters, and (ii) a limit feedback signal indicating that a characteristic of the one or more electrical pulses had been limited such that a charge per phase resulting from the one or more electrical pulses applied at the electrodes would not have exceeded a threshold level, wherein the implantable neural stimulator is separate from the external controller module, and receive one or more signals from the second antenna; and one or more circuits configured to; generate the input signal and send the input signal to the first antenna; extract the stimulus feedback signal from the one or more signals received by the first antenna from the second antenna; adjust parameters of the input signal based on the stimulus feedback signal; and in response to the limit feedback signal being received, attenuate the input signal so that a charge per phase resulting from the one or more electrical pulses remains below the threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
Specification