Systems and methods for implantable leadless tissue stimulation

• US 9,452,286 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2013
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EBR Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Cowan, Mark W., Riley, Richard E., Brisken, Axel F., Echt, Debra S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US13/922,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 607/33, 607/46, 607/60, 607/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/326 for promoting growth of cells, e.g. bone cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3604 for correcting spinal deformities, e.g. scoliosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed to stimulate tissue to treat medical conditions involving tissues such as the bone, spine, stomach, nerves, brain and the cochlea. The disclosed invention uses electrical stimulation of the tissue, where vibrational (or acoustic) energy from a source is received by an implanted device and converted to electrical energy and the converted electrical energy is used by implanted electrodes to stimulate the pre-determined tissue sites. The vibrational energy is generated by a controller-transmitter, which could be either implanted or located externally. The vibrational energy is received by a receiver-stimulator, which could be located at or close to the stimulation site.

Claims

1. A system for stimulating tissue comprising:

an acoustic controller-transmitter; and

an implantable acoustic receiver-stimulator having an electrode assembly adapted to be in direct contact with the tissue and one or more sensors disposed on an external surface of the housing, wherein the controller-transmitter is adapted to transmit acoustic energy and the receiver-stimulator is adapted to receive acoustic energy and convert it to electrical energy, and the controller-transmitter provides energy and signal information to the receiver-stimulator to provide electrical stimulation to the tissue;

wherein the controller-transmitter is configured to periodically sense the electrical stimulation output of the receiver-stimulator using one or more of the sensors and adjust acoustic energy transmission from the receiver-stimulator accordingly in order to compensate for charges in the electrical stimulation output of the receiver-stimulator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue is chosen from the list of bone, spine, nerves, gastrointestinal tract, brain or cochlea.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the tissue is the nerve.

4. The system of claim 3, where stimulating the nerve treats one or more medical conditions chosen from the list comprising headache;

facial pain;

pelvic pain;

heart failure;

hypertension;

obesity;

migraine;

neuropsychiatric disorders;

urinary, gastrointestinal, urge or stress urinary incontinence, and fecal incontinence.