Antenna and methods of use for an implantable nerve stimulator

• US 10,722,721 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Axonics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Axonics Modulation Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Nassif, Rabih, Hasbini, Hisham
• Primary Examiner(s): Lavert, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US15/675,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20180043171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 607 6
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/005 with variable reactance for tuning the antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/08 Ferrite rod or like elongated core
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A pulse generator that includes a communications module is disclosed herein. The communication module includes a transceiver and an antenna circuit. The antenna circuit includes a first pathway having a capacitor and a second, parallel pathway including a capacitor, and a resistor, and a radiating element arranged in series. The antenna circuit is tuned to have a resonant frequency corresponding to a desired transmission frequency and a bandwidth corresponding to shifts in the resonant frequency arising from the implantation of the antenna.

Claims

1. An implantable neurostimulator for delivering one or more electrical pulses to a target region within a patient'"'"'s body according to a program received via wireless communication with an external device, the implantable neurostimulator comprising:

a hermetic housing configured to be implanted within a body of a patient;

a transceiver disposed within the hermetic housing; and

a communication antenna circuit having a fixed resonant frequency corresponding to a transmission frequency of the external device, wherein the communication antenna circuit comprises a resistor positioned to limit a Q factor of the communication antenna circuit at resonant frequency.

2. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1, wherein the communication antenna circuit comprises a first path and a second path parallel to the first path.

3. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 2, wherein the resistor is located in the second path.

4. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 3, wherein the resistor is part of a resonant tuned circuit located in the second path.

5. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 4, wherein the resonant tuned circuit comprises a RLC circuit.

6. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 5, wherein the first path comprises a capacitor.

7. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 2, wherein the antenna circuit comprises a printed circuit board (PCB).

8. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 7, wherein the first path comprises a first capacitor, and wherein the second path comprises a second capacitor, the resister, and a radiating element comprising a plurality of conductive loops on the PCB.

9. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 8, wherein the plurality of conductive loops comprises a first loop and a second loop located within the first loop, wherein the first and second conductive loops comprise copper traces embedded onto a substrate surface of the PCB, and wherein the first and second conductive loops are located along a common plane of the PCB.

10. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of one of the first and second conductive loops extends below one of the resistor and the second capacitor.

11. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of a radio signal generated by the communication antenna circuit is longer than a longest dimension of the implantable neurostimulator.

12. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 11, further comprising features configured for coupling the implantable neurostimulator to at least one implantable stimulation lead comprising at least one electrode.

13. A method of wireless communication between an implantable neurostimulator and an external device, the method comprising:

receiving data at a transmission frequency with a communication antenna circuit of the implantable neurostimulator from the external device, the communication antenna circuit having a first resonant frequency when the implantable neurostimulator is ex vivo and a second resonant frequency when the implantable neurostimulator is in vivo, the communication antenna circuit comprising a resistor positioned in the communication antenna circuit such that an output power of the communication antenna circuit at both the first and second resonant frequencies is greater than the half-power point of the communication antenna circuit;

modifying control of the implantable neurostimulator according to the received data; and

delivering at least electrical pulse to a target tissue via at least one stimulation lead according to the modified control of the implantable neurostimulator.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising delivering a first electrical pulse to the target tissue via the at least one stimulation lead before receiving the data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the communication antenna circuit comprises a first path and a second path parallel to the first path, wherein the resistor is located in the second path.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second path comprises an RLC resonant circuit including the resistor.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the antenna circuit comprises a printed circuit board (PCB).

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first path comprises a first capacitor, and wherein the second path comprises a second capacitor, the resister, and a radiating element comprising a plurality of conductive loops on the PCB.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the plurality of conductive loops comprises a first loop and a second loop located within the first loop, wherein the first and second conductive loops comprise copper traces embedded onto a substrate surface of the PCB, and wherein the first and second conductive loops are located along a common plane of the PCB.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting data to the external device via generation of at least one radio signal by the communication antenna circuit, wherein a wavelength of the radio signal generated by the communication antenna circuit is longer than a longest dimension of the implantable neurostimulator.