Implants using ultrasonic waves for stimulating tissue

• US 10,765,865 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2019
• Issued: 09/08/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Maharbiz, Michel M., Seo, Dongjin, Shen, Konlin, Carmena, Jose M., Neely, Ryan, Alon, Elad, Rabaey, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Chao, Elmer M
• Application Number:
  US16/401,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20200230441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/028 Microscale sensors, e.g. electromechanical sensors [MEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/12 Manufacturing methods specially adapted for producing sensors for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/279 specially adapted for particular uses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4258 for detecting non x-ray radiation, e.g. gamma radiation A61B6/037 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0808 for diagnosis of the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/085 for locating body or organic structures, e.g. tumours, calculi, blood vessels, nodules
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0875 for diagnosis of bone A61B5/4504 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/48 Diagnostic techniques A61B8/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/04 implanted
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/825 using mechanical generation of electricity, e.g. hand cranked generators
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/0208 Subcutaneous access sites for injecting or removing fluids transcutaneous access sites A61M39/0247; implantable infusion devices A61M5/14276
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 : from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/1087 : Ions; Protons
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0021 : Neural system treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/1071 : for verifying the dose delivered by the treatment plan
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/06 : operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/327 : Biochemical electrodes , e.g. electrical or mechanical details for in vitro measurements

Abstract

Described herein are implantable devices configured to emit an electrical pulse. An exemplary implantable device includes an ultrasonic transducer configured to receive ultrasonic waves that power the implantable device and encode a trigger signal; a first electrode and a second electrode configured to be in electrical communication with a tissue and emit an electrical pulse to the tissue in response to the trigger signal; and an integrated circuit comprising an energy storage circuit. Also described are systems that include one or more implantable device and an interrogator configured to operate the one or more implantable devices. Further described is a closed loop system that includes a first device configured to detect a signal, an interrogator configured to emit a trigger signal in response to the detected signal, and an implantable device configured to emit an electrical pulse in response to receiving the trigger signal. Further described are computer systems useful for operating one or more implantable devices, as well as methods of electrically stimulating a tissue.

Claims

1. A closed-loop system, comprising:

(a) a first implantable device configured to detect a signal comprising;

a sensor configured to detect the signal in a first tissue;

an integrated circuit comprising a modulation circuit configured to modulate a current based on the detected signal, and

a first ultrasonic transducer configured to emit an ultrasonic backscatter encoding information related to the detected physiological signal based on the modulated current;

(b) an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to receive the ultrasonic backscatter encoding the information related to the detected physiological signal, and emit ultrasonic waves encoding a trigger signal; and

(c) a second implantable device configured to emit an electrical pulse to a second tissue in response to the trigger signal, comprising;

an ultrasonic transducer configured to receive ultrasonic waves, wherein the received ultrasonic waves power the second device and encode the trigger signal;

a first electrode and a second electrode configured to be in electrical communication with the second tissue and emit an electrical pulse to the second tissue in response to the trigger signal; and

an integrated circuit comprising an energy storage circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tissue and the second tissue are the same tissue.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first tissue and the second tissue are different tissues.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a first electrode and a second electrode configured to be in electrical communication with the first tissue.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal is a physiological signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises an electrophysiological signal.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal comprises a temperature, a pH, a pressure, a strain, or a bioimpedance.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit of the second implantable device comprises a digital circuit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit of the second implantable device comprises a mixed-signal integrated circuit configured to operate the first electrode and the second electrode.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue comprises muscle tissue or an organ.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue comprises nervous tissue.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the first implantable device and second implantable device are implantable in a human subject.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrogator is wearable by a subject.

14. A method of stimulating a tissue, comprising:

receiving ultrasonic waves at a first implantable device configured to detect a physiological signal;

converting, at the first implantable device, energy from the ultrasonic waves into an electrical current that flows through a modulation circuit;

detecting, at the first implantable device, the physiological signal;

producing, at the first implantable device, a modulated electrical current based on the detected physiological signal;

transducing, at the first implantable device, the modulated electrical current into an ultrasonic backscatter that encodes information related to the detected physiological signal; and

emitting, from the first implantable device, the ultrasonic backscatter that encodes the information related to the detected physiological signal;

receiving, at an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers, the ultrasonic backscatter that encodes the information related to the detected physiological signal;

emitting, from the interrogator, ultrasonic waves configured to power a second implantable device;

receiving, at the second implantable device, the ultrasonic waves configured to power the second implantable device;

converting, at the second implantable device, energy from the ultrasonic waves configured to power the second implantable device into an electrical current that charges an energy storage circuit of the second implantable device;

emitting, from the interrogator, ultrasonic waves encoding a trigger signal;

receiving, at the second implantable device, the ultrasonic waves encoding the trigger signal; and

emitting, from the second implantable device, an electrical pulse that stimulates the tissue in response to the trigger signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the physiological signal comprises an electrophysiological signal, a temperature, an analyte concentration, a pH, pressure, strain, or bioimpedance.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the tissue comprises muscle tissue, an organ, or nervous tissue.