Neural prosthesis

• US 20030139783A1
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Case Western Reserve University
• Original Assignee: Case Western Reserve University
• Inventors: Smith, Brian, Peckham, Paul Hunter, Crish, Timothy J., Kilgore, Kevin L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/49
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36128 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A neural prosthesis includes a centralized device that can provide power, data, and clock signals to one or more individual neural prosthesis subsystems. Each subsystem may include a number of individually addressable, programmable modules that can be dynamically allocated or shared among neural prosthetic networks to achieve complex, coordinated functions or to operate in autonomous groups.

Claims

1. An implantable system comprising:

a plurality of modules implantable in living tissue, each module including at least one of a sensor or an actuator, a processor, and a network interface configured to communicate with at least one other one of the plurality of modules; and

a power source providing a data signal, and a power signal to each one of the plurality of modules, each module obtaining power from the power signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the power source further provides a clock signal.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the clock signal is a variable system clock signal modulated onto the power signal for controlling power consumption by one or more of the plurality of modules.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the nervous system includes at least one of sensory nerves, motor nerves, and neural circuits.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the data signal includes control information for at least one of the plurality of modules.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the data signal is addressable to one or more selected ones of the plurality of modules.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the plurality of modules modulates a data signal onto the power signal.

8. A system comprising:

a first neural prosthesis controlling a nervous system in a first region of a body;

a second neural prosthesis controlling the nervous system in a second region of the body; and

a controller connected in a communicating relationship with the first neural prosthesis and the second neural prosthesis, the controller coordinating a transfer of data between the first neural prosthesis and the second neural prosthesis to achieve a body function that combines the first region of the body and the second region of the body.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the communicating relationship includes a data network having a data transmission rate of at least 100 kbps.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the communicating relationship includes a wireless network.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the body function includes walking.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the body function includes a muscle contraction in the first region in response to a user-initiated movement detected in the second region.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising one or more additional neural prostheses.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more additional neural prostheses are connected in a communicating relationship with the controller.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more additional neural prostheses are connected to the first neural prosthesis or the second neural prosthesis.

16. A system comprising:

a power supply packaged for implantation into a cavity of a body, the power supply including a rechargeable power source, a port configured to couple the rechargeable source to a charger that is external to the body cavity, and control circuitry, the control circuitry configured to generate a power signal from the rechargeable power source, the power signal being a charge-balanced signal, the control circuitry further configured to modulate a clock signal onto the power signal, and to modulate a data signal onto the power signal, thereby providing a modulated power signal; and

a plurality of leads extending from the power supply and carrying the modulated power signal, the leads being biocompatible leads adapted for connection to one or more power draining devices.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the plurality of leads include a pair of leads for each limb of the body that contains power draining devices, each plurality of leads carrying a different modulated power signal.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the port includes a radio frequency transcutaneous link for coupling to the charger.

19. The system of claim 16 wherein the rechargeable source of direct current includes a battery.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the battery is at least one of a nickel cadmium battery, a lithium ion battery, and a nickel-metal hydride battery.

21. The system of claim 16 wherein the power supply includes a 500 mW power supply.

22. The system of claim 16 further comprising a controller that controls operation of the power supply and a communication link for maintaining communications between the controller and an external device.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the controller downloads programming information through the communication link.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the programming information controls operation of the power supply.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the programming information controls operation of a device connected to one or more of the plurality of leads.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein the communication link transmits at least one of test information and diagnostic information between the controller and the external device.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein the communication link transmits sensor data to the external device.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein the communication link transmits a user input to the controller.

29. A device comprising:

at least one of a sensor or an actuator;

a processor;

a network interface coupled to the processor and the at least one of a sensor or an actuator, the network interface adapted for connection to a network, and including circuitry to receive power from a power signal provided over the network, and to demodulate a clock signal and a data signal from the power signal; and

a housing that encloses at least a portion of the at least one sensor or actuator, the network interface, and the processor, the housing formed of a biocompatible material, and shaped and sized for implantation into a body.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein the network interface modulates a data signal onto the power signal.

31. The device of claim 29 wherein the processor is at least one of a microprocessor, a microcontroller, or a programmable digital signal processor.

32. The device of claim 29 wherein the network interface maintains communications using at least one of the CAN protocol or the MICS protocol.

33. The device of claim 29 wherein the at least one of a sensor or an actuator includes a sensor selected from the group consisting of an electroencephalogram sensor, an electromyogram sensor, an electrooculogram sensor, an electroneurogram sensor, and a three-dimensional accelerometer.

34. The device of claim 29 wherein the at least one of a sensor or an actuator includes a sensor for sensing at least one of pressure, finger contact, joint angle, limb segment velocity, or temperature.

35. The device of claim 29 wherein the at least one of a sensor or an actuator includes an actuator selected from the group consisting of a nerve stimulator, a blocking cuff-electode nerve stimulator, and drug delivery device.

36. A device comprising:

a first network interface connected in a communicating relationship with a first neural prosthetic that autonomously controls a nervous system of a first region of a body, the first network interface configured to provide a first power signal, a first data signal, and a first clock signal to the first neural prosthetic;

a second network interface connected in a communicating relationship with a second neural prosthetic that autonomously controls the nervous system of a second region of the body, the second network interface configured to provide a second power signal, a second data signal, and a second clock signal to the second neural prosthetic;

a controller that selectively passes data from the first neural prosthetic to the second neural prosthetic; and

a housing that encloses at least a portion of the first network interface, the second network interface, and the controller, the housing formed of a biocompatible material and shaped for implantation into a body.

37. The device of claim 36 wherein the controller selectively passes data from the second neural prosthetic to the first neural prosthetic.

38. The device of claim 36 wherein the data signal is modulated onto the power signal.

39. The device of claim 36 wherein the clock signal is modulated onto the power signal.

40. The device of claim 36 wherein the network interface employs a wired communication medium.

41. The device of claim 36 wherein the network interface employs a wireless communication medium.

42. The device of claim 36 wherein the controller generates control information to coordinate body function in each of the first neural prosthetic and the second neural prosthetic.

43. The device of claim 36 further comprising one or more additional neural prosthetic networks.

44. A system comprising:

a plurality of devices, each one of the plurality of devices being a biocompatible, implantable device that shares a communication medium, the plurality of devices grouped into one or more networks across the communication medium wherein devices in a network operate autonomously to control a body function; and

a controller that dynamically reallocates one or more of the devices among the one or more networks to perform a different body function.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the controller is a programmable controller coupled to the communication medium.

46. The system of claim 44 wherein the controller is distributed among programmable processors operating on each one of the plurality of devices.

47. The system of claim 44 wherein more than one of the one or more networks share one of the plurality of devices.

48. The system of claim 44 wherein the communication medium includes at least two branches that are physically separated from one another by a bridge.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein at least one of the networks includes a device from each of two or more of the at least two branches, control data within the at least one of the networks being communicated through the bridge.