Implantable device for processing neurological signals

• US 20050085864A1
• Filed: 08/18/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research
• Original Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research
• Inventors: Perron, Christian, Schulman, Joseph H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,235,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/27
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1071 measuring angles, e.g. using goniometers A61B5/1123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/902 Biological signal amplifier

Abstract

An implantable device comprising a sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit is adapted to rectify biological/neurological signals in the form of sensed electrical signals from body tissue adjacent to the location of the implantable device. The sensing unit of the implantable device comprises at least one amplifier, wherein the supply current to the at least one amplifier is responsive to the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals provided to the at least one amplifier. The implantable device is further capable of integrating the rectified sensed electrical signals and generating output signals, wherein the output signals contain indicia of biopotential parameters of the body tissue.

Claims

1. An implantable device comprising a sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit is adapted to rectify sensed electrical signals from tissue adjacent thereto.

2. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the sensing unit comprises:

at least one amplifier operable by means of a supply current, wherein the at least one amplifier is responsive to the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals provided to the at least one amplifier.

3. The implantable device of claim 2, wherein the sensing unit is further adapted to integrate the rectified sensed electrical signals.

4. The implantable device of claim 3, further comprising a controller for receiving the sensed electrical signal and measuring the magnitude of the sensed electrical signal, wherein the controller controls the supply current to the at least one amplifier.

5. The implantable device of claim 4, wherein the supply current to the at least one amplifier is controlled as a function of the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals.

6. The implantable device of claim 5, wherein the supply current to the at least one amplifier is reduced or cutoff when the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals is above a predetermined threshold level.

7. The implantable device of claim 5, wherein the supply current to the at least one amplifier is increased when the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals is below a predetermined threshold level.

8. The implantable device of claim 1, wherein the implantable device comprises an elongate housing have an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm.

9. The implantable device of claim 3, further comprising a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the integrated rectified sensed electrical signals to receiving circuitry for further processing.

10. The implantable device of claim 9, wherein the integrated sensed electrical signals are averaged over a predefined range between about 1 nanosecond and about 3600 seconds.

11. The implantable device of claim 10, wherein the integrated sensed electrical signals are averaged over an interval of about 10 milliseconds.

12. An implantable device comprising a sensing unit, wherein the sensing unit is adapted to rectify and/or integrate sensed electrical signals from a body tissue and generate output signals, wherein the output signals contain indicia of biopotential parameters of the body tissue.

13. The implantable device of claim 12, wherein the implantable device comprises an elongate housing have an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm.

14. An implantable device, comprising:

a controller for receiving sensed electrical signals;

at least one amplifier for receiving the sensed electrical signals, wherein the at least one amplifier receives supply current from the controller and wherein the supply current to the at least one amplifier is based on the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals.

15. The implantable device of claim 14, wherein the controller measures the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals and wherein the supply current to the at least one amplifier is reduced or cutoff when the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals is above a predetermined threshold level.

16. The implantable device of claim 14, wherein the controller measures the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals and wherein the supply current to the at least one amplifier is increased when the magnitude of the sensed electrical signals is below a predetermined threshold level.