IMPLANTABLE NERVE WRAP FOR NERVE STIMULATION CONFIGURED FOR FAR FIELD RADIATIVE POWERING

• US 20130018439A1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: CHOW, Eric Y., THOMPSON, David L., MORRIS, Milton M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0556 Cuff electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A particular implantable device may include an antenna configured to receive a far field radiative signal. The implantable device may also include a voltage rectifier configured to rectify the far field radiative signal received by the antenna to provide a rectified voltage signal. The implantable device may further include a charge storage element operative to receive the rectified voltage signal and to store charge responsive to the rectified voltage signal. The implantable device may also include a stimulation module powered by the charge storage element. The stimulation module may be operative to generate an electrical stimulation signal to stimulate a target nerve of a patient. The implantable medical device may further include a nerve wrap configured to house the voltage rectifier, the charge storage element, and the stimulation module. The nerve wrap may include one or more electrodes operative to deliver the electrical stimulation signal to the target nerve.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a far field radiative signal;

a voltage rectifier configured to rectify the far field radiative signal received by the antenna to provide a rectified voltage signal;

a charge storage element operative to receive the rectified voltage signal and to store charge responsive to the rectified voltage signal;

a stimulation module powered by the charge storage element, the stimulation module operative to generate an electrical stimulation signal to stimulate a target nerve of a patient; and

a nerve wrap configured to house the voltage rectifier, the charge storage element, and the stimulation module, wherein the nerve wrap includes one or more electrodes operative to deliver the electrical stimulation signal to the target nerve.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible printed circuit board, wherein the voltage rectifier, the charge storage element, and the stimulation module are integrated on the flexible printed circuit board.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein the antenna is integrated on the flexible printed circuit board.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is embedded in the nerve wrap.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 4, wherein the one or more electrodes are proximity electrodes, wherein the proximity electrodes are provided on a portion of the nerve wrap, and wherein the nerve wrap is configured to make contact with the target nerve.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein the proximity electrodes are printed on the portion of the nerve wrap.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the target nerve is one of a vagus nerve, a trigeminal nerve, a glossopharyngeal nerve, and a hypoglossal nerve.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the charge storage element is one of a capacitor, a capacitor array, a rechargeable battery, and a thin film battery.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a control unit powered by the charge storage element, the control unit operative to control generation of the electrical stimulation signal by the stimulation module.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the voltage rectifier comprises at least one Schottky diode.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a DC-to-DC converter coupled to the voltage rectifier, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is configured to receive output of a voltage multiplier of the voltage rectifier.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a threshold detector coupled to the charge storage element, wherein the threshold detector is configured to determine when the charge stored at the charge storage element satisfies a charge threshold, and wherein the stimulation module is responsive to the threshold detector.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the far field radiative signal has a free-space path loss that is proportional to a free-space path distance squared.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the far field radiative signal received at the antenna has a power of 100 milliwatts or less during one duty cycle.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein a quantity of the charge stored by the charge storage element enables generation of the electrical stimulation signal for delivery to the target nerve during a period of 24 hours or less.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein a quantity of the charge stored by the charge storage element enables generation of the electrical stimulation signal for only a single treatment.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device has a power requirement of 100 microwatts or less to deliver one treatment.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a receiver coupled to the antenna and configured to receive parameter data, wherein delivery of the electrical stimulation signal to the target nerve is programmed according to the received parameter data.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein average input power of the antenna is 53 microwatts or less.

20. An implantable medical device comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a far field radiative signal;

a voltage rectifier configured to rectify the far field radiative signal received by the antenna to provide a rectified voltage signal;

a charge storage element operative to receive the rectified voltage signal and to store charge responsive to the rectified voltage signal;

a stimulation module powered by the charge storage element, the stimulation module operative to generate an electrical stimulation signal to stimulate a target nerve of a patient;

a nerve wrap configured to couple to the target nerve, the nerve wrap including proximity electrodes operative to deliver the electrical stimulation signal to the target nerve; and

a flexible printed circuit board, wherein the voltage rectifier, the charge storage element, and the stimulation module are integrated on the flexible printed circuit board, wherein the flexible printed circuit board is embedded in the nerve wrap.

21. The implantable medical device of claim 20, further comprising a control unit powered by the charge storage element, the control unit operative to control generation of the electrical stimulation signal by the stimulation module.

22. The implantable medical device of claim 20, further comprising a DC-to-DC converter coupled to the voltage rectifier, wherein the DC-to-DC converter is configured to receive output of a voltage multiplier of the voltage rectifier.

23. A system comprising:

an external transmitter configured to transmit a far field radiative signal; and

an implantable medical device including an antenna configured to receive the far field radiative signal, the implantable medical device comprising;

a charge storage element operative to store a charge responsive to the received far field radiative signal;

a pulse generator powered by the charge storage element, the pulse generator operative to generate an electrical stimulation signal to stimulate a target tissue of a patient;

a nerve wrap configured to couple to the target tissue, the nerve wrap including proximity electrodes operative to deliver the electrical stimulation signal to the target tissue; and

a flexible printed circuit board, wherein the charge storage element, and the pulse generator are integrated on the flexible printed circuit board, and wherein the flexible printed circuit board is embedded in the nerve wrap.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the far field radiative signal is a pulsed signal.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the pulsed signal has a duty cycle of 10% or less.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the pulsed signal has an average transmission power of 1 watt or less and an instantaneous transmission power of 5 watts or less.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the far field radiative signal has a frequency within a range of approximately 100 MHz to approximately 5.8 GHz.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the far field radiative signal is transmitted over a distance of at least twice a wavelength of the far field radiative signal.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein a distance between the antenna and the external transmitter is greater than 0.1 meters.

30. The system of claim 23, wherein the far field radiative signal has a free-space path loss that is proportional to a free-space path distance squared.