Antenna providing variable communication with an implant

• US 8,577,478 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nyxoah SA
• Original Assignee: Nyxoah SA
• Inventors: Mashiach, Adi, Mueller, Carsten
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAREY, MICHAEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US13/629,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20130085540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 403 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/134
• US Class Current: 607/134
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/164 the sensor is mounted in or on a conformable substrate or carrier
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/682 Mouth, e.g., oral cavity; tongue; Lips; Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6833 Adhesive patches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6876 Blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/566 Intra-oral devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0504 Subcutaneous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0514 Electrodes for the urinary tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0526 Head electrodes A61N1/0551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0548 Oral electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 : of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 : Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36057 : adapted for stimulating afferent nerves
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3606 : adapted for a particular treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36075 : Headache or migraine
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3611 : Respiration control stimulating respiratory organs A61N1/3601
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36117 : for treating hypertension
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 : Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 : using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 : with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 : specified by the stimulation parameters
• 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 1/37229 : Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 : Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 : Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 : characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 : Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 : from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 : for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 : using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0421 : Controlled or regulated

Abstract

A device may include a primary antenna configured to be located external to a subject and at least one processor in electrical communication with the primary antenna. The at least one processor may be configured to cause transmission of a primary signal from the primary antenna to an implantable device, wherein the implantable device includes at least one pair of modulation electrodes. The at least one processor may be further configured to adjust one or more characteristics of the primary signal to generate a sub-modulation control signal adapted so as not to cause a neuromuscular modulation inducing current at the at least one pair of modulation electrodes when received by the implantable device and to generate a modulation control signal adapted so as to cause a neuromuscular modulation inducing current at the at least one pair of modulation electrodes when received by the implantable device.

Claims

1. A sleep apnea treatment device, comprising:

a primary antenna configured to be located external to a subject,

at least one processor in electrical communication with the primary antenna, the

at least one processor configured to;

cause transmission of a primary signal from the primary antenna to an implantable device implanted in the subject on a genioglossus muscle proximal to a hypoglossal nerve of the subject, wherein the implantable device includes at least one pair of modulation electrodes,

wherein the processor is further configured to adjust one or more characteristics of the primary signal to generate a sub-modulation control signal adapted to cause a current at the at least one pair of modulation electrodes below a neuromuscular modulation threshold of the hypoglossal nerve when received by the implantable device and to generate a modulation control signal adapted to cause a current at the at least one pair of modulation electrodes above a neuromuscular modulation threshold of the hypoglossal nerve when received by the implantable device.

2. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive via the primary antenna, a condition signal from an implantable device in response to the sub-modulation control signal.

3. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 2, wherein the condition signal is indicative of at least one of a movement of the implantable device, a location of the implantable device, a maximum power limit of the implantable device, and a minimum efficacy threshold of the device.

4. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 2, wherein the condition signal is indicative of tongue movement.

5. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 1, wherein the one or more adjusted characteristics of the primary signal include at least one of a voltage, current, frequency, pulse rate, pulse width, and duration.

6. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 2, wherein transmission of the primary signal is triggered by the condition signal indicative of a predetermined amount of movement of the implantable device.

7. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 2, wherein movement of the implantable device is indicative of an amount of tongue movement associated with sleep disordered breathing and the amount of tongue movement is indicative of a severity of the sleep disordered breathing.

8. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 2, wherein the condition signal is indicative of a degree of coupling between the primary antenna and a secondary antenna associated with the implantable device, the degree of coupling relating to at least one of a level of radiofrequency coupling, a level of inductive coupling.

9. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 1, wherein the primary antenna is flexible to an extent permitting it to generally conform to the contours of a subject'"'"'s skin.

10. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 1, the primary antenna and at least one processor are located on a patch configured to be removably affixed to the skin of a subject.

11. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the one or more characteristics of the primary signal so as to elicit the condition signal from the implantable device.

12. The sleep apnea treatment device of claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the one or more characteristics of the primary signal based on the condition signal from the implantable device.