Garment for positioning midfield transmitter relative to implanted receiver
Inventors
Holinski, Brad • Yeh, Alexander • Junco, Elia • Ciciarelli, Timothy Edward
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10799706-B2
Publication Date
2020-10-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems, devices and methods to facilitate wireless interaction between an implantable therapy delivery device and an external transmitter device are provided. In an example, the systems, devices, and methods discussed herein include or use a garment for receiving and positioning an external transmitter device proximal to an implanted device, and the external transmitter device includes a midfield device configured to provide one or more signals to manipulate evanescent fields outside of tissue to generate a propagating and focused field in the tissue. In an example, the garment includes a receptacle configured to receive and retain the external transmitter device near a tissue interface, and the garment further includes a dielectric portion provided between the receptacle and the tissue interface. In an example, the dielectric portion has a relative permittivity that is approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a wearable garment for receiving and positioning an external transmitter device proximal to an implanted device configured to provide a stimulation therapy at or near a neural target in a pelvic region of a patient. The garment body comprises flexible material and includes a first receptacle for receiving and positioning the external transmitter device near a tissue interface when the garment is worn by a user.
A dielectric member is provided between the first receptacle and the tissue interface to increase efficiency of wireless energy communications from the external transmitter device, through the dielectric member and body tissue, to the implanted device. The dielectric member has a first relative permittivity approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air and different from the relative permittivity of the tissue at the tissue interface, and different from the relative permittivity of the garment body.
The garment further includes an elastic waistband coupled to the first receptacle, configured to position the first receptacle at or near an S3 foramen when the garment is worn by the user. The dielectric member is also configured to inhibit heat transfer from the first receptacle to the tissue interface. In a system-level method, a control circuit determines whether a voiding event is, or is likely to be, imminent or occurring and inhibits or ceases stimulation therapy at the neural target when the voiding event is determined to be, or is determined likely to be, imminent or occurring.
Claims Coverage
The provided independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00006, and clm-00015. They include three main inventive-feature groupings.
Positioning an external transmitter proximal to an implanted pelvic device with an air-like dielectric between receptacle and tissue
A garment comprising a garment body of flexible material, a first receptacle configured to receive and position an external transmitter device near a tissue interface, and a dielectric member between the first receptacle and the tissue interface having a first relative permittivity approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air and different from the relative permittivity of the tissue at the tissue interface and different from the relative permittivity of the garment body, wherein the external transmitter device generates a propagating and focused field to communicate power or data to the implanted device.
Relative permittivity characteristic relationships between dielectric member, flexible garment body, source substrate, and tissue
A garment with a garment body comprising flexible material having a first relative permittivity characteristic, a first receptacle coupled with or comprising a portion of the garment body configured to receive and position the external transmitter device near a tissue interface, and a dielectric member between the first receptacle and the tissue interface having a second relative permittivity characteristic approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air, different from the first relative permittivity characteristic of the flexible material, different from a permittivity of the source substrate, and different from a relative permittivity of the tissue at the tissue interface.
Controlling neural stimulation by determining voiding-event imminence or occurrence
A method for controlling delivery of neural stimulation therapy in a system including an implanted midfield device and external midfield transmitter device, the method includes positioning the external midfield transmitter device and the implanted midfield device using a garment having a receptacle and a dielectric member with a first relative permittivity approximately the same as air and different from tissue, flexible material, and a permittivity of a source substrate; providing stimulation therapy using energy received; determining using a control circuit whether a voiding event is, or is likely to be, imminent or occurring; and inhibiting or ceasing the stimulation therapy when the voiding event is determined to be, or determined likely to be, imminent or occurring.
Across the independent claims, coverage centers on a garment that positions an external transmitter near a pelvic tissue interface while using a dielectric member with relative permittivity approximately the same as air and different from tissue, garment body, and source substrate. The method claim further covers determining voiding-event imminence or occurrence and inhibiting or ceasing pelvic neural stimulation.
Stated Advantages
Increase efficiency of wireless energy communications from the external transmitter device through the dielectric member and body tissue to the implanted device.
Enhancing voiding efficiency for the patient by inhibiting or ceasing the stimulation therapy when a voiding event is determined to be, or determined likely to be, imminent or occurring.
Documented Applications
Providing a stimulation therapy at or near a neural target in a pelvic region of a patient using an implanted device powered and/or communicated via an external transmitter device positioned by a garment.
Controlling delivery of neural stimulation therapy to inhibit or cease stimulation during imminent or occurring voiding events to enhance voiding efficiency.
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