Implantable wireless acoustic stimulators with high energy conversion efficiencies
Inventors
Moore, David F. • Mohr, Paul • Willis, N. Parker • Brisken, Axel F.
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-11712572-B2
Publication Date
2023-08-01
Expiration Date
Abstract
A controller-transmitter transmits acoustic energy through the body to an implanted acoustic receiver-stimulator. The receiver-stimulator converts the acoustic energy into electrical energy and delivers the electrical energy to tissue using an electrode assembly. The receiver-stimulator limits the output voltage delivered to the tissue to a predetermined maximum output voltage. In the presence of interfering acoustic energy sources output voltages are thereby limited prior to being delivered to the tissue.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an implantable receiver-stimulator for delivering electrical stimulation to tissue of a patient. A transducer receives first acoustic energy from a controller-transmitter and/or second acoustic energy from a diagnostic ultrasound source, and converts the received acoustic energy to a first electrical output. A circuit coupled to the transducer receives the first electrical output and produces a second electrical output for electrodes that deliver the second electrical output to tissue.
The receiver-stimulator is configured to produce the second electrical output by delivering a first portion of the first electrical output corresponding to the first acoustic energy while filtering out a second portion of the first electrical output corresponding to the second acoustic energy. In this way, the circuit passes electrical output corresponding to the controller-transmitter acoustic energy to the electrodes and filters out electrical output corresponding to diagnostic ultrasound acoustic energy.
The document further discloses a controller-transmitter approach to remotely estimate receiver-stimulator output voltage using sensed query spike voltages in tissue. The approach determines a maximum query spike plateau and uses a computed ratio to infer output voltage during operation, accounting for a non-linear system with a transfer function. The disclosure also describes using a voltage limiter and optionally a low-pass filter to cap output voltage/power to a predetermined maximum and reject higher-frequency acoustic components associated with interfering acoustic energy sources, including diagnostic echocardiography.
Claims Coverage
The partial document identifies three independent claims, each centered on delivering electrical stimulation to tissue from acoustic energy using an implantable receiver-stimulator that filters out portions of electrical output associated with diagnostic ultrasound energy. Across the independent claims, the inventive features include receiving multiple acoustic energies, converting to an electrical output, selecting and delivering only the portion corresponding to a desired acoustic energy while eliminating the portion corresponding to a diagnostic source, and delivering the selected electrical portion via electrodes (or an equivalent method).
Portion selection by filtering between controller-transmitter and diagnostic ultrasound acoustic energies
An implantable receiver-stimulator where a transducer converts first acoustic energy from a controller-transmitter and/or second acoustic energy from a diagnostic ultrasound source into a first electrical output, and a circuit produces a second electrical output by delivering to the electrodes a first portion of the first electrical output corresponding to the first acoustic energy and filtering out a second portion corresponding to the second acoustic energy.
Electrical filtering that substantially eliminates diagnostic portion while passing the controller-transmitter portion
An implantable receiver-stimulator comprising a transducer converting first and/or second acoustic energy to an electrical output, and a filter electrically coupled to the transducer configured to pass a first portion corresponding to the first acoustic energy and substantially eliminate a second portion corresponding to the second acoustic energy, with an electrode delivering the first portion to tissue.
Method of delivering stimulation by passing first portion and substantially eliminating second portion
A method comprising receiving first acoustic energy from a first acoustic transmitter and second acoustic energy from a second acoustic transmitter, converting the first and second acoustic energy to an electrical output, passing a first portion corresponding to the first acoustic energy to an electrode, substantially eliminating a second portion corresponding to the second acoustic energy, and delivering via the electrode the first portion to tissue.
Across the independent claims, the coverage focuses on converting first and/or second acoustic energies to an electrical output, filtering the electrical output so that only the portion corresponding to the desired acoustic energy is delivered to electrodes (or passed to an electrode in the method), while substantially eliminating the portion corresponding to diagnostic ultrasound acoustic energy.
Stated Advantages
Provides safety against diagnostic echocardiography interference by capping output voltage/power to a predetermined maximum using a voltage limiter.
Documented Applications
Used in an implantable wireless acoustic stimulation system where an implanted receiver-stimulator converts controller-transmitter acoustic energy into electrical stimulation while rejecting interfering acoustic energy from diagnostic ultrasound sources, including diagnostic echocardiography.
Interested in licensing this patent?