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US 11,883,668 B2Granted
Implantable electrodes with remote power delivery for treating sleep apnea, and associated systems and methods
AssigneeInvicta Medical, Inc.
InventorsRichard W. O'Connor, Walter Joseph Stevens, Timothy A. Fayram
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Implantable electrodes with power delivery wearable for treating sleep apnea, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative system includes non-implantable signal generator worn by the patient and having an antenna that directs a mid-field RF power signal to an implanted electrode. The implanted electrode in turn directs a lower frequency signal to a neural target, for example, the patient's hypoglossal nerve. Representative signal generators can have the form of a mouthpiece, a collar or other wearable, and/or a skin-mounted patch.
Claims30
A patient treatment system, comprising:
- a wearable device shaped to conform to at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, the wearable device carrying:
- a rechargeable power storage device;
- at least one wireless power transmission device coupled to the power storage device;
- at least one sensor configured to detect at least one of a heart rate or a respiratory rate of the patient;
- and
- first circuitry coupled to the power storage device, the at least one wireless power transmission device, and the at least one sensor, the first circuitry including a controller programmed with instructions that, when executed—
- determine at least one of (1) a sleep state of the patient or (2) a patient airflow event, based at least partially on input from the at least one sensor, and
- cause the at least one wireless power transmission device to transmit power based at least partially on at least one of the determined sleep state or the patient airflow event;
- and
- a percutaneously implantable device having:
- an electrode;
- a housing carrying the electrode;
- an anchor carried by the housing and positioned to secure the percutaneously implantable device proximate a medial branch of a hypoglossal nerve of the patient;
- an electrode receiver device configured to receive power transmitted from the at least one wireless power transmission device;
- a signal generator coupled to the electrode receiver device and the electrode to direct a signal to the electrode at a frequency in a range of 10 Hz to 300 Hz;
- a charge storage device having a charge storage capacity of no more than 5 minutes;
- and
- second circuitry coupled between the signal generator and the electrode to control the delivery of the signal to the electrode.
15 more elements
A method of directing an electrical signal to a patient to treat sleep apnea, the method comprising:
- programming a wearable device to transmit power to a receiver device of a percutaneously implantable device having a charge storage capacity of no more than 5 minutes, via at least one wireless power transmission device of the wearable device;
- and
- programming a pulse generator of the percutaneously implantable device to—
- receive power via the receiver device;
- and
- deliver, via at least one electrode of the percutaneously implantable device positioned to be in electrical communication with a medial branch of a hypoglossal nerve of the patient, an electrical signal, at least a portion of the electrical signal having a frequency in a frequency range of up to 100 kHz, to treat the sleep apnea.
3 more elements
A method of treating a patient, comprising:
- in response to the patient having a sleep apnea indication:
- percutaneously implanting an implantable signal delivery device proximate a medial branch of the patient's hypoglossal nerve such that at least one electrode carried by the implantable signal delivery device is positioned to be in electrical communication with the medial branch of the patient's hypoglossal nerve;
- transmitting power from at least one wireless power transmission device of a wearable device to a wireless receiver device of the implantable device;
- converting, via a signal generator of the implantable device, the power received via the wireless receiver device into an electrical signal, the implantable device having a charge storage capacity of no more than 5 minutes;
- and
- applying the electrical signal to the medial branch of the patient's hypoglossal nerve via the at least one electrode.
3 more elements
A method for treating sleep-disordered breathing in a patient, comprising:
- providing the patient with a wearable device shaped to conform to at least a portion of a patient's anatomy, the wearable device carrying:
- a rechargeable power storage device;
- at least one wireless power transmission device coupled to the power storage device;
- at least one sensor configured to detect at least one of a heart rate or a respiratory rate of the patient;
- and
- first circuitry coupled to the power storage device,
- programming the wearable device to:
- determine at least one of (1) a sleep state of the patient or (2) a patient airflow event, based at least partially on input from the at least one sensor, and
- cause the at least one wireless power transmission device to transmit power based at least partially on at least one of the determined sleep state or the patient airflow event;
- and
- programming a pulse generator of a percutaneously implantable device to—
- receive power via a receiver device carried by the percutaneously implantable device, the percutaneously implantable device having a charge storage capacity of no more than 5 minutes;
- and
- deliver, via at least one electrode of the percutaneously implantable device positioned to be in electrical communication with a medial branch of a hypoglossal nerve of the patient, an electrical signal, at least a portion of the electrical signal having a frequency in a frequency range of up to 100 kHz, to treat the sleep disordered breathing.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.