# US 11,992,686 B2 · Flexible spinal cord stimulators for pain and trauma management through neuromodulation

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- Number: US 11,992,686 B2
- Document ID: US11992686B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/981,204
- Filed: 2019-03-15
- Published: 2020-12-31
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2018-03-16
- Assignees: The Regents of the University of California
- Applicants: The Regents of the University of California
- Inventors: Bilwaj Gaonkar; Steven L. Moran; Amir Hanna; Luke Macyszyn; Subramanian S. Iyer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992686B2

## CPC

- A61N 1/36139: {with automatic adjustment}
- A61N 1/0551: {Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes}
- A61N 1/36062: {Spinal stimulation}
- A61N 1/378: Electrical supply
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

A spinal cord stimulator includes: (1) a flexible substrate; (2) a power source embedded in the flexible substrate; (3) a controller embedded in the flexible substrate and connected to the power source; and (4) an array of electrodes, including an array of stimulation electrodes, disposed over the flexible substrate and connected to the controller, wherein the controller is configured to direct the array of stimulation electrodes to deliver a stimulation pattern to a spinal cord of a patient.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A spinal cord stimulator comprising:
a flexible substrate comprised of a flexible material that is configured to have a Young's modulus of less than 3 MPa, the flexible substrate forming a contiguous structure housing all of:
a power source embedded in the flexible substrate;
a controller embedded in the flexible substrate and connected to the power source; and
an array of electrodes, including an array of stimulation electrodes and an array of sensing electrodes, disposed on a surface of the flexible substrate and connected to the controller,
wherein the controller is configured to direct the array of stimulation electrodes on the surface of the flexible substrate to deliver a stimulation pattern to a spinal cord of a patient, and
wherein the controller is configured to perform machine learning, responsive to the signals received from the array of sensing electrodes, to determine a set of stimulation parameters, and
wherein the controller is configured to adjust the stimulation pattern according to the set of stimulation parameters, and
wherein the controller includes a neuromorphic computing component.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The spinal cord stimulator of claim 1, wherein the neuromorphic computing component includes a set of charge-trapping transistors.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The spinal cord stimulator of claim 1, wherein the flexible material is an elastomer or a gel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The spinal cord stimulator of claim 1, wherein the flexible material has a percentage elongation-at-break of at least 5%.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The spinal cord stimulator of claim 1, wherein the power source is a battery.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The spinal cord stimulator of claim 1, further comprising a flexible layer disposed over the flexible substrate and defining openings, and the array of stimulation electrodes and the array of sensing electrodes are disposed in the openings of the flexible layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The spinal cord stimulator of claim 1, wherein the power source includes bonding pads, and the bonding pads of the power source are exposed from the flexible substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The spinal cord stimulator of claim 1, wherein the controller includes bonding pads, and the bonding pads of the controller are exposed from the flexible substrate.