Wireless midfield systems and methods
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
InventorsAda Shuk Yan Poon, Alexander Jueshyan Yeh, Yuji Tanabe, John Ho, Sanghoek Kim
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Implantable devices and/or sensors can be wirelessly powered by controlling and propagating electromagnetic waves in a patient's tissue. Such implantable devices/sensors can be implanted at target locations in a patient, to stimulate areas such as the heart, brain, spinal cord, or muscle tissue, and/or to sense biological, physiological, chemical attributes of the blood, tissue, and other patient parameters. The propagating electromagnetic waves can be generated with sub-wavelength structures configured to manipulate evanescent fields outside of tissue to generate the propagating waves inside the tissue. Methods of use are also described.
Claims20
A method for modulating a neural tissue in a patient body, the method comprising:
- implanting one or more electrodes of an implantable neural stimulator at a target site adjacent to or near the neural tissue;
- and
- wirelessly delivering, through mid-field coupling and from a location exterior to the patient body, a power signal containing electrical energy to the target site where the implantable neural stimulator is implanted such that one or more electrical impulses are generated using the electrical energy in the power signal wirelessly delivered through mid-field coupling from the location exterior to the patient's body, wherein the mid-field coupling utilizes both evanescent and radiative components to deliver the power signal;
- wherein the generated electrical impulses are provided through the electrodes to the neural tissue.
An implantable neural stimulator for modulating neural tissue in a patient body, the implantable neural stimulator comprising:
- a device body configured for implantation in the patient body via a catheter, cannula, or needle;
- one or more electrodes coupled to the device body and configured to provide electrical impulses to neural tissue;
- a first antenna coupled to the device body and configured to receive, from an external transmitter and via a mid-field transmission when the device body is implanted in the patient body, a power signal comprising electrical energy, wherein the mid-field transmission utilizes both evanescent and radiative components to transmit the power signal;
- and
- a circuit coupled to the first antenna and the electrodes and configured to generate the electrical impulses.
A system comprising:
- an external transmitter;
- and
- an implantable neural stimulator for modulating neural tissue in a patient body, the implantable neural stimulator comprising:
- a device body configured for implantation in the patient body via a catheter, cannula, or needle;
- one or more electrodes coupled to the device body and configured to provide electrical impulses to neural tissue;
- a first antenna coupled to the device body and configured to receive, from the external transmitter and via a mid-field transmission when the device body is implanted in the patient body, a power signal comprising electrical energy, wherein the mid-field transmission utilizes both evanescent and radiative components to transmit the power signal;
- and
- a circuit coupled to the first antenna and the electrodes and configured to generate the electrical impulses.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.