US 12,746,384 B2Granted

Surface and subsurface electrodes for guiding stimulation electric currents with electric fields for cochlea implanted electrodes

AssigneeSergio Lara Pereira Monteiro

InventorsHeather Marisa Richardson, Sergio Lara Pereira Monteiro

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Abstract

We disclose the use of passive, or field-shaping electrodes, below the surface of the supporting structure of a cochlear implant. The location of the field-shaping electrodes below the surface of the supporting structure, allows for the use of the field-shaping electrodes to exist in the structure without decreasing the available space for the active, stimulating electrodes at the surface. The field-shaping electrodes are to direct the electric currents injected by the stimulating (active) electrodes onto the one-and-only-one neuron that is expected, by the brain, to receive vibrations from one-and-only-one frequency. The objective of the field-shaping electrodes is to prevent, or, at least to decrease, the leaking of the stimulating current from any stimulating active electrode onto any neuron other than the neuron that is directly in front of the electrode in question, which is the only neuron that is expected to receive excitation for that frequency associated with each electrode.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A device for an electrical stimulation of a target area or a target volume of an animal, said animal with a skin, comprising:

a. an electric stimulating system comprising:
a body with at least one first supporting structure, and at least one energy providing device,
b. said at least one first supporting structure with a proximal extremity and a distal extremity, configured to be anchored in a vicinity of the said target area or said target volume, wherein,
c. said at least one first supporting structure is configured to keeping in fixed position a minimum of one electrode belonging to any of type-1 and/or type-2 and/or type-3 electrodes, electrically coupled to said at least one energy providing device, wherein
d. said type_1 electrode is adapted to injecting an electric charge, including an ion, in said volume in the vicinity of said first supporting structure,
wherein each of the minimum of one type-1 and/or type-2 and/or type-3 electrodes with a volume and a surface, below the surface or at the surface of said first supporting structure, are connected electrically to said energy providing device, and configured to produce a required electric potential at said minimum of one type-1 and/or type-2 and/or type-3 electrodes located at said first supporting structure,
wherein said surfaces of the minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes are covered by an electrically insulating layer which prevents electric charges from moving out of any of said minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes,
wherein said minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes are adapted to project an electric field in the space surrounding said first supporting structure,
wherein said electric field projected by said minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes is configured to apply a force on the propagating electric charges in the vicinity of said first supporting structure, guiding said propagating electric charges on a target path and/or to keep said propagating electric charges inside said target volume,
wherein said first supporting structure is in a shape capable of being implanted in a cochlea of said animal.

7 more elements

A device for an electrical stimulation of a target area or a target volume of an animal, said animal with a skin, comprising:

a. an electric stimulating system comprising:
a body with at least one first supporting structure, and at least one energy providing device,
b. said at least one first supporting structure with a proximal extremity and a distal extremity, configured to be anchored in a vicinity of the said target area or said target volume, wherein,
c. said at least one first supporting structure is configured to keeping in fixed position a minimum of one electrode belonging to any of type-1 and/or type-2 and/or type-3 electrodes, electrically coupled to said at least one energy providing device, wherein
d. said type_1 electrode is adapted to injecting an electric charge, including an ion, in said volume in the vicinity of said first supporting structure,
wherein each of the minimum of one type-1 and/or type-2 and/or type-3 electrodes with a volume and a surface, below the surface or at the surface of said first supporting structure, are connected electrically to said energy providing device, and configured to produce a required electric potential at said minimum of one type-1 and/or type-2 and/or type-3 electrodes located at said first supporting structure,
wherein said surfaces of the minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes are covered by an electrically insulating layer which prevents electric charges from moving out of any of said minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes,
wherein said minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes are adapted to project an electric field in the space surrounding said first supporting structure,
wherein said electric field projected by said minimum of one type-2 and/or type-3 field-shaping electrodes is configured to apply a force on the propagating electric charges in the vicinity of said first supporting structure, guiding said propagating electric charges on a target path and/or to keep said propagating electric charges inside said target volume,
wherein said first supporting structure is in a shape of a spiral.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/045,131Filed 7 Oct 2022 · continuation in part
Priority: 9 Feb 2015
Published: US 2023/0094889 A130 Mar 2023
Granted: 29 Sep 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A61N 1/025
Details: digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors
A61N 1/0565
Transvascular endocardial electrode systems: electrode heads
A61N 1/0529
Head electrodes: electrodes for brain stimulation
A61N 1/36185
Direction of the electrical field, e.g. with sleeve around stimulating electrode: selection of the electrode configuration

Family

Application62/114,038Us provisional application · filed 9 Feb 2015
Application15/019,969Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 9 Feb 2016
Application16/175,840Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 31 Oct 2018
US 10,149,972 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 11 Dec 2018
Application16/721,823Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 19 Dec 2019
US 10,549,103 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Feb 2020
Application17/525,830Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Nov 2021
US 11,198,008 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 14 Dec 2021
US 2023/0094889 A1Pre-grant publication · published 30 Mar 2023
US 11,524,156 B1Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 2016/0228699 A1Published application
US 2019/0083787 A1Published application
US 2020/0129769 A1Published application
US 12,746,384 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.