Implantable medical stimulation apparatus with intra-conductor capacitive energy storage
AssigneeKenergy, Inc.
InventorCherik Bulkes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An implantable device electrically stimulates an organ of an animal in response to a trigger event. Between trigger event that device receives a wireless signal, such as a radio frequency signal, and stores energy from the signal in a plurality of capacitors. The capacitors are located within a electrical lead that extends to a stimulation electrode attached to the organ. That electrical lead has a hollow outer insulating tube with a pair of conductors extending longitudinally therein. The plurality of capacitors are connected between the pair of conductors. Thus the electrical lead serves as both a conductor of a stimulation current to the electrode and a housing for the plurality of capacitors.
Claims13
An apparatus for artificially stimulating an organ of an animal, said apparatus comprising:
- a first electrode and a second electrode for implantation into the animal;
- an electrical lead having a first conductor, a second conductor and a plurality of capacitors connected to the first and second conductors;
- an element for receiving wireless signals;
- and
- a stimulation circuit connected to the first electrode, the first conductor, the second conductor and the element, the stimulation circuit using energy from a received first wireless signal to charge the plurality of capacitors with electrical energy, and responding to a trigger event by applying the electrical energy stored in the plurality of capacitors to the first electrode and the second electrode to electrically stimulate the organ of the animal.
An apparatus for artificially stimulating an organ of an animal, said apparatus comprising:
- a first electrode and a second electrode for implantation into the animal;
- an electrical lead having a first conductor to which the first electrode is connected, a second conductor and a plurality of capacitors connected to the first and second conductors, wherein the second conductor is controllably connected to the second electrode;
- an antenna for receiving radio frequency signals;
- and
- a stimulation circuit connected to the first electrode, the first conductor, the second conductor and the antenna, the stimulation circuit using energy from a received first radio frequency signal to charge the plurality of capacitors with electrical energy, and responding to a trigger event by applying the electrical energy stored in the plurality of capacitors to the first electrode and the second electrode to electrically stimulate the organ of the animal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.