# US 2019/0167989 A1 · Integrated circuit design for wireless control of biphasic stimulation in bioelectronic implant > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0167989 A1 - Document ID: US20190167989A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/208,007 - Filed: 2018-12-03 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-04 - Assignees: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. - Applicants: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel J. Guyon; Daniel K. Freeman; Jesse J. Wheeler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190167989A1 ## CPC - A61N 1/36007: {of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control} - A61N 1/36071: {Pain} - A61N 1/36125: {Details of circuitry or electric components} - A61N 1/36142: {for improving safety} - A61N 1/37205: {Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula} - A61N 1/37223: {Circuits for electromagnetic coupling} - A61N 1/37288: {Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient} - A61N 1/3787: {from an external energy source} - 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 system for providing biphasic stimulation is disclosed. The system includes an electrode, an antenna coupled to a transmitter, a capacitor, a power supply, a backscatter load selectively coupled to the antenna via a switching device, a plurality of switches, and a controller configured to control the switching device to output, by the antenna, an acknowledgement signal to the transmitter responsive to receiving the power. The controller is further configured to control the plurality of switches to electrically couple a first plate of the capacitor to the electrode to provide a first nerve stimulation signal having a first polarity, and electrically couple a second plate of the capacitor to the electrode to provide a second nerve stimulation signal having a second polarity opposite the first polarity. The system further includes a housing encapsulating the antenna, the capacitor, the power supply, the backscatter load, the switches, and the controller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for providing biphasic stimulation, the system comprising: an electrode; an antenna configured to be inductively coupled to a transmitter; a capacitor having a first plate and a second plate; a power supply configured to be electrically coupled to the capacitor and to the antenna, and configured to charge the capacitor; a backscatter load selectively coupled to the antenna via a switching device; a plurality of switches electrically coupled to the electrode, the capacitor, and the power supply; a controller electrically coupled to, and configured to provide first control signals to, the switching device to selectively couple the backscatter load to the antenna to output, by the antenna, an acknowledgement signal to the transmitter responsive to receiving the power, the controller further being electrically coupled to, and configured to provide control signals to, the plurality of switches to: electrically couple, in a first mode of operation, the first plate of the capacitor to the electrode to provide a first nerve stimulation signal having a first polarity; and electrically couple, in a second mode of operation, the second plate of the capacitor to the electrode to provide a second nerve stimulation signal having a second polarity opposite the first polarity; and a housing encapsulating the antenna, the capacitor, the power supply, the backscatter load, the switching device, the plurality of switches, and the controller. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a receiver coupled to the antenna, the receiver configured to detect a wake-up signal from the antenna and provide the wake-up signal to the power supply to charge the power supply. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to enable at least one of the first nerve stimulation signal and the second nerve stimulation signal responsive to determining that the wake-up signal includes a unique identifier of the implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is dimensioned to be smaller than or equal to about 1 mm3. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured to provide biphasic stimulation with a net current density of about 50 μA/mm2. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the capacitor, the plurality of switches, and the controller are contained within an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the ASIC has a dimension of about 300 μm or less. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the ASIC is configured to operate on about 500 mV or less. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises a storage capacitor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first nerve stimulation signal and the second nerve stimulation signal have different magnitudes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is constructed from biocompatible materials. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the housing is hermetically sealed. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a voltage regulator coupled to the power supply, the voltage regulator being configured to provide electrical power to the power supply to charge the power supply. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, wherein the voltage regulator is operable with a supply voltage of approximately 300 mV. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the voltage regulator includes a second plurality of switches, and wherein each switch of the second plurality of switches is configured to operate in a subthreshold region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control the switching device to switchably connect the backscatter load to the antenna to output, by the antenna, one or more commands to the transmitter. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the controller being configured to control the switching device includes controlling the switching device to switchably connect the backscatter load to the antenna to modulate a load coupled to the antenna. ### Claim 18 A method of providing biphasic stimulation by an implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device including a capacitor, an electrode, and a power supply, the method comprising: receiving, by the implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device, power from an external power source; electrically coupling, in a first mode of operation, the capacitor to the power supply; electrically coupling, in a second mode of operation, the capacitor to the electrode in a first configuration; providing, by the capacitor, a first nerve stimulation signal having a first polarity to the electrode in the second mode of operation; electrically coupling, in a third mode of operation, the capacitor to the electrode in a second configuration; providing, by the capacitor, a second nerve stimulation signal having a second polarity to the electrode in the third mode of operation, the second polarity being opposite the first polarity; and communicating, by the implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device, an acknowledgement signal to the external power source responsive to receiving the power from the external power source. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein receiving power from the external power source includes receiving power inductively from the external power source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein charging the capacitor includes: electrically coupling a first plate of the capacitor to a storage capacitor; electrically coupling a second plate of the capacitor to a reference node; and charging the capacitor to a first potential. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising electrically coupling, in the first configuration, the first plate of the capacitor to the electrode and the second plate of the capacitor to the reference node. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method of claim 21, further comprising electrically coupling, in the second configuration, the first plate of the capacitor to the reference node and the second plate of the capacitor to the electrode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving, by the implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device, a wake-up signal. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising determining whether the wake-up signal includes a unique identifier of the implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising activating one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation responsive to receiving the wake-up signal and determining that the wake-up signal includes the unique identifier of the implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising charging the power supply with the wake-up signal. ### Claim 27 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising communicating, by the implantable biphasic nerve stimulation device, one or more commands to the external power source. ### Claim 28 A system for providing biphasic stimulation, the system comprising: a plurality of uniquely addressable implantable biphasic stimulation devices associated with a host, each implantable biphasic stimulation device of the plurality of implantable biphasic stimulation devices including: an electrode; an antenna configured to be inductively coupled to a transmitter; a capacitor having a first plate and a second plate; a power supply configured to be electrically coupled to the capacitor and to the antenna, and configured to charge the capacitor; a backscatter load selectively coupled to the antenna via a switching device; a plurality of switches electrically coupled to the electrode, the capacitor, and the power supply; a controller electrically coupled to, and configured to provide first control signals to, the switching device to selectively couple the backscatter load to the antenna to output, by the antenna, an acknowledgement signal to the transmitter responsive to receiving the power, the controller further being electrically coupled to, and configured to provide control signals to, the plurality of switches to: electrically couple, in a first mode of operation, the first plate of the capacitor to the electrode to provide a first nerve stimulation signal having a first polarity; and electrically couple, in a second mode of operation, the second plate of the capacitor to the electrode to provide a second nerve stimulation signal having a second polarity opposite the first polarity; and a housing encapsulating the antenna, the capacitor, the power supply, the backscatter load, the switching device, the plurality of switches, and the controller.