Delivery of implantable neurostimulators

Apparatus for facilitating percutaneous delivery of an implant to a target site in a body of a subject, facilitated by at least one transcutaneous electrode, the apparatus comprising:

• a delivery tool, having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the distal portion comprising an implant-storage member, the implant-storage member configured to be percutaneously advanced toward the target site, and shaped to define (a) a space that is configured to house the implant, and (b) an opening through which the implant is advanceable;
• a guide shaped to define at least one channel and configured to facilitate percutaneous advancement of the transcutaneous electrode, via the channel, to the target site;
• and
• a mount, configured:
• to be placed on the skin of the subject in a predetermined position with respect to the channel, and
• to be coupled to the delivery tool, the coupling of the mount to the delivery tool facilitating the delivery of the implant-storage member to the target site.

Apparatus for facilitating percutaneous delivery of an implant, the apparatus comprising:

• a rigid delivery tube, having a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, and shaped to define a lumen configured to facilitate passage of the implant therethrough;
• and
• at least one flexible longitudinal member having a proximal portion and a distal portion:
• slidably coupled to the rigid delivery tube,
• configured to pierce tissue of the subject, and
• having shape memory such that a distal tip of the flexible longitudinal member has a tendency to be disposed at a first nonzero angle with respect to the proximal portion,
• the apparatus having:
• at least one retracted configuration in which the distal tip of the flexible longitudinal member is generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the rigid delivery tube, and
• an extended configuration in which the distal portion of the flexible longitudinal member is disposed distally to the distal end of the rigid delivery tube, and the distal tip of the flexible longitudinal member is disposed at a second nonzero angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rigid delivery tube.

Apparatus for implantation in tissue of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• an implant body, having a proximal end and a distal end, and a longitudinal axis between the proximal end and the distal end;
• at least one electrode;
• at least one distal anchor, configured to inhibit movement of the implant body through the tissue in a distal direction more than in a proximal direction;
• and
• at least one proximal anchor, disposed proximal to the distal anchor, and configured to inhibit movement of the implant body through the tissue in the proximal direction more than in the distal direction.

Apparatus for use with a nerve of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• at least one helical electrode, configured to be wrapped around a first site on the nerve of the subject;
• an injectable implant, configured to be percutaneously implanted in a vicinity of the nerve of the subject, and comprising a control unit that is configured to drive the at least one helical electrode to apply a current to the nerve of the subject;
• at least one wire, coupling the injectable implant to the at least one helical electrode;
• and
• a helical anchor, configured to be wrapped around a second site of the nerve of the subject, and comprising a brace, the brace being coupled to a portion of the wire that is between the helical electrode and the injectable implant.

Apparatus for use with a nerve of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• a cuff body
• having:
• first and second mutually-orthogonal lengths on a plane of the cuff body when the cuff body is unrolled, which define an area of the cuff body on the plane, and
• a first face, a second face, and a thickness between the first face and the second face, and
• being configured to be wrapped around the nerve such that the first face faces the nerve, and such that a length of the nerve covered by the cuff body is defined by the second length of the cuff body;
• comprising at least one electrode, disposed on the first face of the cuff body;
• and
• comprising at least one planar antenna, coupled to the cuff body so as to be parallel with the plane of the cuff body, and configured to wirelessly receive energy;
• and
• circuitry, configured to use the received energy from the planar antenna to drive the at least one electrode to apply a current to the nerve.

Apparatus for implantation in a vicinity of a tissue of a subject, the apparatus comprising:

• an implant body, configured to be percutaneously delivered to the vicinity of the tissue;
• at least one suction chamber, shaped to define at least one window;
• and
• at least one anchor disposed within the suction chamber, the anchor:
• defining a tissue-piercing element,
• having a first state and a second state, and being transitionable from the first state to the second state, and
• being configured such that when the anchor transitions from the first state toward the second state, the tissue-piercing element moves with respect to the window.

A method, comprising:

• placing, on skin of a subject, a guide shaped to define at least one channel;
• advancing at least one transcutaneous electrode through the at least one channel and percutaneously toward a target site in tissue of the subject;
• driving the at least one electrode to apply an electrical current to the tissue of the subject, and detecting a parameter of the subject that varies in response to the applying of the electrical current;
• at least in part responsively to the detected parameter, measuring a depth of the transcutaneous electrode in the tissue using a depth indicator;
• at least in part responsively to the measured depth, placing a mount on the skin of the subject and in a predetermined position with respect to the channel;
• and
• while the mount is in the predetermined position with respect to the channel, delivering to the target site, using a delivery tool coupled to the mount, an implant disposed within a space defined by an implant-storage member at a distal end of the delivery tool, the delivery being facilitated by the coupling of the delivery tool to the mount.

A method, comprising:

• percutaneously advancing at least one flexible longitudinal member through tissue of a subject such that shape memory of the flexible longitudinal member disposes a distal tip of the flexible longitudinal member at a nonzero angle with respect to a proximal portion of the flexible longitudinal member;
• subsequently, distally advancing a rigid delivery tube along the flexible longitudinal member and into the tissue, such that the apparatus moves into a retracted configuration in which the distal tip of the flexible longitudinal member is generally parallel with a longitudinal axis of the rigid delivery tube;
• and
• subsequently, delivering an implant to the tissue via the rigid delivery tube.

A method, comprising:

• percutaneously delivering an implant into a subject;
• drawing tissue of the subject via a window of the implant into a suction chamber of the implant;
• and
• driving an anchor having a tissue-piercing element through the tissue within the suction chamber, the tissue-piercing element remaining within suction chamber.

Apparatus for use with a subject, comprising:

• an implant, configured to be percutaneously injected into tissue of the subject;
• and
• a longitudinal member, reversibly couplable to the implant,
• wherein:
• the apparatus is configured to be left, for at least 1 day, in a state in which:
• the implant is disposed within the tissue,
• a distal portion of the longitudinal member is coupled to the implant,
• a proximal portion of the longitudinal member is secured to a skin surface of the subject, and
• the implant is movable within the subject by moving the proximal portion of the longitudinal member.