Implantable neuro-stimulator with ball implant
AssigneeBall Semiconductor, Inc.
InventorsAkira Ishikawa, Nabuo Takeda, Suzanne I. Ahn, Samuel S. Ahn, Steven R. Hays, F. Andrew Gaffney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A ball semiconductor for stimulating a mass of nervous system brain tissue for therapeutic purposes. The ball (120) is embedded in a mass of nervous system tissue (215) of a brain. Electrical pulses generated and transmitted to the ball (120) by a remote electrical pulse generator system (140) are picked up by a receiving antenna of the ball (120), and are applied to an electrode pair of the ball (120) to cause the mass of nervous system tissue (215) of the brain located between output pads of the electrode to become stimulated, as therapy for a pathological condition.
Claims38
A system for stimulating a mass of nervous system tissue in a body, comprising:
- one or more semiconductor balls adaptable to be embedded in the mass of nervous system tissue, said ball comprising,
- an electrode having a cathode and an anode;
- and
- a receiver for wirelessly receiving electrical pulses for application to said electrode;
- and
- a remote electrical pulse system, said pulse system comprising,
- a generator for generating said electrical pulses;
- and
- a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting said generated electrical pulses to said receiver of said one or more semiconductor balls;
- wherein said electrical pulses applied to said electrode cause the mass of nervous system tissue to become stimulated to therapy a pathological condition.
A method of stimulating a mass of nervous system tissue in a body, comprising the steps of:
- placing one or more semiconductor balls in the mass of nervous tissue, the one or more semiconductor balls each having,
- an electrode containing a cathode and an anode;
- and
- a receiver for wirelessly receiving electrical pulses for application to the electrode;
- and
- generating electrical pulses at a remote location for reception by the receiver, the received electrical pulses coupled to the electrode of the one or more semiconductor balls;
- wherein the electrical pulses applied to the electrode cause the mass of nervous system tissue to become stimulated to therapy a pathological condition.
A ball semiconductor system for stimulating a mass of nervous system tissue in a body, comprising:
- a first semiconductor ball comprising a cathode and a second semiconductor ball comprising an anode, said first and second semiconductor balls forming an electrode pair, said electrode pair adaptable to be embedded in the mass of nervous system tissue;
- a receiver adapted to said electrode pair for wirelessly receiving electrical pulses having application to said electrode pair;
- and
- a remote electrical pulse system, comprising,
- a generator for generating said electrical pulses;
- a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting said generated electrical pulses to said receiver adapted to said electrode pair;
- wherein said electrical pulses applied to said electrode pair cause the mass of nervous system tissue to become stimulated to therapy a pathological condition.
A method of stimulating a mass of nervous system tissue in a body for therapeutic purposes, comprising the steps of:
- forming a cathode on a first semiconductor ball, and an anode on a second semiconductor ball, the first and second semiconductor balls forming an electrode pair;
- interconnecting the anode and the cathode with a receiver for wirelessly receiving electrical pulses having application to the electrode pair;
- implanting the first and second semiconductor balls into the mass of nervous tissue;
- and
- generating electrical pulses at a remote location and wirelessly transmitting the generated electrical pulses to the receiver of the electrode pair;
- wherein the electrical pulses received by the receiver energize the electrode pair causing the mass of nervous system tissue to become stimulated to therapy a pathological condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.