Magnet control system for battery powered living tissue stimulators

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for stimulating tissue within a patient's body and said implantable device is contained within a sealed elongate housing having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• a handheld programmer configured to be located external to the patient's body and containing a permanent magnet within, wherein the patient can apply and remove a magnetic field according to an identifiable timing sequence by bringing said handheld programmer in proximity and removing it from proximity of the implantable device at one or more locations external to the patient's body;
• and wherein
• said handheld programmer has a first surface for presenting a magnetic field of a first polarity and a second surface for presenting a magnetic field of a second polarity, opposite of said first polarity.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for stimulating tissue within a patient's body and said implantable device is contained within a sealed elongate housing having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• a handheld programmer configured to be located external to the patient's body and containing a permanent magnet within;
• and
• a mechanism, configured for activation by the patient, within said handheld programmer configured to provide an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of a magnetic field.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for stimulating tissue within a patient's body and said implantable device is contained within a sealed elongate housing having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• a handheld programmer configured to be located external to the patient's body;
• a coil within said handheld programmer suitable for generating a magnetic field when energized;
• driver circuitry within said handheld programmer for energizing said coil;
• a handheld programmer controller within said handheld programmer for generating a sequence of magnetic fields;
• and
• a power source for powering said handheld programmer.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for stimulating tissue within a patient's body and said implantable device is contained within a sealed elongate housing having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• and wherein
• said sensor dissipates power when sensing a magnetic field and said implantable device additionally comprises circuitry for periodically applying and removing power from said sensor and sampling said sensor during time periods corresponding to when said power is applied.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a patient's body parameter, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• a handheld programmer configured to be located external to the patient's body and containing a permanent magnet within, wherein the patient can apply and remove a magnetic field according to an identifiable timing sequence by bringing said handheld programmer in proximity and removing it from proximity of the implantable device at one or more locations external to the patient's body;
• and wherein
• said handheld programmer additionally comprises a selector for altering the position of said permanent magnet within the programmer to thereby correspondingly alter the strength of said externally applied magnetic field to which the implantable device is exposed when the handheld programmer is position in proximity to the implantable device.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a patient's body parameter, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• a handheld programmer configured to be located external to the patient's body and containing a permanent magnet within, wherein the patient can apply and remove a magnetic field according to an identifiable timing sequence by bringing said handheld programmer in proximity and removing it from proximity of the implantable device at one or more locations external to the patient's body;
• and wherein
• said handheld programmer has a first surface for presenting a magnetic field of a first polarity and a second surface for presenting a magnetic field of a second polarity, opposite of said first polarity.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a Patient's body parameter, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• a handheld programmer configured to be located external to the patient's body and containing a permanent magnet within;
• and
• a mechanism, configured for activation by the patient, within said handheld programmer configured to provide an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of a magnetic field.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a patient's body parameter, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• a handheld programmer configured to be located external to the patient's body;
• a coil within said handheld programmer suitable for generating a magnetic field when energized;
• driver circuitry within said handheld programmer for energizing said coil;
• a handheld programmer controller within said handheld programmer for generating a sequence of magnetic fields;
• and
• a power source for powering said handheld programmer.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a patient's body parameter. said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• and wherein
• said sensor dissipates power when sensing a magnetic field and said implantable device additionally comprises circuitry for periodically applying and removing power from said sensor and sampling said sensor during time periods corresponding to when said power is applied.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a patient's body parameter, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• and wherein
• said implantable device has at least one programmable parameter having an adjustment range prescribed according to settings provided from an external programmer and wherein said controller's ability to alter said at least one programmable parameter is restricted to said prescribed adjustment range.

A system for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein said implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a patient's body parameter, said system comprising:

• a sensor within said implantable device sensitive to the presence of an externally applied magnetic field;
• a controller within said implantable device coupled to said sensor for monitoring the presence of said externally applied magnetic field and determining a timing sequence for the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field, wherein said controller is configured to alter at least one programmable parameter of said implantable device in response to detection of an identifiable timing sequence of the application and removal of said externally provided magnetic field;
• and wherein
• said implantable device has a plurality of programmable parameters and wherein a set of said programmable parameters are selected according to settings provided from an external programmer and wherein said controller's ability to alter said programmable parameters is restricted according to said selected set of programmable parameters.

A handheld programmer for programming one or more parameters in an implantable device, wherein the implantable device is configured for modifying and/or sensing a body parameter of a patient, said handheld programmer comprising:

• a magnetic field source, wherein said magnetic field source is a permanent magnet;
• a housing for holding said magnetic field source;
• wherein said housing is configured for application to and removal from a portion of the patient's body and to enabling presenting and removing a magnetic field from said magnetic field source to the implantable device and thereby alter at least one programmable parameter of the implantable device;
• and
• at least one mechanism for altering the position of said permanent magnet relative to the patient's body and thereby present altered intensities of the corresponding magnetic field to the implantable device and thus alter at least one programmable parameter of the implantable device accordingly.