Implantable pulse generator for providing functional and/or therapeutic stimulation of muscles and/or nerves and/or central nervous system tissue

A method of using a neuromuscular stimulation system comprising:

• providing at least one electrically conductive surface sized and configured for implantation in a targeted neural or muscular tissue region, the at least one electrically conductive surface including a lead electrically coupled to the electrically conductive surface, the lead sized and configured to be positioned in subcutaneous tissue;
• providing an implantable pulse generator including a rechargeable battery, wherein the implantable pulse generator is sized and configured to be positioned in subcutaneous tissue remote from the at least one electrically conductive surface, the implantable pulse generator comprising non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using VHF/UHF signals, and inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using a radio frequency magnetic field, the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry being functional at a distance as far as arm's reach away from a patient, and being adapted to receive and transmit VHF/UHF signals for programming and interrogation of the implantable pulse generator, the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a transceiver to listen for commands from an external controller at a predetermined rate and to respond to the commands in synchronization with when the external controller is configured to listen for the response, the inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a coil for receiving the magnetic field from an external controller for recharging the rechargeable battery;
• implanting the at least one electrically conductive surface in a targeted neural or muscular tissue region;
• implanting the lead in subcutaneous tissue;
• implanting the pulse generator in a region remote from the at least one electrically conductive surface;
• coupling the pulse generator to the lead implanted in subcutaneous tissue;
• operating the pulse generator to use the non-inductive wireless telemetry to be listening for commands from the external controller at the predetermined rate and to be responding to the commands in synchronization with when the external controller is listening for the response;
• and
• operating the implantable pulse generator to be responding to the external controller using the non-inductive wireless telemetry and instructing the external controller to increase or decrease the strength of the magnetic field during recharging, while at the same time, the implantable pulse generator receiving the magnetic field and recharging the rechargeable battery.

A neuromuscular stimulation system comprising:

• at least one electrically conductive surface sized and configured for implantation in a targeted neural or muscular tissue region;
• a lead electrically coupled to the electrically conductive surface, the lead sized and configured to be positioned in subcutaneous tissue;
• and
• an implantable pulse generator including a rechargeable battery, wherein the implantable pulse generator is sized and configured to be coupled to the lead and positioned in subcutaneous tissue remote from the at least one electrically conductive surface,
• the implantable pulse generator comprising non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using VHF/UHF signals, and inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using a radio frequency magnetic field, the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry being functional at a distance as far as arm's reach away from a patient, and being adapted to receive and transmit VHF/UHF signals for programming and interrogation of the implantable pulse generator, the inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a coil adapted to receive the magnetic field from an external controller to recharge the rechargeable battery,
• the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a transceiver to listen for commands from the external controller at a predetermined rate,
• the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a transceiver to listen for commands and not respond to commands from the external controller at a predetermined rate and to respond to the commands in synchronization with when the external controller is configured to listen for the response, and
• the implantable pulse generator adapted to communicate with the external controller using the non-inductive wireless telemetry to instruct the external controller to increase or decrease the strength of the magnetic field during recharging for optimal battery charging, while at the same time, the implantable pulse generator adapted to receive the magnetic field to recharge the rechargeable battery.

A neuromuscular stimulation system comprising:

• at least one electrically conductive surface sized and configured for implantation in a targeted neural or muscular tissue region;
• a lead electrically coupled to the electrically conductive surface, the lead sized and configured to be positioned in subcutaneous tissue;
• and
• an implantable pulse generator including a rechargeable battery, wherein the implantable pulse generator is sized and configured to be coupled to the lead and positioned in subcutaneous tissue remote from the at least one electrically conductive surface,
• the implantable pulse generator comprising non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using VHF/UHF signals, and inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using a radio frequency magnetic field, the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry being functional at a distance as far as arm's reach away from a patient, and being adapted to receive and transmit VHF/UHF signals for programming and interrogation of the implantable pulse generator, the inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a coil adapted to receive the magnetic field from an external controller to recharge the rechargeable battery,
• the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a transceiver to listen for commands from the external controller at a predetermined rate and to respond to the commands in synchronization with when the external controller is configured to listen for the response,
• the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry configured to have commands issued from the external controller within a predetermined time of a last command to be received by the implantable pulse generator without having the external controller broadcast an idle or pause signal for the predetermined rate before issuing the command in order to know that the implantable pulse generator will have enabled its transceiver and received the command, and
• the implantable pulse generator adapted to communicate with the external controller using the non-inductive wireless telemetry to instruct the external controller to increase or decrease the strength of the magnetic field during recharging for optimal battery charging, while at the same time, the implantable pulse generator adapted to receive the magnetic field to recharge the rechargeable battery.

A method of using a neuromuscular stimulation system comprising:

• providing at least one electrically conductive surface sized and configured for implantation in a targeted neural or muscular tissue region, the at least one electrically conductive surface including a lead electrically coupled to the electrically conductive surface, the lead sized and configured to be positioned in subcutaneous tissue;
• providing an implantable pulse generator including a rechargeable battery, wherein the implantable pulse generator is sized and configured to be positioned in subcutaneous tissue remote from the at least one electrically conductive surface, the implantable pulse generator comprising non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using VHF/UHF signals, and inductive wireless telemetry circuitry using a radio frequency magnetic field, the non-inductive wireless telemetry circuitry being functional at a distance as far as arm's reach away from a patient, and being adapted to receive and transmit VHF/UHF signals for programming and interrogation of the implantable pulse generator, the inductive wireless telemetry circuitry including a coil for receiving the magnetic field from an external controller for recharging the rechargeable battery;
• implanting the at least one electrically conductive surface in a targeted neural or muscular tissue region;
• implanting the lead in subcutaneous tissue;
• implanting the pulse generator in a region remote from the at least one electrically conductive surface;
• coupling the pulse generator to the lead implanted in subcutaneous tissue;
• and
• operating the implantable pulse generator to be responding to the external controller using the non-inductive wireless telemetry and instructing the external controller to increase or decrease the strength of the magnetic field during recharging, while simultaneously, the implantable pulse generator receiving the magnetic field and recharging the rechargeable battery.