US 8,185,212 B2 · Chair pad charging and communication system for a battery-powered microstimulator

Abstract

A system and method are provided for both recharging and communicating with a stimulator having a rechargeable battery, which stimulator is implanted deeply in the body, in particular where the stimulator is a microstimulator, the system includes a base station and an external device, for instance a chair pad. The chair pad may contain an antenna/charging coil and a booster coil. The antenna/charging coil can be used for charging the rechargeable battery and also for communicating with the stimulator using frequency shift keying and on-off keying. The booster coil can be used to recharge a battery depleted to zero volts. The base station connected to the chair pad may be used to power the antenna/charging coil and the booster coil.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for recharging and communicating with an implantable medical device having a rechargeable battery, wherein the implantable medical device is initially in a depletion mode in which the rechargeable battery cannot be recharged, comprising:

temporarily driving a booster coil to produce a first magnetic field;
receiving the first magnetic field at the implantable medical device, wherein the first magnetic field sets the implantable medical device from the depletion mode to a charging mode;
and
thereafter driving a charging coil to produce a second magnetic field that inductively charges the rechargeable battery in accordance with the regular charging mode.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

12/849,473Filed 3 Aug 2010 · division

Priority

28 Jun 2002

Published

US 2010/0298910 A125 Nov 2010

Granted

22 May 2012

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification47 codes

A61N 1/37276
Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data: characterised by…
A61N 1/3605
For stimulation: implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
A61N 1/37205
Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators: microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
A61N 1/37217
Means for communicating with stimulators: characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile

Family

Application60/392,475Us provisional application · filed 28 Jun 2002

Application10/609,449Parent of this division · filed 27 Jun 2003

US 2010/0298910 A1Pre-grant publication · published 25 Nov 2010

US 2004/0098068 A1Published application

US 8,185,212 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Chair pad charging and communication system for a battery-powered microstimulator

Life of this patent

Chair pad charging and communication system for a battery-powered microstimulator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19