146 results about "Electrode implant" patented technology

Introducing one or more stimulating drugs to the brain and / or applying electrical stimulation to the brain is used to treat epilepsy. At least one implantable system control unit (SCU) produces electrical pulses delivered via electrodes implanted in the brain and / or drug infusion pulses delivered via a catheter implanted in the brain. The stimulation is delivered to targeted brain structures to adjust the activity of those structures. The small size of the SCUs of the invention allow SCU implantation directly and entirely within the skull and / or brain. Simplicity of the preferred systems and methods and compactness of the preferred system are enabled by the modest control parameter set of these SCU, which do not require or include a sensing feature.

Systems and methods for introducing one or more stimulating drugs and / or applying electrical stimulation to the brain to alleviate pain use at least one implantable system control unit (SCU), producing electrical pulses delivered via electrodes implanted in the brain and / or producing drug infusion pulses, wherein the stimulation is delivered to targeted areas in the brain. In some embodiments, one or more sensed conditions are used to adjust stimulation parameters.

A method of treating a patient and an external programmer for use with a neurostimulator. Electrical stimulation energy is serially conveyed into tissue of the patient via different combinations of electrodes implanted within the patient, thereby creating one or more clinical effects for each of the different electrode combinations. An influence of each of the different electrode combinations on the clinical effect(s) is determined. A graphical indication of the one or more clinical effects is generated based on the determined electrode combination influences. A graphical representation of the electrodes is displayed. The graphical indication of the clinical effect(s) is displayed adjacent the graphical electrode representation, such that a user can view an extent to which each of the different electrode combinations influences the clinical effect(s).

Systems and methods use an implantable pulse generator system for neuromodulation stimulation to treat sexual dysfunction by the unilateral or bilateral stimulation of the left and / or right branches of the dorsal genital nerves using one or more leads and electrodes implanted in adipose or other tissue in the region at or near the pubic symphysis. A neuromodulation stimulation waveform includes at least a variable frequency component and / or a variable duty cycle component and / or a variable amplitude component and / or a variable pause component to ward off habituation.

An external control device for use with a tissue stimulation device and at least one tissue stimulation lead having a plurality of electrodes implanted within a patient comprises a user interface configured for allowing a user to enter first information defining a therapeutic indication and second information defining the location of the at least one tissue stimulation lead relative to an anatomical reference, at least one processor configured for analyzing the first and second information and generating a set of stimulation parameters based on the analysis, and output circuitry configured for transmitting the at least one stimulation parameter set to the tissue stimulation device.

A method for treating an ailment of a patient using at least one electrode implanted within a spinal column of the patient at a T4-T6 spinal nerve level. The method comprises increasing an activation threshold of a side-effect exhibiting neural structure relative to the activation threshold of a dorsal column (DC) nerve fiber of the patient, and applying electrical stimulation energy to the DC nerve fiber via the at least one electrode while the activation threshold of the neural structure is increased, thereby treating the ailment while minimizing stimulation of the neural structure. Another method comprises applying electrical stimulation energy to the spinal column of the patient via the plurality of electrodes, thereby generating a medio-lateral electrical field relative to the spinal column of the patient and treating the ailment.

Systems and methods are provided for applying electrical stimulation and / or introducing one or more stimulating drugs to the brain to treat or prevent aphasia, including through use of at least one system control unit (SCU) for controlling electrical pulses delivered via electrodes implanted in the brain and / or for producing drug infusion pulses to targeted areas in the brain.

Systems and methods according to the present invention relate to a substantially extracorporeal pulse generator system for electrical stimulation of one or more target nerve or their branches using one or more preferably percutaneous leads each having one or more electrodes implanted in, on, around, or near the target nerve. Improved systems include a patch assembly configured to be adhesively mounted to a patient's skin and an electrical stimulation assembly configured to be mechanically mounted to the patch assembly. A preferred patch assembly, in addition to provide mechanical mounting of the stimulation assembly, provides a power source for the stimulation assembly, and may further serve as a return electrode. Associated system components and methods of use are also provided.

A device for pain control or other medical treatments of a patient. The device includes an implantable unit for implantation under the skin of a patient. The implantable unit includes a drug chamber containing a fluid drug, a tube for delivering the fluid drug to a location in the patient's body, an electronic pump for pumping the drug through the tube to the location, a programmable processor for controlling the pump, and an electronic receiver for receiving control signals from outside the patient's body and delivering the control signals to the processor. The device also includes a controller located outside the patient's body for transmitting control signals to said receiver. In preferred embodiments the implantable device also comprises an electrical pulse generator and at least one electrode implanted at a location in said patient's body and connected to said pulse generator wherein said processor is programmed to control said pulse generator to deliver electrical pulsed to said electrode. In a preferred embodiment for the control of pain, the implantable chamber contains a refillable pain-relieving drug that is placed inside the chamber.

A retina implant including a chip adapted to be implanted into the interior of eye in subretinal contact with the retina. The chip has a plurality of pixel elements on a side thereof facing the lens for receiving an image projected into the retina and a plurality of electrodes for stimulating retina cells. The implants further includes a receiver coil for inductively coupling thereinto electromagnetic energy. The receiver coil coupled to a means for converting an alternating voltage induced into the receiver coil in a direct voltage suited for supplying the chip. The receiver coil is configured as a component separate from the chip, and for being positioned on the eye ball outside the sclera. The chip is connected to the receiver coil via a connecting lead which, in the implanted condition interconnects the interior and the exterior of the eye ball.

A gastro-electric stimulation system includes an INS for producing an electrical stimulation signal, at least one medical electrical lead, and at least two electrical contacts. The medical electrical lead has a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being connected to the INS and the distal end being adapted for placement in or near a patient's stomach or appropriate nerve or nerve portion. The electrodes are disposed near the distal end of the medical electrical lead, and the electrodes are electrically connected through the medical electrical lead to the INS to receive the electrical stimulation signal and convey such signal to the selected electrode implant position. The electrical stimulation signal is provided in an amount and manner adapted to decrease the pH of the gastric acid in the patient's stomach and / or to increase the amount of gastric acid produced thereby.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a pulse generator for high impedance electrodes as well as stimulation systems and components for selective stimulation and / or neuromodulation of targeted neural tissue. Targeted neural tissue may include one or more dorsal root ganglia with an electrode implanted on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia. Some other embodiments of the present invention provide methods for selective neurostimulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia as well as techniques for applying neurostimulation to the spinal cord. Still other embodiments of the present invention provide stimulation systems and components for selective stimulation and / or neuromodulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia through implantation of an electrode on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia in combination with a pharmacological agent.

In a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter / defibrillator, cardiac arrhythmias are detected to determine necessary therapeutic action. Cardiac signal information is sensed from far field electrodes implanted in a patient. The sensed cardiac signal information is then amplified and filtered. Parameters such as rate, QRS pulse width, cardiac QRS slew rate, amplitude and stability measures of these parameters from the filtered cardiac signal information are measured, processed and integrated to determine if the cardioverter / defibrillator needs to initiate therapeutic action.

Systems and methods for introducing one or more stimulating drugs and / or applying electrical stimulation to the brain to at least treat or prevent obesity and / or other eating disorders, as well as drug, nicotine and alcohol addiction, uses at least one system control unit (SCU) producing electrical pulses delivered via electrodes implanted in the brain and / or producing drug infusion pulses, wherein the stimulating drug(s) are delivered to targeted areas in the brain.

Systems and methods use an external and / or implantable pulse generator system for neuromodulation stimulation to treat sexual dysfunction by the unilateral or bilateral stimulation of a target nerve A and / or a target nerve B using one or more leads and electrodes implanted in tissue in the pelvic region. The electrical stimulation waveform may be conveyed to the target nerve A electrode for a first predetermined amount of time, and conveyed to the target nerve B electrode for a second predetermined amount of time.

Techniques are provided for use with an implantable medical device for assessing stroke volume or related cardiac function parameters such as cardiac output based on impedance signals obtained using hybrid impedance configurations that exploit a multi-pole cardiac pacing / sensing lead implanted near the left ventricle. In one example, current is injected between a large and stable reference electrode and a ring electrode in the RV. The reference electrode may be, e.g., a coil electrode implanted within the superior vena cava (SVC). Impedance values are measured along a set of different sensing vectors between the reference electrode and each of the electrodes of the multi-pole LV lead. Stroke volume is then estimated and tracked within the patient using the impedance values. In this manner, a hybrid impedance detection configuration is exploited whereby one vector is used to inject current and other vectors are used to measure impedance.

A tissue stimulation system and computer software and method of monitoring a neurostimulation lead having a plurality of electrodes implanted within a patient (e.g., adjacent the spinal cord) is provided. Neurostimulation lead models are provided, each of which includes estimated electrical parameter data (e.g., electrical field potential data) corresponding to a predetermined position of the neurostimulation lead. Electrical energy is transmitted to or from the electrodes, and electrical parameter data (e.g., electrical field potential data) is measured in response to the transmitted electrical energy. The measured electrical parameter data is compared with the estimated electrical parameter data of each of the neurostimulation lead models, and a position of the neurostimulation lead is determined based on the comparison.

A therapeutic neuromodulation system configured for providing therapy to a patient. The therapeutic neuromodulation system comprises a plurality of electrical terminals configured for being respectively coupled to a plurality of electrodes implanted within tissue, analog output circuitry configured for delivering therapeutic electrical energy between the plurality of electrical terminals in accordance with a set of modulation parameters that includes a defined current value, a voltage regulator configured for supplying an adjustable compliance voltage to the analog output circuitry, and control / processing circuitry configured for automatically performing a compliance voltage calibration process at a compliance voltage adjustment interval by periodically computing an adjusted compliance voltage value as a function of a compliance voltage margin. The control / processing circuitry may also be configured for automatically adjusting at least one of the compliance voltage adjustment interval and the compliance voltage margin during the compliance voltage calibration process.

Systems and methods use an external and / or implantable pulse generator system for neuromodulation stimulation to treat sexual dysfunction by the unilateral or bilateral stimulation of a target nerve A and / or a target nerve B using one or more leads and electrodes implanted in tissue in the pelvic region. The electrical stimulation waveform may be conveyed to the target nerve A electrode for a first predetermined amount of time, and conveyed to the target nerve B electrode for a second predetermined amount of time.

Neural activity in the brain arising from a stimulus is monitored. A stimulus is applied to a target structure of the brain and a neural measurement is obtained from at least one electrode implanted in contact with the target structure. The neural measurement is configured to capture a measure of any late response arising in the target structure, typically being a neural response arising after conclusion of an ECAP, such as in the period 1.5-10 ms after stimulus onset. The late response(s) can be a useful biomarker such as of therapeutic ranges of deep brain stimulation, disease progression, medication efficacy, and intra-operative changes.

Techniques are provided for use with an implantable cardiac stimulation device equipped with a multi-pole left ventricular (LV) lead having a proximal electrode implanted near an atrioventricular (AV) groove of the heart of the patient. A left atrial (LA) cardioelectrical event is sensed using the proximal electrode of the LV lead and a corresponding LA cardiomechanical event is also detected, either using an implantable sensor or an external detection system. The electromechanical activation delay between the LA cardioelectrical event and the corresponding LA cardiomechanical event is determined and then pacing delays are set based on the electromechanical activation delay for use in controlling pacing. The pacing delays can include, e.g., AV delays for use with biventricular cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) pacing. Other techniques described herein are directed to exploiting right atrial (RA) cardioelectrical events detected via an RA lead for the purposes of setting pacing delays.

A fitting system and method for fitting a prosthetic hearing implant for a recipient, the implant having an array of electrodes implanted in the recipient's a cochlear. The fitting system comprises: a user interface configured to provide acoustic-based fitting data and receive acoustic-based control inputs; an acoustic test signal generator configured to provide the recipient acoustic test signals generated in response to said acoustic-based control inputs; and a data transformer configured to transform said acoustic-based fitting data to implant-based fitting data for use by the hearing implant.

The present invention relates to a method of determining the position of a deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode which finds the position of the DBS electrode with respect to a deep brain target region, by using a first volume data set containing information on the deep brain target region and a second volume data set containing information on the DBS electrode implanted toward the deep brain target region, and which includes: a first step of generating a subvolume of the deep brain target region from the first volume data set, and also generating a subvolume of the DBS electrode from the second volume data set; and a second step of overlapping and displaying the subvolume of the deep brain target region and the subvolume of the DBS electrode.

A system and method for programming a neurostimulation device coupled to a plurality of electrodes implanted adjacent tissue of a patient are provided. A first electrode configuration corresponding to a first mode of programming the neurostimulation device is defined. A second programming mode of programming the neurostimulation device different from the first programming mode is selected. A second electrode configuration is defined based on the first electrode configuration in response to the selection of the second programming mode. The neurostimulation device is programmed using the second programming mode.

A method of treating a patient and an external programmer for use with a neurostimulator. Electrical stimulation energy is serially conveyed into tissue of the patient via different combinations of electrodes implanted within the patient, thereby creating one or more clinical effects for each of the different electrode combinations. An influence of each of the different electrode combinations on the clinical effect(s) is determined. A graphical indication of the one or more clinical effects is generated based on the determined electrode combination influences. A graphical representation of the electrodes is displayed. The graphical indication of the clinical effect(s) is displayed adjacent the graphical electrode representation, such that a user can view an extent to which each of the different electrode combinations influences the clinical effect(s).