Neurostimulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10016612-B2
Application number	US-201615376294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2016
Priority date	Aug 19, 2002
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

Methods and devices for stimulating nerves are disclosed. In one embodiment adapted for stimulating excitable tissue, the invention includes drive circuitry, an acoustic transducer and a pair of electrodes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An implantable neurostimulator comprising:
a first electrode electrically coupled to a first piezoelectric material;
a second electrode electrically coupled to the first piezoelectric material;
a third electrode electrically coupled to a second piezoelectric material;
a fourth electrode electrically coupled to the second piezoelectric material;
where the first piezoelectric material is configured to provide an electrical potential to biological tissue through the first and second electrodes in response to an ultrasound signal;
where the second piezoelectric material is configured to provide an electrical potential to biological tissue through the third and fourth electrodes in response to an ultrasound signal;
where the first and second piezoelectric materials have different resonant frequencies;
where the first piezoelectric material is a crystal; and
where the second piezoelectric material comprises either a polymer or a crystal.

2. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the crystal of the first piezoelectric material is quartz.

3. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the crystal of the first piezoelectric material is tourmaline.

4. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , wherein the first and second piezoelectric materials are physically configured to facilitate insertion of the implantable neurostimulator into biological tissue.

5. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 4 , where the implantable neurostimulator is capable of being inserted into biological tissue using a 16 gauge needle.

6. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the first and second piezoelectric materials are mechanically coupled.

7. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the first piezoelectric material is made of a different composition than the second piezoelectric material.

8. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the first and second piezoelectric materials have resonant frequencies that are sufficiently dissimilar such that when the implantable neurostimulator is subjected to an ultrasound signal having a frequency equal to the resonant frequency of the first piezoelectric material, the second piezoelectric material does not create a significant electrical potential.

9. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 8 , further comprising a third piezoelectric material having a resonant frequency different from the first and second piezoelectric materials.

10. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 8 , further comprising a fourth piezoelectric material electrically connected in series with the second piezoelectric material, where the fourth piezoelectric material has a resonant frequency substantially the same as the resonant frequency of the second piezoelectric material.

11. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , further comprising a third piezoelectric material electrically connected in series with the first piezoelectric material, where the third piezoelectric material has a resonant frequency having substantially the same as the resonant frequency as the first piezoelectric material.

12. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the second piezoelectric material is a polymer.

13. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 12 , where the polymer is polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

14. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the second piezoelectric material comprises a crystal, and where the crystal is quartz.

15. The implantable neurostimulator of claim 1 , where the second piezoelectric material comprises a crystal, and where the crystal is tourmaline.

Assignees

• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Towe Bruce
• Crisp William

Classifications

• A61N1/3787 Primary

  from an external energy source · CPC title

• A61N1/05

  for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode (A61N1/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N1/37205

  Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula · CPC title

• A61N1/36125

  Details of circuitry or electric components · CPC title

• A61N1/36071

  Pain · CPC title