Cortical visual prosthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9861820-B2
Application number	US-201615154757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 13, 2016
Priority date	May 13, 2015
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

The present invention consists of an implantable device with a hermetic electronics package that houses electronics. The hermetic package is attached to a flexible circuit electrode array having its electrodes arranged in a trapezoidal electrode array field that is suitable to stimulate the visual cortex. The hermetic electronics package is provided with a fixation structure that secures, protects and dissipates heat from the electronics package. The entire implantable device can be entirely implanted within the head.

First claim

What we claim is:

1. An implantable device comprising:
a hermetic package enclosing an electronic circuit suitable to be implanted within a head;
a flexible circuit including a plurality of electrodes, each electrode including a plurality of common sub-electrodes, electrically coupled to the electronic circuit suitable to contact the visual cortex; and
a wireless transceiver electrically coupled to the electronic circuit for receiving data from a transceiver external to the body that determines the simulation pattern and strength for each electrode.

2. The implantable device according to claim 1 , with further comprising a transmitter suitable to send data such as electrode impedance and implant self-diagnostics wirelessly to a transceiver external to the body.

3. The implantable device according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmitter suitable to send data derived from neural activity at the electrodes wirelessly to a transceiver external to the body.

4. The implantable device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible circuit includes electrodes arranged in a trapezoidal shape.

5. The implantable device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mounting fixture enclosing the hermetic package and defining voids suitable to attach the mounting fixture to a skull.

6. The implantable device according to claim 5 , further defining voids suitable to accept screws for attaching the mounting fixture to a skull.

7. The implantable device according to claim 5 , further comprising a cover plate suitable to protect the hermetic package from impact.

8. The implantable device according to claim 1 , further comprising a coil for sending and/or receiving data.

9. The implantable device according to claim 8 , wherein the coil is on an opposite side of the hermetic package from the flexible circuit.

10. The implantable device according to claim 8 , wherein the coil is positioned on hermetic package 90 degrees from the flexible circuit.

11. The implantable device according in to claim 1 , further comprising at least one electrode that is within a field of sub-electrodes, but not common to the sub-electrodes.

12. The implantable device according to claim 1 , further comprising groups of sub-electrodes that are separately controllable.

13. The implantable device according to claim 1 , when the sub-electrodes protrude slightly from the surface of the electrode array and are suitable to protrude into the cortical tissue.

14. The implantable device according to claim 1 , when the electrodes protrude slightly from the surface of the electrode array and are suitable to protrude into the cortical tissue.

Assignees

• Second Sight Medical Products Inc

Inventors

• Greenberg Robert J
• Talbot Neil
• Datta Proyag
• Tobey Dustin
• Zhou Dao Min
• Dorn Jessy

Classifications

• A61N1/3606 Primary

  adapted for a particular treatment · CPC title

• A61N1/36135

  using physiological parameters · CPC title

• A61N1/37217

  characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile · CPC title

• A61N1/0531

  Brain cortex electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/3758

  Packaging of the components within the casing · CPC title