Neopraxis Pty. Limited

Andrew Barriskill

Michael Duncan

Ian Bruinsma

Zoran Milijasevic

Simon Geoffrey Parker

A functional electrical stimulation system () for controlling the movement of a portion of a body of a subject (), such as the subject's legs. The system () comprises a sensor () that in one arrangement is mountable to a portion of the subjects' body other than the legs, for example the torso (). In another arrangement, the sensor () can be mountable to a walking aid, such as a crutch (). The sensor () outputs signals representative of the position and/or movement of the torso () or walking aid (). The system () also comprises a control means () that receives and processes the signals output by the sensor () and outputs control signals to a stimulator () adapted to provide electrical stimulation to the legs via electrodes () in response to the position and/or movement of the torso () or walking aid () as determined by the sensor ().

Interface to FES control system

A multi-purpose, implantable stimulator for use in an FES system includes a housing, implantable into a patient's body. The housing contains a receiving device and a control unit, the control unit receiving signals from the receiving device which, in turn, receives signals transcutaneously from a controller arranged externally of the patient's body. A plurality of leads extend from the housing, the leads being arranged in separate bundles of discrete leads, each bundle being associated with a particular site of the patient's body.

FES stimulator having multiple bundled leads

A multi-purpose FES system includes a multi-function, implantable stimulator for stimulating different sites in a patient's body. The stimulator includes a control unit and a receiving device. The stimulator further has a plurality of bundles of electric leads connected to the control unit, each lead terminating in at least one electrode to provide a plurality of discrete groups of electrodes associated with each site. Each group of electrodes is operable to stimulate its associated site in the patient's body, under the action of stimulation signals from the control unit, the control unit receiving signals from the receiving device. A transmitter is arranged externally of the patient's body for supplying signals transcutaneously to the receiving device of the stimulator. A controller is in communication with the transmitter via a communications interface unit.

Multi-purpose FES system

A multi-purpose, functional electrical stimulation (FES) system 10 includes an implantable stimulator unit 12 for stimulating a plurality of different sites in a patient's body 14. A transmitter 20 is arranged externally of the patient's body 14 for supplying signals transcutaneously to the stimulator unit 12. A controller 16 is in communication with the transmitter 20. At least one implantable switching node 26 has an input terminal 30 in electrical communication with the stimulator unit 12 and a plurality of output terminals to each of which one of a further switching node 26 and a stimulating element 24 is connected. The switching node 26 including addressing circuitry 44 for switching at least one output terminal into electrical connection with the input terminal 30 of the switching node 26 in response to a control signal received from the controller 16 via the stimulator unit 12.

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Lane Cove, Australia

Andrew Barriskill