Bluewind Medical Ltd.

Leviticus Cardio Ltd.

Anton Plotkin

Eran Benjamin

Gur Oron

Yossi Gross

Bar Eytan

Amiel Raziel Greenberg

Guri Oron

Alexander Firtel

Yigal Elisha

Michael Zilbershlag

Karin Aharonson-Raz

Power is transmitted to an implanted receiving coil oriented such that an axis of the receiving coil is parallel to skin of a subject. A transmitting coil is in a housing, which is placed against the skin. A central axis of the transmitting coil is perpendicular to the skin. A portion of the transmitting coil is over the receiving coil. A first distance, from the axis of the transmitting coil to a center of the receiving coil, is greater than a second distance, from the axis of the transmitting coil to an inner edge of the portion of the transmitting coil. The first distance is less than a third distance, from the axis of the transmitting coil to an outer edge of the portion of the transmitting coil. Circuitry powers the implant by driving current through the transmitting coil that induces current in the receiving coil.

Antenna configuration

Apparatus for use with a medical implant having a receiving coil. A flexible housing to be placed against skin of a subject includes a flexible transmitting coil and control circuitry for driving a current through the transmitting coil to induce a current in the receiving coil. A sensor coupled to the circuitry determines divergence of a resonance frequency of the transmitting coil when flexed from a nominal resonance frequency of the transmitting coil, occurring in the absence of any forces applied to the transmitting coil. One or more electrical components coupled to the circuitry tune the resonance frequency of the transmitting coil. A switch is coupled to each of the electrical components, the switches including transistors having capacitances that depend on the voltage applied to each switch. The circuitry applies a respective DC voltage to each switch. Other applications are also described.

An apparatus includes an implant that includes circuitry and an elongate housing having a first half and a second half. A paresthesia-inducing electrode is disposed on the first half, and a blocking electrode is disposed on the second half. The circuitry has a first mode in which the circuitry simultaneously drives the paresthesia-inducing electrode to apply a paresthesia-inducing current having a frequency of 2-400 Hz, and the blocking electrode to apply a blocking current having a frequency of 1-20 kHz, and a second mode in which the circuitry drives the blocking electrode to apply the blocking current, but does not drive the paresthesia-inducing electrode to apply the paresthesia-inducing current. The implant is injectable into a subject along a longitudinal axis of the implant. Other embodiments are also described.

Optimization of application of current

Apparatus is provided for use with a medical implant having a receiving coil. A flexible housing to be placed against skin of a subject includes a flexible transmitting coil and control circuitry for driving a current through the transmitting coil to induce a current in the receiving coil. A sensor coupled to the circuitry determines divergence of a resonance frequency of the transmitting coil when flexed from a nominal resonance frequency of the transmitting coil, occurring in the absence of any forces applied to the transmitting coil. One or more electrical components coupled to the circuitry tune the resonance frequency of the transmitting coil. A switch is coupled to each of the electrical components, the switches including transistors having capacitances that depend on the voltage applied to each switch. The circuitry applies a voltage of 30-300 volts to each switch. Other applications are also described.

An excitation unit is configured to induce action potentials by applying an excitatory current to a nerve. A blocking unit is configured to block the induced action potentials from propagating along the nerve by applying a blocking current to the nerve. A sensor unit is configured to detect the induced action potentials in the nerve, and to responsively provide a sensor signal that conveys information about the detected induced action potentials. Circuitry is configured (i) to drive the excitation unit to apply the excitatory current, (ii) to drive the blocking unit to apply the blocking current, (iii) while driving the blocking unit to apply the blocking current, to drive the sensor unit to detect the induced action potentials and provide the sensor signal, (iv) to receive the sensor signal, and (v) in response to the sensor signal, to alter a parameter of the blocking current.

Apparatus is provided, comprising: (a) an implantable excitation unit, configured to induce action potentials in a nerve of a subject by applying an excitatory current; (b) an implantable blocking unit, configured to block the induced action potentials from propagating along the nerve by applying a blocking current; and (c) an extracorporeal controller, comprising circuitry configured: (i) to wirelessly drive the excitation unit to apply the excitatory current, (ii) in a first mode, to wirelessly drive the blocking unit to apply the blocking current while not driving the excitation unit to apply the excitatory current, (iii) in a second mode, to wirelessly drive the blocking unit to apply the blocking current while driving the excitation unit to apply the excitatory current, and (iv) to wirelessly alter a parameter of the blocking current, based on sensing performed while the extracorporeal controller is in the second mode.

Apparatus including an implant is provided, the implant including: a rod-shaped housing, having a distal half and a proximal half, and configured to be injected distally into tissue of a subject; a cathode on the distal half of the housing; an anchor configured to protrude from the proximal half of the housing, no anchor being configured to protrude from the distal half of the housing; an anode; and circuitry disposed within the housing, configured to drive a current between the cathode and the anode. Other embodiments are also described.

Anchors and implant devices

An electrostimulator implant is percutaneously advanceable into tissue of a limb of a subject. The implant comprises (i) an intracorporeal sensor, configured to detect a factor indicative of local blood supply in the tissue of the limb; (ii) an electrode disposed at an outer surface of the implant; (iii) an antenna, configured to wirelessly receive power; and (iv) circuitry, powered by the received power, and configured to drive the electrode to apply a bloodflow-increasing current to the tissue at least in part responsively to the detected factor. Other embodiments are also described.

Implantable electrostimulator for improving blood flow

Apparatus, comprising (1) a first controller comprising at least one first-controller antenna configured to transmit a first wireless power signal having a first signal power; and a first-controller control unit configured to use battery power to drive the first-controller antenna; (2) a second controller, comprising at least one second-controller antenna, configured to transmit a second wireless power signal having a second signal power; and a second-controller control unit, configured to use mains electricity power to drive the second-controller antenna; and (3) an implant, comprising one or more electrodes; at least one implant antenna configured to receive 1-10 percent of the first signal power, and to receive 0.01-1 percent of the second signal power; and circuitry configured to drive the one or more electrodes responsively to the received 1-10 percent of the first signal power, or the received 0.01-1 percent of the second signal power.

Extracorporeal implant controllers

An external transmitter inductive coil can be provided in, on, or with a belt designed to be placed externally around a part of a body of a patient. An implantable device (such as a VAD or other medical device) that is implanted within the patient's body has associated with a receiver inductive coil that gets implanted within that part of the patient's body along with the device. The externally-located transmitter inductive coil inductively transfers electromagnetic power into that part of the body and thus to the receiver inductive coil. The implanted receiver inductive coil thus wirelessly receives the inductively-transferred electromagnetic power, and operates the implant.

Coplanar wireless energy transfer

Apparatus and methods are described, including a medical implant that includes a receiving coil. A transmitting device includes a first transmitting coil, and a second transmitting coil disposed with respect to the first transmitting coil such that a shortest distance from an edge of the second transmitting coil to an edge of the first transmitting coil is within 20% of a length of the receiving coil. A control unit is configured to transmit power to the medical implant by driving a current source to drive a current in a clockwise direction through one of the transmitting coils, and drive a current in a counterclockwise direction through the other one of the transmitting coils. Other applications are also described.

Growing community of inventors

Tel Aviv, Israel

Anton Plotkin