Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research

Electronic Teacher's Aids, Inc.

Howard H Stover

Joseph H Schulman

John Charles Gord

Charles L Byers

Guangqiang Jiang

Ross Davis

Lawrence J Karr

Brian J Lasater

Fred P Alexander

Kenneth E Alexander

Gary L Heiner

A brain implant device includes a housing containing communication and control electronics coupled to a conduit configured for monitoring signals from a brain's motor cortex and providing stimulation signals to the brain's sensory cortex. The brain implant device is capable of wireless communication with an external communication and control signal source by means of an antenna provided in the housing. The conduit is flexible and may contain upwards of 128 electrical conductors providing electrical connections between the device electronics and related sites on the motor and/or sensory cortex by means of a plurality of electrically conductive protuberances extending from the conduit and adapted for contact with such sites.

Brain implant device

The invention is an antenna for use with an implantable microdevice, such as a microstimulator or microsensor, having a dipole antenna that is formed by ceramic processes on the inner or outer surface of the ceramic case of the microdevice. The antenna receives data transmitted from an external device, and transmits data to an external device. A dipole antenna may be formed from two radiating elements separated by an insulating material. A tuning circuit comprising capacitors and/or inductors is used to obtain resonance in the dipole antenna. In a preferred embodiment, the antenna is formed of a biocompatible material by applying a metal-containing paste to the ceramic case of the microdevice and thermally processing it.

Antenna on ceramic case

Communication techniques are described that can improve signal reception from an implanted wireless device to a main control unit (MCU) while in the presence of a narrowband interferer. The implanted wireless device can be any appropriate device such as a microtransponder, microstimulator, a sensor device or a drug delivery device. The MCU captures samples of signals emanating from the wireless device during an expected transmission time interval. The captured samples are evaluated and transformed into a series of spectral terms that are then evaluated to identify narrowband interference signals. The identified narrowband interference terms can be initialized to a null value to remove the signal spectrum resulting from the communication, and an inverse transformation can be used to generate a time domain signal that is free from interference. Overlapping windows and other signal processing techniques can also be applied to improve overall communications.

Narrowband interference excision in the external controller of an implanted microstimulator network

A circuit may be tuned to resonate at a driving frequency. The circuit includes a source that provides an output at a drive frequency and a resonant circuit having an input coupled to the source, an output, and first and second selectable resonant frequencies. The first resonant frequency is below the drive frequency and the second resonant frequency is above the drive frequency. A control coupled to the resonant circuit output selects the first and second resonant frequencies to cause the resonant circuit to provide an output at an apparent resonant frequency equal to the drive frequency.

System, circuit and method for tuning a resonant circuit

An improved antenna for use with an implantable microdevice, such as a microstimulator or microsensor, comprises a loop antenna on the case of the microdevice. The antenna receives data transmitted from an external device, and transmits data to an external device. Such a loop antenna may be formed from two cylindrical sections separated by an insulating material on the case of the microdevice, or by separating a metal cylinder into two parallel semi-cylinders separated by an insulating material. A tuning circuit comprising capacitors and/or varactors is used to obtain resonance in the loop antenna, thus creating a sufficiently large effective antenna aperture. In a preferred embodiment, the electrodes of the microdevice are modified to both perform their primary task of tissue stimulation and to perform a secondary task as the radiating elements of a loop antenna.

Antenna for miniature implanted medical device

The specification discloses a hand-held calculator particularly adapted for dimensional or measurement calculations. The calculator includes keys for indicating a different dimension system (e.g. feet, yards, meters) associated with each number inputted, enabling calculations to be performed on numbers from mixed dimension systems. All inputted measurements are converted to decimal feet internally to simplify calculations and simplify conversion structure and routines. Preferably, a dimension power (e.g. square or cubic) can also be associated with each input number as necessary; and the calculator calculates and displays the proper dimension power resulting from any calculation. Further preferably, the calculator includes a keyboard enabling lumber dimensions to be easily inputted for board feet calculations.

Growing community of inventors

Pasadena, CA, United States of America

Howard H Stover