Stimwave Technologies Incorporated

Curonix LLC

Micron Devices LLC

Richard LeBaron

Laura Tyler Perryman

Chad David Andresen

Patrick Larson

Andrej Simeunovic

An antenna assembly includes a metal layer configured to emit linearly polarized electromagnetic energy to a receiving antenna implanted underneath a subject's skin; and a feed port configured to connect the antenna assembly to a signal generator such that the antenna assembly receives an input signal from the signal generator and then transmits the input signal to the receiving dipole antenna, wherein the antenna assembly is less than 200 um in thickness, and wherein the metal layer is operable as a dipole antenna with a reflection ratio of at least 6 dB, the reflection ratio corresponding to a ratio of a transmission power of the antenna assembly in transmitting the input signal and a reflection power seen by the antenna assembly resulting from electromagnetic emission of the input signal.

Antenna assembly for supplying power to an implantable neural stimulator device

Implementations provide a method that includes: placing a controller device over a surface region of the patient where the implantable wireless stimulation device has been implanted; configuring the controller device to (i) monitor a return loss representing electrical power reflected from the implantable wireless stimulation device to the controller device; (ii) compute a first path loss metric based on a first monitored return loss when the controller device is place over a first location within the surface region; (iii) compute a second path loss metric based on a second monitored return loss when the controller device is over a second location within the surface region; and (iv) generate a feedback to an operator to indicate whether the second path loss is smaller than the first path loss such that the controller device is placed at a location with more electrical energy non-inductively transferred to the implantable wireless stimulation device.

Systems and methods to locate an implantable stimulator device inside a subject

A method includes: transmitting a first set of radio-frequency (RF) pulses to an implantable wireless stimulator device such that electric currents are created from the first set of RF pulses and flown through a calibrated internal load on the implantable wireless stimulator device; in response to the electric currents flown through a calibrated internal load, recording a first set of RF reflection measurements; transmitting a second set of radio-frequency (RF) pulses to the implantable wireless stimulator device such that stimulation currents are created from the second set of RF pulses and flown through an electrode of the implantable wireless stimulator device to tissue surrounding the electrode; in response to the stimulation currents flown through the electrode to the surrounding tissue, recording a second set of RF reflection measurements; and characterizing an electrode-tissue impedance by comparing the second set of RF reflection measurements with the first set of RF reflections measurements.

Systems and methods to sense stimulation electrode tissue impedance

An antenna assembly includes: a wearable antenna including a conductive signal layer having a radiating surface; a feed conductive layer; and an insulating layer in between the conductive signal layer and the feed conductive layer, and wherein the conductive signal layer, the feed conductive layer, and the insulating layer are fabric-based, wherein the wearable antenna is shaped and sized to be embedded in a subject's clothing with sufficient flexibility to be stretched and bent as the subject implanted with a passive implantable stimulator device maintains routine daily activities, and wherein the wearable antenna is electrically tuned and configured to have the radiating surface of the conductive signal layer facing the subject's skin and a feed point of the feed conductive layer connecting to a controller such that the wearable antenna is non-inductively coupled to the implanted passive stimulator device to supply power the passive implantable stimulator device wirelessly and non-inductively.

Fabric antenna

A passive implantable relay module includes a first coupler arm configured to wirelessly receive electromagnetic energy radiated through electric radiative coupling from a transmitting antenna located outside a subject's body; a second coupler arm; and a connector portion comprising a first metal core and a first dielectric coating surrounding the first metal core, the connector portion configured to connect the first coupler arm to the second coupler arm such that when the passive implantable relay module is implanted inside the subject's body and the transmitting antenna initiates wireless energy transfer to the first coupler arm via non-inductive coupling, electromagnetic waves carrying the electromagnetic energy received at the first coupler arm propagate along the first metal core to arrive at the second coupler arm, where the electromagnetic energy arriving is wirelessly transferred, again via non-inductive coupling, to a receiving antenna on a passive wireless neural stimulator device.

Systems and methods for implantable stimulator

A patch antenna assembly that includes a signal metal layer configured to emit linearly polarized electromagnetic energy to a receiving antenna implanted up to 12 cm underneath a subject's skin; a signal metal layer substrate on which the signal metal layer substrate is positioned; a ground plane located next to the signal metal layer substrate and further away from the subject's skin; a microstrip and capacitance adjustment pad metal layer substrate located next to the ground plane; and a microstrip and capacitance adjustment pad metal layer next to the microstrip and capacitance adjustment pad metal layer substrate, the microstrip and capacitance adjustment pad metal layer comprising: a capacitance adjustment pad configured to adjust a resonant frequency of the patch antenna assembly; and a microstrip attached to the capacitance adjustment pad and configured to induce the emitted electromagnetic energy to be linearly polarized along a longitudinal direction of the microstrip.

Patch antenna assembly

Implantable relay module

An antenna assembly includes: an antenna including: a metal signal layer having a radiating surface; and a feed port; and a waveguide surrounding the antenna and configured to guide electromagnetic energy transmitted from the radiating surface in a direction away from the antenna; and a controller module connected to the feed port and configured to drive the antenna to transmit electromagnetic energy from the radiating surface; wherein the antenna, waveguide, and controller module are configured such that, when the controller module drives the antenna, the transmitted electromagnetic energy matches a reception characteristic of an implantable device and is sufficient for the implantable device to create one or more electrical pulses of sufficient amplitude to stimulate neural tissue of a patient, solely using electromagnetic energy received from the antenna, when the implantable device is located at least 10 centimeters away from the antenna.

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Miami Beach, FL, United States of America

Richard LeBaron