Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Scientific Research

Bioness Inc.

Other

Advanced Bionics Corporation

Medical Research Products-b, Inc.

Yitzhak Zilberman

Joseph H Schulman

Arkady Glukhovsky

Ross Davis

Lee Jay Mandell

Arthur Prochazka

Mark Chamberlain

Alfred E Mann

Ronald J Lebel

Charles L Byers

Byron L Moran

Robert Dan Dell

Kate E Purnell

Kate E Fey

Martin J Vogel

Adam Vogel, Legal Representative

Gregoire Cosendai

Albert S Maltan

James M McHargue

Mark L Lindon

Ross Davies

In one embodiment, a method includes implanting an implant entirely under the subject's skin. The implant includes a passive electrical conductor of sufficient length to extend from subcutaneous tissue located below one of a surface cathodic electrode and a surface anodic electrode to the tibial nerve. The surface electrodes are positioned in spaced relationship on the subject's skin, with one of the electrodes positioned over the pick-up end of the electrical conductor such that the portion of the current is transmitted through the conductor to the tibial nerve, and such that the current flows through the tibial nerve and returns to the other of the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode. An electrical current is applied between the surface cathodic electrode and the surface anodic electrode to cause the portion of the electrical current to flow through the implant to stimulate the tibial nerve.

Treatment of indications using electrical stimulation

The present invention provides improvements to an implant, system and method using passive electrical conductors which route electrical current to either external or implanted electrical devices, to multiple target body tissues and to selective target body tissues. The passive electrical conductor extends from subcutaneous tissue located below either a surface cathodic electrode or a surface anodic electrode a) to a target tissue to route electrical signals from the target body tissue to devices external to the body; b) to implanted electrical devices to deliver electrical current to such devices, or c) to multiple target body tissues or to selective target body tissues to stimulate the target body tissues. The conductor has specialized ends for achieving such purposes.

Implant, system and method using implanted passive conductors for routing electrical current

In some embodiments, a method includes inserting at least a distal end portion of an insertion tool within a body. The distal end portion of the insertion tool is coupled to an electronic implant having a stimulation portion, a terminal portion and a substantially flexible conductor disposed between the stimulation portion and the terminal portion. The distal end portion of the insertion tool is moved within the body such that the stimulation portion of the electronic implant is disposed adjacent a target location and the terminal portion of the electronic implant is disposed beneath a skin of the body.

Insertion tools and methods for an electrical stimulation implant

An apparatus includes a percutaneous connection port configured to convey an electrical signal between an electrical device disposed outside of a body and an electrical member disposed within the body. The percutaneous connection port has a distal portion and a proximal portion. The proximal portion includes a surface configured to be accessible from a region of the body. The distal portion includes an anchor configured to be disposed within the body. The anchor has a curved shape about an axis substantially parallel to a skin of the body.

System and method for percutaneous delivery of electrical stimulation to a target body tissue

Implant system and method using implanted passive conductors for routing electrical current

A device configured for implantation beneath a patient's skin for the purpose of tissue, e.g., nerve or muscle, stimulation and/or parameter monitoring and/or data communication. Devices in accordance with the invention are comprised of a sealed housing, typically having an axial dimension of less than 60 mm and a lateral dimension of less than 6 mm, containing a power source for powering electronic circuitry within. A placement structure is shown for facilitating placement of the implantable device proximate to neural/muscular tissue.

Structure for placement of an implantable device

A method of removing an implantable electronic microdevice by an integral removal loop or circumferential ring to facilitate removal of the implanted microdevice without additional surgery. The device is removed by pulling it along the surgically created implantation path. Optionally a radio-opaque tether provides a method of locating the implantable microdevice without additional surgery and attachment of one end of the tether to a radio-opaque marker provides a method of locating the end of the tether to facilitate removal of the implantable microdevice from living tissue.

Method for removing surgically implanted devices

A method for facilitating placement of an implantable device configured for implantation beneath a patient's skin for the purpose of tissue, e.g., nerve or muscle, stimulation and/or parameter monitoring and/or data communication. A placement structure is shown for facilitating placement of the implantable device proximate to neural/muscular tissue.

Method of placing an implantable device proximate to neural/muscular tissue

A hearing aid system including an implant () configured for insertion into a recess () formed under the skin of the retro-auricular space (), which implant does not occlude the ear canal (). The implant includes electronic circuitry (), a transducer (65, e.g., speaker), antenna (), and power source (). The hearing aid also includes an external module (), which module includes a microphone (), electronics (), antenna (), and power source (). A telemetry link () between the external module antenna and the implant antenna allows transmissions between the microphone module and the implant.

Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid

The invention discloses methods of making electrical connections in living tissue between an electrically conductive wire and an implantable miniature device. The device may either stimulate muscles or nerves in the body or detect signals and transmit these signals outside the body or transmit the signals for use at another location within the body. The device is comprised of an electrically insulating or electrically conductive case with at least one electrode for transmitting electrical signals. The electrodes and the wire-electrode connections are protected from the aggressive environment within the body to avoid corrosion of the electrode and to avoid damage to the living tissue surrounding the device.

Miniature implantable connectors

A system of implantable sensor/stimulation devices that is configured to communicate with a prosthetic device, e.g., an artificial limb, via a wireless communication link, preferably bidirectionally. By communicating between the implantable devices coupled to neural pathways within a man and motor/sensor interfaces in the prosthetic device, a machine, a man/machine interface is established to replace an absent limb. Systems of the present invention may extend to prosthetic devices, e.g., cranes or the like, that further extend the man/machine interface to allow a man to control a &ldquo;large&rdquo; remote piece of machinery directly via neural control.

Method and apparatus for coupling an implantable stimulator/sensor to a prosthetic device

A system for enhancing a patient's hearing using electrically driven sound transducer, i.e., a speaker, implanted in the patient's middle ear cavity. More particularly, the speaker is implanted in the middle ear cavity inward of the tympanic membrane and oriented to direct sound energy toward the ossicles or the round window. In a first arrangement, the speaker functions to vibrate the ossicles and thus, via the oval window, actuate the perilymph in the cochlea. In an alternative arrangement, the speaker functions to actuate the cochlea via sound injected into the round window.

Hearing aid system including speaker implanted in middle ear

A system for enhancing hearing comprised of both a middle ear implant and a cochlear implant. The system directs signals relating to lower frequency sound to the middle ear implant and signals relating to higher frequency sound to the cochlear implant. The middle ear implant comprises an electrically driven actuator, e.g., a speaker, for vibrating the middle ear ossicles via air conducted sound energy or a mechanical transducer for physically contacting and mechanically vibrating the ossicles. The cochlear implant includes electrodes preferably implanted at a shallow level at the basal end of the cochlea.

Hybrid middle ear/cochlea implant system

A hearing aid comprised of conventional cochlear implant electronics implanted in the middle ear and coupled to an actuator configured to mechanically vibrate the middle ear ossicles. The implant electronics, typically used for driving an electrode array implanted in the cochlea, is used instead to supply electric drive signals to the actuator for mechanically vibrating the ossicles.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Clarita, CA, United States of America

Yitzhak Zilberman