Patent · US Expired

Activation techniques for implantable medical device

US5304206A · kind A · utility

713Cited by
5References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 18, 1991
Grant dateApr 19, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 18, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B2562/0219
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Improvements are disclosed in apparatus and techniques for activating an implantable medical device, such as a neurostimulator adapted to treat and control a disorder of a patient where the disorder is susceptible to relief in response to predetermined modulation of the electrical activity of a selected nerve or group of nerves of the patient. The neurostimulator includes a stimulus generator responsive, when activated, to generate a programmable electrical waveform, and an electrode array electrically connected to the stimulus generator for delivering the waveform to a selected nerve of the patient, such as the vagus nerve. The neurostimulator is also adapted to be programmed to provide the waveform with parameter values selected to stimulate the selected nerve to produce the predetermined modulation of the nerve's electrical activity. The neurostimulator is implemented to respond to a patient initiated signal which may be derived either manually or automatically to selectively activate the stimulus generator. Response to a manually derived signal produces a signal to trigger activation of the stimulus generator. Response to an automatically derived signal indicative of a manifest…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.