A wireless energy transmitter, an implantable electrical pulse stimulator, a method and a system

By introducing a carrier information control mechanism into the wireless energy transmitter system, the problems of high power consumption and electromagnetic exposure of the wireless energy transmitter when continuously transmitting energy are solved, and more efficient and safe energy transmission is achieved.

CN118750778BActive Publication Date: 2025-02-18HANGZHOU SEENEURO MEDICAL CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202411245428.2
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-09-05
Publication Date
2025-02-18
Estimated Expiration
2044-09-05

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

When existing wireless energy transmitters continuously emit energy, they lead to high power consumption, easy heat generation, and excessive electromagnetic exposure.

Method used

A wireless energy transmitter system is designed, including an external main control unit, a wireless energy transmitter unit and an external carrier unit. By sending carrier information to the implanted electrical pulse stimulator, it controls it to output electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation period, and activates the wireless energy transmitting unit during the period when the carrier information is sent to the end of the stimulation period, reducing the waste of wireless energy .

Benefits of technology

It effectively reduces the waste of wireless energy, avoids the problems of heating and excessive electromagnetic exposure, and improves the safety and stability of the system.

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Abstract

The present application provides a wireless energy transmitter, an implantable electrical pulse stimulator, a method and a system. According to an example of the present application, the implantable electrical pulse stimulator may include: an external main control unit, a wireless energy transmitting unit and an external carrier unit; wherein the external carrier unit is used to send carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the carrier information; the external main control unit is connected to the wireless energy transmitting unit and the external carrier unit respectively, and is used to: start the wireless energy transmitting unit during the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period; the wireless energy transmitting unit is used to transmit wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical device technology, and in particular to a wireless energy transmitter, an implantable electrical pulse stimulator, a method and a system. Background Art

[0002] There are two types of existing electrical pulse stimulation systems: internal power supply and external power supply. Internal power supply electrical pulse stimulators require battery cells, are not friendly enough to be implanted in the human body, have relatively large safety risks, are large in size, and are extremely expensive.

[0003] Therefore, there is a demand for electric pulse stimulators with external wireless energy supply. Implantable electric pulse stimulators do not have batteries, and the energy comes from wireless energy transmitters outside the human body. After receiving the energy sent by the external wireless energy transmitter, the implantable electric pulse stimulator outputs electric pulse stimulation energy, which can also achieve the effect of electric pulse stimulation, and the size and price of the product can be greatly reduced.

[0004] In order for the implantable electrical pulse stimulator to work, the wireless energy transmitter needs to be in a continuous wireless transmission state. However, the continuous transmission of energy by the wireless energy transmitter during all stages of electrical pulse stimulation will result in high power consumption, easy heating, and excessive electromagnetic exposure. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the problems existing in the related art, the present application provides a wireless energy transmitter, an implantable electrical pulse stimulator, a method and a system.

[0006] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present application, a wireless energy transmitter is provided, comprising: an external main control unit, a wireless energy transmitting unit and an external carrier unit; wherein:

[0007] The external carrier unit is used to send carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator, so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the carrier information;

[0008] The external main control unit is connected to the wireless energy transmitting unit and the external carrier unit, respectively, and is used to: start the wireless energy transmitting unit during the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period;

[0009] The wireless energy transmitting unit is used to transmit wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator.

[0010] According to a second aspect of the embodiment of the present application, an implantable electrical pulse stimulator is provided, comprising: an internal main control unit, a wireless energy receiving unit and an internal carrier unit; wherein:

[0011] The wireless energy receiving unit is connected to the internal main control unit and is used to: receive the wireless energy continuously emitted by the wireless energy transmitter from the time when the carrier information is sent to the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle, and to power the implantable electrical pulse stimulator;

[0012] The internal carrier unit is connected to the internal main control unit and is used to output the carrier information received from the wireless energy transmitter to the internal main control unit;

[0013] The internal main control unit is used to output electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period according to the received carrier information.

[0014] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation, the method being applied to a wireless energy transmitter, the wireless energy transmitter comprising: an external main control unit, a wireless energy transmitting unit and an external carrier unit;

[0015] The method comprises:

[0016] The external carrier unit sends carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator, so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the carrier information;

[0017] During the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period, the wireless energy transmitting unit transmits wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, there is provided an energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation, the method being applied to an implantable electric pulse stimulator, the implantable electric pulse stimulator comprising: an internal main control unit, a wireless energy receiving unit and an internal carrier unit;

[0019] The method comprises:

[0020] The wireless energy receiving unit receives the wireless energy continuously emitted by the wireless energy transmitter from the time when the carrier information is sent to the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle, and supplies power to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator;

[0021] The internal carrier unit receives the carrier information sent by the wireless energy transmitter;

[0022] The internal main control unit outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period according to the received carrier information.

[0023] According to a fifth aspect of an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an electrical pulse stimulation system, comprising:

[0024] Programmable controller;

[0025] The wireless energy transmitter described in any embodiment of the present application;

[0026] The implantable electrical pulse stimulator described in any embodiment of the present application.

[0027] The technical solution provided by this application may have the following beneficial effects:

[0028] According to the above embodiments, carrier information is sent to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator through an external carrier unit, so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the carrier information. The external main control unit starts the wireless energy transmitting unit during the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period. The wireless energy transmitting unit transmits wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator. There is no need to continuously transmit wireless energy during the idle period after the end of the stimulation period, which greatly reduces the waste of wireless energy and avoids the problems of heating and excessive electromagnetic exposure.

[0029] It should be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in the specification and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiments consistent with the application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the application.

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a stimulation waveform of an electric pulse stimulation energy according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of an electric pulse stimulation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a wireless energy transmitter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of an implantable electrical pulse stimulator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 6 is an interactive diagram of an energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 7is a schematic diagram of a wireless energy waveform and a stimulation waveform according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 8 is a flow chart of another method for supplying energy for electric pulse stimulation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of another wireless energy waveform and stimulation waveform shown in the present application according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementations described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all implementations consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present application as detailed in the appended claims.

[0041] The terms used in this application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit this application. The singular forms of "a", "said" and "the" used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates other meanings. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" used herein refers to and includes any or all possible combinations of one or more associated listed items.

[0042] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in the present application to describe various information, these information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of the present application, the first information may also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information may also be referred to as the first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining".

[0043] Currently, in order to support the operation of implantable electrical pulse stimulators, wireless energy transmitters need to be in a continuous wireless transmission state. Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing a stimulation waveform of electrical pulse stimulation energy. Figure 1 The waveform shown is a stimulation waveform of the electric pulse stimulation energy output by the electric pulse stimulation. The stimulation cycle of the stimulation waveform includes: a P+ period, a P- period and an Idle period.

[0044] Among them, the P+ period is the positive pulse width, the P- period is the negative pulse width, and the Idle period is the idle period. During the Idle period, since there is no need to output the stimulation waveform, the energy continuously emitted by the wireless energy transmitter is invalid, which will cause the power consumption of the wireless energy transmitter to be wasted.

[0045] In order to solve the above problems, the present application proposes an electric pulse stimulation system. To further illustrate the present application, the following embodiments are provided:

[0046] See also Figure 2 , Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electric pulse stimulation system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The electric pulse stimulation system implements the electric pulse stimulation function in the form of an external function. The electric pulse stimulation system may include: a programmer 20, a wireless energy transmitter 21 and an implantable electric pulse stimulator 22.

[0047] The program controller 20 is connected to the wireless energy transmitter 21, and is used to receive stimulation parameters set by the user, and transmit the stimulation parameters to the wireless energy transmitter 21 through wireless communication. The stimulation parameters may include: pulse frequency, pulse width, pulse amplitude, channel information, etc.

[0048] The wireless energy transmitter 21 is used to transmit wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 to achieve external remote energy supply.

[0049] The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 is used to use the wireless energy transmitted by the wireless energy transmitter 21 to output electrical pulse stimulation energy.

[0050] See also Figure 3 , Figure 3 2 is a schematic diagram of a structure of a wireless energy transmitter according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The wireless energy transmitter 21 may include: an external main control unit 210 , a wireless energy transmitting unit 211 and an external carrier unit 212 .

[0051] Among them, the external carrier unit 212 is used for data interaction with the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22, and can send carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the carrier information.

[0052] The external main control unit 210 is connected to the wireless energy transmitting unit 211 and the external carrier unit 212, respectively, and can be used to start the wireless energy transmitting unit 211 during the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period. It can also be used to generate carrier information according to the stimulation parameters and send the carrier information to the external carrier unit 212.

[0053] The wireless energy transmitting unit 211 can be connected to the external carrier unit 212, and is used to transmit wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 through the antenna, so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 obtains wireless energy to work normally.

[0054] The wireless energy transmitter 21 may further include: a wireless communication unit 213 , a stimulation parameter storage 214 and a power supply unit 215 .

[0055] The wireless communication unit 213 is connected to the external main control unit 210 , and is used to receive stimulation parameters set by the user transmitted by the programmer 20 through wireless communication, and output the stimulation parameters to the external main control unit 210 .

[0056] The stimulation parameter storage 214 is connected to the external main control unit 210 and is used to store the stimulation parameters received by the external main control unit 210 from the wireless communication unit 213 .

[0057] The power supply unit 215 is connected to the external main control unit 210 and the wireless energy transmitting unit 211, respectively, and is used to power the entire wireless energy transmitter 21. The wireless energy transmitting unit 211 can split the DC power supply of the power supply unit 215 into high-frequency AC wireless energy, and transmit the wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 through the antenna.

[0058] The carrier information is used to notify the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 to output electrical pulse stimulation energy. The stimulation cycle of electrical pulse stimulation refers to the time interval from the start of one electrical pulse stimulation energy to the start of the next electrical pulse stimulation energy.

[0059] The stimulation cycle may include a stimulation period and an idle period. The stimulation period refers to the time period during which the pulse current or voltage actually acts on the target tissue, and may include one or more pulse widths. The pulse width refers to the length of time that the pulse current or voltage lasts after reaching its maximum value.

[0060] The idle period refers to the time period from the end of one electrical pulse stimulation energy to the beginning of the next electrical pulse stimulation energy, that is, the part of the stimulation cycle excluding the stimulation period.

[0061] The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 obtains the pulse width in, for example, the wireless energy transmitter 21 may carry the pulse width in the carrier information and send it to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22; or it may send a signal carrying the pulse width at the same time as the carrier information; or it may send a signal identifying the pulse width to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 after a pulse width ends. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any restrictions on this.

[0062] by Figure 1Taking the stimulation waveform shown as an example, the P+ period, the P- period and the Idle period can constitute a stimulation cycle, the positive pulse width and the negative pulse width constitute the stimulation period in the stimulation cycle, and the Idle period is the idle period in the stimulation cycle.

[0063] See also Figure 4 , Figure 4 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an implantable electric pulse stimulator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The implantable electric pulse stimulator 22 may include: an internal main control unit 220 , a wireless energy receiving unit 221 and an internal carrier unit 222 .

[0064] The wireless energy receiving unit 221 is connected to the internal main control unit 220, and is used to receive the wireless energy continuously emitted by the wireless energy transmitter 21 from the time when the carrier information is sent to the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle, and to supply power to each unit in the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22;

[0065] The internal carrier unit 222 is connected to the internal main control unit 220 and is used for data interaction with the wireless energy transmitter 21 . It can receive the carrier information sent by the wireless energy transmitter 21 and output the received carrier information to the internal main control unit 220 .

[0066] The internal main control unit 220 is used to output electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the received carrier information.

[0067] The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 may further include: a current source 223 and a channel selection unit 224 .

[0068] The current source 223 is connected to the internal main control unit 220 and is used to adjust the magnitude (current magnitude) of the output electric pulse stimulation energy. The channel selection unit 224 is connected to the internal main control unit 220 and is used to provide a channel for generating electric pulse stimulation energy.

[0069] The internal main control unit 220 can also be used to set the current source 223 to output the current corresponding to the electrical pulse stimulation energy according to the pulse amplitude in the received carrier information; it can also be used to set the channel selection unit 224 to select the corresponding channel to output the electrical pulse stimulation energy according to the channel information in the received carrier information.

[0070] See also Figure 5 , Figure 5 1 is a flow chart of an energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation can be applied to the wireless energy transmitter 21. The method can include the following steps:

[0071] Step 502: The external carrier unit sends carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator, so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the carrier information.

[0072] In this step, the external main control unit 210 generates carrier information according to the stimulation parameters transmitted by the programmer. Before the stimulation period of each stimulation cycle arrives, the external carrier unit 212 sends the carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 .

[0073] When the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 receives the carrier information, the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle has just arrived. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period according to the carrier information.

[0074] To further introduce the interaction process between the wireless energy transmitter 21 and the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22, Figure 6 An interactive diagram showing a method of supplying energy for electrical pulse stimulation is shown. Figure 6 As shown, the wireless communication unit 213 receives the stimulation parameters set by the user transmitted by the programmer 20 through wireless communication, and outputs the stimulation parameters to the external main control unit 210 .

[0075] The external main control unit 210 stores the stimulation parameters in the stimulation parameter memory 214 , generates carrier information according to the stimulation parameters, and sends the carrier information to the external carrier unit 212 .

[0076] The external main control unit 210 periodically sends carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 through the external carrier unit 212 before the transmission duration of the carrier information before the arrival of each stimulation period according to the pulse frequency.

[0077] When the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 receives the carrier information, the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle has just arrived. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 immediately outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period according to the carrier information.

[0078] Step 504: During the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period, the wireless energy transmitting unit transmits wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator.

[0079] In this step, during the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period, the external main control unit 210 starts the wireless energy transmitting unit 211 , and the wireless energy transmitting unit 211 continuously transmits wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 .

[0080] Please continue reading Figure 6 While sending the carrier information, the wireless energy transmitter 21 starts the wireless energy transmitting unit 211 , and the wireless energy transmitting unit 211 starts and keeps transmitting wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 .

[0081] At the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle, the wireless energy transmitter 21 turns off the wireless energy transmitter 211, and the wireless energy transmitter 211 stops transmitting wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 uses the received wireless energy to power the interior and outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period.

[0082] The wireless energy transmitter 21 periodically starts and stops transmitting wireless energy until the electrical pulse stimulation ends.

[0083] See also Figure 7 , Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a wireless energy waveform and a stimulation waveform is shown. The tx waveform represents the wireless energy waveform transmitted by the wireless energy transmitter 21, the rx waveform represents the wireless energy waveform received by the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22, and the pluse waveform represents the stimulation waveform of the electrical pulse stimulation energy output by the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22.

[0084] The wireless energy transmitter 21 periodically sends carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 according to the pulse frequency, and the wireless energy transmitting unit 211 starts and keeps transmitting wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22. The interval at which the wireless energy transmitter 21 transmits wireless energy can represent the pulse frequency.

[0085] Exemplarily, the carrier information may include pulse amplitude, pulse width, channel information, etc. When the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 receives the carrier information, it just reaches the stimulation period of the current stimulation cycle and outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy with positive pulse width and negative pulse width.

[0086] The wireless energy transmitter 21 can calculate the duration of the wireless energy transmission according to the following formula 1:

[0087] (1)

[0088] in, Indicates the duration of wireless energy transmission. represents a pulse width during the stimulation period, Indicates the transmission duration of the carrier information tc1.

[0089] Understandably, Figure 7 The stimulation waveform of the electric pulse stimulation energy shown is only an example and can also be applied to other stimulation waveforms of electric pulse stimulation energy, as long as the energy supply is maintained periodically from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period. The embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0090] In one embodiment, after the carrier information is sent, the wireless energy transmitter 21 starts to listen to the feedback signal of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 .

[0091] Please continue reading Figure 6 The internal main control unit 220 of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 can collect the working status information of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 regularly or periodically and generate a feedback signal. The internal carrier unit 222 can send a feedback signal to the wireless energy transmitter 21.

[0092] The external carrier unit 212 of the wireless energy transmitter 21 receives the feedback signal sent by the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22, and sends the feedback signal to the external main control unit 210. The external main control unit 210 dynamically adjusts the transmission intensity of the wireless energy in the next stimulation cycle according to the feedback signal.

[0093] Among them, the feedback signal is used to reflect the working status information of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator, which may include voltage, current, temperature and other information.

[0094] Please continue reading Figure 7 The internal main control unit 220 can collect the working state information in the positive pulse width and generate a feedback signal ack. The feedback signal ack can be sent to the wireless energy transmitter 21 through the internal carrier unit 222.

[0095] The external main control unit 210 of the wireless energy transmitter 21 dynamically adjusts the transmission intensity of the wireless energy in the next stimulation cycle according to the feedback signal received by the external carrier unit 212 .

[0096] As described above, the feedback signal sent by the implantable electrical pulse stimulator is received through an external carrier unit. According to the feedback signal reflecting the working status of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator, the emission intensity of the wireless energy in the next stimulation period can be dynamically adjusted to ensure that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator can not only output sufficient electrical pulse stimulation, but also does not cause damage to the product due to excessive wireless energy, thereby ensuring safe and effective operation of the system.

[0097] The energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation of the present embodiment sends carrier information to the implantable electric pulse stimulator through an external carrier unit, so that the implantable electric pulse stimulator outputs electric pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle according to the carrier information. The external main control unit starts the wireless energy transmitting unit during the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period. The wireless energy transmitting unit transmits wireless energy to the implantable electric pulse stimulator. There is no need to continuously transmit wireless energy during the idle period after the end of the stimulation period, which greatly reduces the waste of wireless energy and avoids the problems of heating and excessive electromagnetic exposure.

[0098] In addition, the implantable electrical pulse stimulator has the ability to parse carrier information and control the output of electrical pulse stimulation energy. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator works in coordination with the wireless energy transmitter internally and externally, which can output more accurate and stable electrical pulse stimulation energy while reducing energy waste.

[0099] The wireless energy transmitter calculates and controls the cycle of transmitting wireless energy. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator only needs to output electrical pulse stimulation energy according to the received carrier information. There is no need to calculate and control the pulse frequency. Part of the power supply of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator can be transferred to the wireless energy transmitter, making the product size of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator smaller, the long-term operation safety higher, and the operation stability improved.

[0100] See also Figure 8 , Figure 8 FIG. 1 is a flow chart of another method for supplying energy for electric pulse stimulation according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The method for supplying energy for electric pulse stimulation can be applied to an implantable electric pulse stimulator 22. The method may include the following steps:

[0101] Step 802: The wireless energy receiving unit receives the wireless energy continuously transmitted by the wireless energy transmitter from the time when the carrier information is sent to the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle, and supplies power to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator.

[0102] In this step, please continue to Figure 6 The wireless energy receiving unit 221 receives the wireless energy continuously emitted by the wireless energy transmitter 21 from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle, and supplies power to each unit in the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22.

[0103] Step 804: The internal carrier unit receives the carrier information sent by the wireless energy transmitter.

[0104] In this step, the internal carrier unit 222 receives the carrier information sent by the wireless energy transmitter 21, and outputs the received carrier information to the internal main control unit 220. The carrier information may include pulse amplitude and channel information.

[0105] Step 806: The internal main control unit outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period according to the received carrier information.

[0106] In this step, the internal main control unit 220 can analyze the carrier information, and according to the pulse amplitude in the received carrier information, set the current source 223 to output the corresponding stimulation current. According to the channel information in the received carrier information, set the channel selection unit 224 to select the channel corresponding to the channel information to output the electrical pulse stimulation energy.

[0107] At the end of the stimulation period, the internal main control unit 220 turns off the current source 223, and the current source 223 stops outputting stimulation current and no longer outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 periodically outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy until the electrical pulse stimulation ends.

[0108] The energy supply method for electric pulse stimulation of the present embodiment receives the wireless energy continuously emitted by the wireless energy transmitter from the time the carrier information is sent to the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle through the wireless energy receiving unit, and powers the implantable electric pulse stimulator. The internal carrier unit receives the carrier information sent by the wireless energy transmitter, and the internal main control unit outputs the electric pulse stimulation energy during the stimulation period according to the received carrier information. There is no need to continuously emit wireless energy during the idle period after the stimulation period, which greatly reduces the waste of wireless energy and avoids the problems of heat generation and excessive electromagnetic exposure.

[0109] In the above-mentioned embodiment, it is introduced that the waste of wireless energy is reduced by periodically transmitting wireless energy from sending carrier information to the end of the stimulation period. In the following embodiment, a more detailed description will be given on how the implantable electrical pulse stimulator obtains the pulse width, which can be applied to any of the above embodiments.

[0110] In one embodiment, please continue to refer to Figure 6 , the wireless energy transmitter 21 starts timing after sending the carrier information, and waits for the pulse width interval. The external carrier unit 212 of the wireless energy transmitter 21 can send the carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 again.

[0111] The internal carrier unit 222 of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 receives the carrier information sent again by the wireless energy transmitter, and sends the carrier information to the internal main control unit 220. The internal main control unit 220 uses the time interval between the two received carrier information as a pulse width in the stimulation period.

[0112] See also Fig. 9 , Fig. 9 Another schematic diagram of a wireless energy waveform and a stimulation waveform is shown, wherein tc1 represents the carrier information sent by the wireless energy transmitter 21 before the stimulation period arrives, and tc2 represents the carrier information sent again by the wireless energy transmitter 21.

[0113] The wireless energy transmitter 21 sends carrier information tc1 before the stimulation period arrives. The carrier information tc1 may include pulse amplitude and channel information. After sending the carrier information tc1, it waits for the pulse width interval and sends the carrier information tc2 to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22. The end time interval of the carrier information tc1 and the carrier information tc2 is a pulse width.

[0114] The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 starts to work after receiving sufficient wireless energy, and immediately outputs electrical pulse stimulation energy with a positive pulse width according to the carrier information tc1 after receiving the carrier information tc1.

[0115] At the same time, the time interval between receiving the carrier information tc2 and the carrier information tc1 is recorded, and this time interval is a pulse width pw. When the current output time of the second group of negative electrical pulse stimulation energy reaches a pulse width pw, the current output is turned off.

[0116] It can be understood that the wireless energy transmitter 21 can also simplify the carrier information sent for the second time into an identification signal. When the second pulse width in the stimulation cycle arrives, the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 receives the identification signal. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 uses the time interval between the received carrier information and the identification signal as a pulse width in the stimulation period.

[0117] As described above, the wireless energy transmitter waits for the pulse width interval after sending the carrier information, and then sends the carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator again. The implantable electrical pulse uses the time interval between the two received carrier information as the pulse width, and uses the time difference between the two carrier information to characterize the pulse width. There is no need to carry the pulse width through the carrier information, which can reduce the content carried by the carrier information, shorten the sending time of the carrier information, and further reduce the emitted wireless energy.

[0118] In one embodiment, the carrier information includes at least one of the following: pulse amplitude, channel information, and identification information, wherein the identification information is used to output electrical pulse stimulation energy in a fixed channel and fixed pulse amplitude scenario.

[0119] In a fixed-channel electrical pulse stimulation scenario, the carrier information may only include the pulse amplitude, and the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 only needs to set the output current according to the pulse amplitude in the carrier information.

[0120] In a fixed current electrical pulse stimulation scenario, the carrier information may only include channel information, and the implantable electrical pulse stimulator 22 only needs to set the output channel according to the channel information in the carrier information.

[0121] In the electric pulse stimulation scenario of fixed channel and fixed current, the carrier information may only include identification information, and the implantable electric pulse stimulator 22 only needs to output electric pulse stimulation energy according to the fixed channel and fixed current based on the identification information in the carrier information.

[0122] As described above, by carrying at least one of the pulse amplitude, channel information, and identification information in the carrier information, the content carried by the carrier information can be further reduced in scenarios such as fixed current and fixed channel, thereby minimizing the holding time of the transmitted wireless energy and reducing the waste of wireless energy power consumption.

[0123] The above describes specific embodiments of the present application. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recorded in the claims can be performed in an order different from that in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. In addition, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order or continuous order shown to achieve the desired results. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0124] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the inventions claimed herein. The present application is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

[0125] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A wireless energy transmitter, characterized in that: include: An external main control unit, a wireless energy transmitting unit and an external carrier unit; wherein, The external carrier unit is used to send carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator before the stimulation period of each stimulation cycle arrives, so that the implantable electrical pulse stimulator uses the time from receiving the carrier information to stopping the transmission of wireless energy as the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle; The external main control unit is connected to the wireless energy transmitting unit and the external carrier unit, respectively, and is used to: start the wireless energy transmitting unit during the period from sending the carrier information to the end of the stimulation period; The wireless energy transmitting unit is used to transmit the wireless energy to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator; The external carrier unit is also used to wait for the pulse width interval after sending the carrier information, and send the carrier information to the implantable electrical pulse stimulator again, so that the implantable electrical pulse uses the time interval between two receipts of the carrier information as the pulse width.

2. The wireless energy transmitter according to claim 1, characterized in that: The external carrier unit is further used for: receiving a feedback signal sent by the implantable electrical pulse stimulator, and sending the feedback signal to the external main control unit; wherein the feedback signal is used to reflect the working status information of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator; The external main control unit is further used to adjust the emission intensity of the wireless energy in the next stimulation cycle according to the feedback signal.

3. An implantable electrical pulse stimulator, characterized in that: include: Internal main control unit, wireless energy receiving unit and internal carrier unit; wherein, The wireless energy receiving unit is connected to the internal main control unit and is used to: receive the wireless energy continuously emitted by the wireless energy transmitter from the time when the carrier information is sent to the end of the stimulation period of the stimulation cycle, and to power the implantable electrical pulse stimulator; The internal carrier unit is connected to the internal main control unit and is used to output to the internal main control unit the carrier information sent by the wireless energy transmitter before the stimulation period of each stimulation cycle; The internal main control unit is used to use the time from receiving the carrier information to stopping the transmission of the wireless energy as the stimulation period; The internal carrier unit is further used to receive the carrier information sent again by the wireless energy transmitter, and send the carrier information to the internal main control unit; The internal main control unit is further used to use the time interval between two received carrier information as the pulse width in the stimulation period.

4. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The internal main control unit is also used for: Collecting the working status information of the implantable electrical pulse stimulator and generating a feedback signal; The internal carrier unit is further used to send the feedback signal to the wireless energy transmitter, so that the wireless energy transmitter adjusts the transmission intensity of the wireless energy in the next stimulation cycle according to the feedback signal.

5. The implantable electrical pulse stimulator according to claim 3, characterized in that: The carrier information includes at least one of the following: pulse amplitude, channel information, and identification information; wherein the identification information is used to output electrical pulse stimulation energy under a fixed channel and fixed current scenario.

6. An electrical pulse stimulation system, characterized in that: include: Programmable controller; The wireless energy transmitter according to any one of claims 1 to 2; And, the implantable electrical pulse stimulator as described in any one of claims 3 to 5.

Citation Information

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