289 results about "Electrical stimulator" patented technology

A stimulator for stimulating the leg or other parts of the body e.g. the leg in a patient with drop foot is provided, the stimulator being controlled by e.g a foot switch but being reliable in use and therefore commanding acceptance by users. The foot switch has to work in adverse environmental conditions and is subject to repeated use so that its characteristics vary with time. The invention provides a functional electrical stimulator for attachment to the leg that has adaptive characteristics and comprises first and second electrodes for attachment to the leg to apply an electrical stimulus, a foot switch for sensing foot rise or foot strike, a circuit responsive to said foot switch for generating stimulation pulses; and means forming part of said circuit for responding to changes in the resistance characteristics of said switch means by adjusting a corresponding response threshold of said circuit.The invention also provides a two-channel stimulator that offers various possibilities for controlling the signals to be supplied to different muscle groups. For example, means may be provided defining a signal pathway between the first and second channels so that the supply of stimulation pulses in one of said first and second channels can be controlled by the state of switch means associated with the other of said first and second channels. In a further embodiment means defining a signal pathway between the first and second channels is arranged so that the supply of stimulation pulses in one of said first and second channels can be controlled by the state of activity of the other of said first and second channels. In a yet further embodiment the first channel has means arranged to cause the stimulation pulses to time-out after a predetermined period and the second channel having no or disabled timing means so that supply of stimulation pulses is continuous in a predetermined state of limb position responsive switch means associated with that channel. The two-channel stimulator can be used e.g., to treat bilateral dropped foot.

Medical devices and methods are provided for electrical stimulation of neural tissue and controlled drug delivery to a patient. The device includes an implantable drug delivery module which comprises a plurality of reservoirs, a release system comprising at least one drug contained in each of the reservoirs, and control means for selectively releasing a pharmaceutically effective amount of drug from each reservoir; a neural electrical stimulator which comprises a signal generator connected to at least one stimulation electrode for operable engagement with a neural tissue of the patient; and at least one microcontroller for controlling operational interaction of the drug delivery module and the neural electrical stimulator. The microcontroller may control the signal generator and the control means of the drug delivery module. The device may further include a sensor operable to deliver a signal to the microcontroller, for example to indicate when to deliver electrical stimulation, drug, or both.

An implantable stimulator for stimulating muscles or nerves, including, an array of electrodes for electrically stimulating muscles or nerves, a controller for controlling the activity of the electrodes, and wherein the controller is adapted to dynamically select the electrodes that are used to participate in stimulating the muscles or nerves.

An electrical stimulator for providing electrical energy to nerves related to renal function for the purpose of improving and controlling renal function.

A non-invasive electrical stimulator shapes an elongated electric field of effect that can be oriented parallel to a long nerve, such as a vagus nerve in a patient's neck, producing a desired physiological response in the patient. The stimulator comprises a source of electrical power, at least one electrode and a continuous electrically conducting medium in contact with the electrodes. The conducting medium is also in contact with an interface element that may conform to the contour of a target body surface of the patient when the interface element is applied to that surface. When the interface element is made of insulating (dielectric) material, and disclosed stimulation waveforms are used, the power source need not supply high voltage, in order to capacitively stimulate the target nerve. The stimulator is configured to produce a peak pulse that is sufficient to produce a physiologically effective electric field in the vicinity of a target nerve, but not to substantially stimulate other nerves and muscles that lie in the vicinity of the target nerve and patient's skin.

A non-invasive, removable intraoral electrical Stimulator or Pacemaker system and method is described, for electrically-stimulating and re-establishing the tone in the upper pharyngeal dilator muscle, the genioglossus and base-of-tongue muscles, for the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in human adults and young adults. The Stimulator system consists of an intraoral Stimulator device assembly with a rechargeable battery, an external (inductive) Recharger appliance and an external hand-held (inductive) Programmer appliance. The Stimulator device assembly is inserted into the mouth by the OSA patient before sleep time and is removed when awake or during normal activity and placed in the charging cradle of the Recharger appliance for recharging the device battery. The physician uses the hand-held Programmer appliance to determine and set the patient-specific stimulation therapy parameters in the device, at the patient's initial evaluation. The stimulation therapy is delivered either in an open loop configuration without regard to patient's respiration activity, or in a closed loop configuration synchronized to the patient's respiration detected by one or more sensors in the system.

A system for treating patients affected both by hearing loss and by balance disorders related to vestibular hypofunction and/or malfunction, which includes sensors of sound and head movement, processing circuitry, a power source, and an implantable electrical stimulator capable of stimulating areas of the cochlea and areas of the vestibular system.

A medical device known as an implantable neurostimulation system is configured for implanting in humans to deliver a therapeutic electrical stimulation to tissue to treat a variety of medical conditions such as pain, movement disorders, pelvic floor disorders, and many other conditions. The implantable neurostimulation has a housing, a power supply carried in the housing, stimulation electronics coupled to the battery and coupled to a neurostimulator connector block, a stimulation lead, and a lead extension. The lead extension is electrically coupleable between the neurostimulation connector block and the stimulation lead. The extension conductor is composed of an outer surface and an inner core. The outer surface has an outer impedance and the inner core has a core impedance that is substantially lower than the outer impedance. Many embodiments of the low impedance lead extension are possible.

A technique for performing sensing operations in the body subcutaneously employs, in combination, the housing of an electrical stimulator such as a pacemaker or an implantable cardioverter defibrillator and an integral flap member of flexible insulative sheet material which has at least one arm projecting away therefrom to an extreme tip end. Each arm is rolled about itself from the tip end on a lateral axis transverse of the longitudinal axis of the arm into a compact unit adjacent the housing. An incision is made through the skin and a region beneath the skin enlarged to form a cavity. The compact unit is then inserted into the cavity and unrolled about the lateral axis of each arm so as to be laid flat under the skin. When positioned into a desired orientation, each flap member is sutured to the skin to maintain the desired orientation.

A medical electrical lead to conduct electrical stimulation and/or signals between an electrical stimulator and a heart site includes an elongated lead body extending to a proximal connector for attachment to the electrical stimulator. An electrode head at the distal end includes an electrode tip member for fixation to the heart and an electrode backing member fixed to the lead body is releasably attachable to the electrode tip member for transmission of electrical signals between the heart and the electrical stimulator. The electrode tip member may include a first non-conductive base with an outwardly projecting tip electrode and a first mounting member projecting oppositely away from the non-conductive base. The electrode backing member includes a second non-conductive base and a second mounting member thereon adapted for mounting engagement with the first mounting member for selectively releasably but firmly integrating the electrode tip member and the electrode backing member.

Electrical stimulation of specific sensory nerves to control the filling and/or emptying of the urinary bladder. A wireless, injectable microstimulator is implanted into the soft tissues through which the sensory nerves pass, but where they are not normally accessible by conventional open surgical implantation of conventional electrical stimulators or electrodes with leads. In males, the dorsal penile nerves 6 are stimulated by a microstimulator injected into the dorsal quadrant of the penis. The activity induced in these nerves cause the spinal cord to generate reflex responses that result in relaxation of the detrusor muscle, increasing bladder capacity and preventing incontinence as a result of inappropriate bladder contractions. The sensory nerves, such as urethral afferents 4, supplying the urethra are stimulated by a microstimulator implanted into the corpus of the penis, adjacent to the urethra. The activity induced in the urethral afferents 4 cause the spinal cord to generate reflex responses that result in contractions of the detrusor muscle and relaxation of the sphincter 5, emptying the bladder.

A system for treating patients affected both by hearing loss and by balance disorders related to vestibular hypofunction and/or malfunction, which includes sensors of sound and head movement, processing circuitry, a power source, and an implantable electrical stimulator capable of stimulating areas of the cochlea and areas of the vestibular system.

A medical device for use on the human eye is described. The device is placed in an extrocular location in a patient and delivers an electrical current that stimulates the retina of patients who are blind or have vision disorders. It has at least one electrode that makes contact with the scleral surface of the eye, the electrode typically being activated by an electrical stimulator. The device produces electrical pulses which pass through the electrodes on the scleral surface of the eye, to activate the retina of the eye, which causes the patient to experience improved vision, visual sensations or the prevention of deterioration of vision. By this means, sight can be restored or improved where patients have disorders of their retina or other parts of their visual system.

Electrode leads for providing neuromuscular stimulation of the spinal muscles, and methods of implantation of electrode leads, are provided that reduce injury to target muscles, and avoid extended recuperation period, by enabling a clinician to visualize and confirm the implantation site of the electrode leads during an implantation procedure

Apparatus and methods for tethering an electrode lead to an anatomical structure within a patient using a coupling member are provided. An anchor configured to be secured to the anatomical structure and an electrode lead suitable for neuromuscular stimulation of spinal muscles and/or nerves innervating one or more muscles that contribute to spine stability may be used. The electrode lead is configured to be coupled to the anchor via the coupling member by securing a first end of the coupling member to the electrode lead and securing a second end of the coupling member to an eyelet of the anchor to place the electrode lead at a desired anatomical site within the patient.

A system of implanting electrode leads for restoring muscle function to the lumbar spine to treat low back pain is provided. The system provides efficient implantation of the leads, including the ability to verify deployment of anchoring mechanisms on the lead using an impedance assessment, such that the implanted lead may be secured within the patient and used to restore muscle function of local segmental muscles associated with the lumbar spine stabilization system.

Systems and methods are provided to improve respiratory function. Systems include an external electrical stimulator coupled to electrodes that stimulates diaphragm contraction and may optionally include a positive pressure mechanical ventilator. The system further includes an electrode suitable for temporary implantation. Electrical stimulation is provided to specific portions of the diaphragm, such as one hemidiaphragm preferentially over another. By preferentially contracting one hemidiaphragm, a specific portion of a lung may be expanded, such as a posterior portion. By the provision of the negative intrathoracic pressure from diaphragm contraction, greater expansion of specific portion of lung is achieved in relationship to air pressure within the lung, thereby improving compliance. Supplementation of stimulated diaphragm contraction with positive pressure driven air flow from a PPMV directs the air flow to specific portions of the lung. Such portion may include a posterior portion of a lung, and may cause a clearing of atelectasis in that portion.

A system and apparatus for allowing a trainee to replicate the body movements of a trainer. A trainer's instructional body movements are recorded using sensors on the trainer's garment and then stored in a computer. A trainee's body movements are then recorded using a similar set of sensors on the trainee's garment. The computer can then compare the trainer and trainee body movements to assist the trainee in better replicating the trainer's body movements. The trainee's garment can be provided with physical devices, such as neuromuscular electrical stimulators and/or robotic actuators, to physically assist the trainee in real time to better replicate the trainer's body movements. Such physical devices may also be included on the trainer's garment so that the trainer can better understand any mistakes made by the trainee.

The invention provides a multifunctional implanted gastrointestinal electrical stimulation system in the technical field of medical apparatus and instruments. The system comprises an in-vivo implantation device and an in-vitro control device and has the functions of multichannel gastrointestinal electrical stimulation signal generation, in-vivo gastrointestinal track pressure detection, in-vivo gastrointestinal electrical detection and in-vitro wireless charging, wherein the in-vivo implantation device comprises an energy receiving coil, an implanted electrical stimulator, a stimulating electrode, a detection electrode and a minitype pressure sensor. According to the invention, the setting and regulation of electrical stimulation parameters and transmission of various control commands can be flexibly achieved through the wireless communication between the in-vitro control device and the in-vivo implantation device, and the in-vivo implantation device can transmit the in-vivo gastrointestinal track pressure and the gastrointestinal electrical detection result to the in-vitro control device in real time for receiving and storage. By using the system, the working life of a device can be greatly prolonged without frequently changing a battery when operation is carried out; and the limitation of the millisecond-stage impulse in the existing gastrointestinal stimulator is broken through, the intestinal pressure and intestinal electrical measurement accuracy can be improved, and convenience is provided for detecting or researching the effect of the gastrointestinal electric stimulation.