Remote control of power or polarity selection for a neural stimulator

摘要

An implantable neural stimulator includes one or more electrodes, at least one antenna, and one or more circuits connected to the at least one antenna. The one or more electrodes are configured to apply one or more electrical pulses to excitable tissue. The antenna is configured to receive one or more input signals containing polarity assignment information and electrical energy, the polarity assignment information designating polarities for the electrodes. The one or more circuits are configured to control an electrode interface such that the electrodes have the polarities designated by the polarity assignment information; create one or more electrical pulses using the electrical energy contained in the input signal; and supply the one or more electrical pulses to the one or more electrodes through the electrode interface so that the one or more electrical pulses are applied according to the polarities designated by the polarity assignment information.

主权项

1. An implantable neural stimulator comprising:
one or more electrodes configured to apply one or more electrical pulses to excitable tissue; at least one antenna, wherein the antenna is configured to: receive, from a separate antenna through electrical radiative coupling, one or more input signals containing polarity assignment information and electrical energy, the separate antenna being physically separate from the implantable neural stimulator and the polarity assignment information designating polarities for the electrodes; and one or more circuits connected to the at least one antenna and configured to: control an electrode interface such that the electrodes have the polarities designated by the polarity assignment information; extract electrical energy from the received one or more input signals; create one or more electrical pulses suitable for stimulation of the excitable tissue using the extracted electrical energy contained in the input signal; and supply the one or more created electrical pulses to the one or more electrodes through the electrode interface such that the one or more electrodes apply the one or more electrical pulses to the excitable tissue according to the polarities designated by the polarity assignment information, wherein: the at least one antenna is configured to transmit, to the separate antenna through electrical radiative coupling, one or more stimulus feedback signals, the one or more circuits are configured to generate a stimulus feedback signal, the stimulus feedback signal indicating one or more parameters associated with the one or more electrical pulses applied to the excitable tissue by the one or more electrodes, the parameters include a current and voltage being delivered to the excitable tissue, the one or more circuits include a current sensor configured to sense an amount of current being delivered to the tissue and a voltage sensor configured to sense a voltage being delivered to the excitable tissue, and the current sensor and the voltage sensor are coupled to an analog controlled carrier modulator, the modulator being configured to communicate the sensed current and voltage to the separate antenna.