Abstract: An implantable device includes a stimulation electronic circuit, a battery, a receiver configured to receive energy from a source external to the implantable stimulation device, and a battery charger circuit configured to use the energy to charge the battery and power the stimulation electronic circuit, the battery charger circuit including a load switch for connecting/disconnecting the battery, the load switch being controlled by the stimulation electronic circuit.

Abstract: An external charger for an implantable medical device, comprises a housing, an alternating current (AC) coil and substrate contained within the housing, and one or more electronic components mounted to the substrate. The AC coil is configured for wirelessly transmitting magnetic charging energy to the implantable medical device. The AC coil is disposed in a first plane, with the magnetic charging energy having a field directed perpendicular to the first plane. At least a portion of the substrate has a surface extending along a second plane that is substantially perpendicular to the first plane.

Abstract: In various examples, an apparatus includes a neurostimulation interconnection apparatus including an elongate lead body including a lead proximal end and a lead distal end. The lead proximal end includes a first connector portion. A stimulation device includes a header. The header includes a second connector portion including a shape complementary to a shape of the first connector portion. The first connector portion is mateably engageable with the second connector portion, wherein one of the first connector portion and the second connector portion includes a plurality of pins and the other of the first connector portion and the second connector portion includes a plurality of sockets. There are an equal number of sockets and pins, wherein, with the first connector portion mateably engaged with the second connector portion, the pins align and electrically couple with the sockets.

Abstract: A medical device for providing a stimulation therapy includes stimulation circuitry configured to provide a plurality of electrical pulses to be delivered to a patient. The stimulation circuitry contains a microcontroller configured to generate the electrical pulses. Each electrical pulse includes a primary phase, an interphase after the primary phase, and a recovery phase after the primary phase. Consecutive electrical pulses are separated by a standby period. The microcontroller is configured to operate in an active mode during at least one of: the primary phase and the interphase. The microcontroller is configured to operate in a power-conservation mode during a substantial majority of the standby period. The microcontroller consumes substantially less power when operating in the power-conservation mode than in the active mode.

Abstract: A medical device for providing an electrical stimulation therapy for a patient includes a microcontroller configured to generate a plurality of electrical pulses and a control signal. The medical device includes a stimulation driver coupled to the microcontroller. The stimulation driver is configured to amplify the electrical pulses into amplified electrical pulses to be delivered to the patient as a part of the electrical stimulation therapy. The medical device includes a battery configured to supply a first voltage. The medical device includes a voltage up-converter coupled between the battery and the stimulation driver. The voltage up-converter is configured to convert, in response to the control signal from the microcontroller, the first voltage to a compliance voltage for the stimulation driver. The compliance voltage is a fraction of the first voltage, and the fraction is greater than 1.

Abstract: A method of providing stimulation therapy to a patient includes performing first and second calibration processes in first and second patient posture states, respectively. The first and second calibration processes respectively associates a sensation experienced by a patient, in the respective patient posture states, with first and second amounts of an evoked potential, respectively, and also with first and second values of a stimulation parameter to achieve the first and second amounts of evoked potential, respectively. Thereafter, a current patient posture state is detected. If the current patient posture state is detected as the first patient posture state, stimulation therapy is applied to the patient using the first value of the stimulation parameter as an initial value. If the current patient posture state is detected as the second patient posture state, stimulation therapy is applied to the patient using the second value of the stimulation parameter as the initial value.

Abstract: A medical device for providing a stimulation therapy includes a coil configured to receive both inductive charging and telemetry signals. The inductive charging signals are in a first frequency band. The telemetry signals are in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. The medical device includes inductive charging circuitry configured to provide electrical power to the medical device via the inductive charging signals. The medical device includes telemetry circuitry configured to conduct telecommunications with external device via the telemetry signals. The medical device includes a first component electrically coupled between the coil and the inductive charging circuitry. The first component is configured to allow the inductive charging signals to pass through. The medical device includes a second component electrically coupled between the coil and the telemetry circuitry.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes 1) a headpiece module configured to be affixed to a head of a patient and comprising a primary sound processor configured to generate stimulation parameters used to direct an auditory prosthesis implanted within the patient to apply electrical stimulation representative of one or more audio signals to the patient and 2) a sound processor module separate from the headpiece module and configured to be selectively and communicatively coupled to the headpiece module. The sound processor module includes a secondary sound processor configured to detect a communicative coupling of the sound processor module to the headpiece module and contribute to the generation of one or more of the stimulation parameters while the sound processor module is communicatively coupled to the headpiece module. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: A combination charging and telemetry circuit for use within an implantable device, such as a microstimulator, uses a single coil for both charging and telemetry. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, one or more capacitors are used to tune the single coil to different frequencies, wherein the coil is used for multiple purposes, e.g., for receiving power from an external source and also for the telemetry of information to and from an external source.

Abstract: An external charger for a battery in an implantable medical device and charging techniques are disclosed. Simulation data is used to model the power dissipation of the charging circuitry in the implant at varying levels of implant power. A power dissipation limit constrains the charging circuitry from producing an inordinate amount of heat to the tissue surrounding the implant, and duty cycles of a charging field are determined so as not to exceed that limit. A maximum simulated average battery current determines the optimal (i.e., quickest) battery charging current, and at least an optimal value for a parameter indicative of that current is determined and stored in the external charger. During charging, the actual value for that parameter is determined, and the intensity and/or duty cycle of the charging field are adjusted to ensure that charging is as fast as possible, while still not exceeding the power dissipation limit.

Abstract: An implantable device includes a stimulation electronic circuit, a battery, a receiver configured to receive energy from a source external to the implantable stimulation device, and a battery charger circuit configured to use the energy to charge the battery and power the stimulation electronic circuit, the battery charger circuit including a load switch for connecting/disconnecting the battery, the load switch being controlled by the stimulation electronic circuit.

Abstract: An external charger for a battery in an implantable medical device (implant), and technique for charging batteries in multiple implants using such improved external charger, is disclosed. During charging, values for a parameter measured in the implants are reported from the implants to the external charger. The external charger infers from the magnitudes of the parameters which of the implants has the highest (hot) and lowest (cold) coupling to the external charger. The intensity of the magnetic charging field is optimized for the cold implant to ensure that it is charged with a maximum (fastest) battery charging current. The duty cycle of the magnetic charging field is also optimized for the hot implant to ensure that it does not exceed a power dissipation limit. As a result, charging is optimized to be fast for all of the implants, while still safe from a tissue heating perspective.

Abstract: A combination charging and telemetry circuit for use within an implantable device, such as a microstimulator, uses a single coil for both charging and telemetry. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, one or more capacitors are used to tune the single coil to different frequencies, wherein the coil is used for multiple purposes, e.g., for receiving power from an external source and also for the telemetry of information to and from an external source.

Abstract: An improved external charger for a battery in an implantable medical device (implant), and technique for charging the battery using such improved external charger, is disclosed. In one example, simulation data is used to model the power dissipation of the charging circuitry in the implant at varying levels of implant power. A power dissipation limit is chosen to constrain the charging circuitry from producing an inordinate amount of heat to the tissue surrounding the implant, and duty cycles are determined for the various levels of input intensities to ensure that the power limit is not exceeded. A maximum simulated average battery current determines the optimal (i.e., quickest) battery charging current, and at least an optimal value for a parameter indicative of that current, for example, the voltage across the battery charging circuitry, is determined and stored in the external charger.

Abstract: An exemplary system includes 1) a headpiece module configured to be affixed to a head of a patient and comprising a primary sound processor configured to generate stimulation parameters used to direct an auditory prosthesis implanted within the patient to apply electrical stimulation representative of one or more audio signals to the patient and 2) a sound processor module separate from the headpiece module and configured to be selectively and communicatively coupled to the headpiece module. The sound processor module includes a secondary sound processor configured to detect a communicative coupling of the sound processor module to the headpiece module and contribute to the generation of one or more of the stimulation parameters while the sound processor module is communicatively coupled to the headpiece module. Corresponding systems and methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: By incorporating magnetic field sensing coils in an external charger, it is possible to determine the position of an implantable device by sensing the reflected magnetic field from the implant. In one embodiment, two or more field sensing coils are arranged to sense the reflected magnetic field. By comparing the relative reflected magnetic field strengths of the sensing coils, the position of the implant relative to the external charger can be determined. Audio and/or visual feedback can then be communicated to the patient to allow the patient to improve the alignment of the charger.

Abstract: An improved external charger for a battery in an implantable medical device (implant), and technique for charging batteries in multiple implants using such improved external charger, is disclosed. During charging, values for a parameter measured in the implants are reported from the implants to the external charger. The external charger infers from the magnitudes of the parameters which of the implants has the highest and lowest coupling to the external charger, and so designates those implants as “hot” and “cold.” The intensity of the magnetic charging field is optimized for the cold implant consistent with the simulation to ensure that that the cold implant is charged with a maximum (fastest) battery charging current. The duty cycle of the magnetic charging field is also optimized for the hot implant consistent with the simulation to ensure that the hot implant does not exceed the power dissipation limit.

Abstract: A system and method for using statistical analysis of information obtained during a rechargeable battery charging session, wherein the method is for optimizing one or more parameters that are used for controlling the charging of a rechargeable battery during the charging session.

Abstract: A system and method of controlling the charging of the battery of a medical device using a remote inductive charger, with the method utilizing both a relatively fast closed-loop charging control based on a proxy for a target power transmission value in conjunction, and a slower closed-loop control based on an actual measured transmission value to control a charging power level for charging the medical device.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved external controller useable in an implantable medical device system. The communication coil in the external controller is formed in a printed circuit board (PCB), i.e., by using the various tracing layers and vias of the PCB. As illustrated, the PCB coil is formed at a plurality of trace layers in the PCB, and comprises a plurality of turns at some or all of the layers. The communication coil may wrap around the other circuitry used in the external controller, which circuitry may be mounted to the front and/or back of the PCB. The geometry of the coil is specially tailored to maximize its inductance, and hence maximize its ability to communicate in the sub-4 MHz range which is not significantly attenuated by the human body.