Patents by Inventor Robert M. Skime

Robert M. Skime has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20040176673
    Abstract: At least one surface of an implantable medical device is concave along at least one axis such that it substantially conforms to a surface within a patient, such as the cranium, when it is implanted on that surface. In some embodiments, the surface of the implantable medical device substantially conforms to an arc with a radius that is between 4.5 and 9.5 centimeters, and is preferably approximately equal to 7 centimeters. In some embodiments, the implantable medical device comprises a plurality of interconnected modules, and an overmold that at least partially encapsulates each of the modules. In such embodiments, at least one surface of the overmold is concave along at least one axis. Further, each of the modules of such an implantable medical device may comprise a housing, and at least one surface of at least one of the housings may be concave along at least one axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Carl D. Wahlstrand, Darren A. Janzig, Ruchika Singhal, Robert M. Skime, Erik R. Scott, James E. Randall
  • Publication number: 20040176818
    Abstract: An implantable medical device includes a plurality of separately housed and flexibly interconnected modules. A first module includes a control electronics within a first housing, and may be coupled to a second module that includes a second housing by a flexible interconnect member. In some embodiments, an overmold, which may be flexible, at least partially encapsulates the first and second housings. The second module may be a power source module that includes a power source, such as a rechargeable battery, within the second housing. The implantable medical device may also include a third module, such as a recharge module that includes a coil within a third housing. The overmold may at least partially encapsulate the third housing, or the third module may be tethered to the overmold by a flexible tether member. A flexible interconnect member and/or flexible overmold may allow multiples degrees of freedom of movement between modules of an implantable medical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Carl D. Wahlstrand, Ruchika Singhal, Robert M. Skime
  • Publication number: 20040176816
    Abstract: A modular implantable medical device includes two or more interconnected modules and an overmold that at least partially encapsulates each of the housings of the modules. The overmold also includes a lead connection module for accepting an external lead. The lead connection module electrically and mechanically couples the lead to the components of the implantable medical device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Ruchika Singhal, Carl D. Wahlstrand, Darren A. Janzig, Robert M. Skime
  • Publication number: 20040176815
    Abstract: Components of an implantable medical device are arranged to facilitate a low-profile housing. A circuit board within the housing carries integrated circuits and discrete components. In some embodiments, the integrated circuits and discrete components are located on first and second opposing surfaces of the circuit board, respectively. In some embodiments, the implantable medical device is implanted on a cranium of a patient and the housing is concave such that it substantially conforms to the cranium. In such embodiments, the integrated circuits and/or discrete components can be arranged on the circuit board according to height to better conform to the concavity of the housing. In some embodiments, the implantable medical device includes a telemetry coil that is positioned within the housing such that it occupies space that cannot be practically occupied by the circuit board.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Darren A. Janzig, Carl D. Wahlstrand, Paulette C. Olson, Robert M. Skime
  • Publication number: 20040173221
    Abstract: In general, the invention is directed to techniques for implantation of a low-profile implantable medical device (IMD) in the body of a patient. In an exemplary embodiment, the low-profile IMD is implanted under the scalp. When the treatment or monitoring site is in or on the head of the patient, the low-profile IMD can be implanted under the scalp proximate to the treatment or monitoring site. In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a method that includes making an incision in the scalp of a head of a patient to create a scalp flap, exposing a skull beneath the scalp flap, creating a pocket between the scalp and the skull, and placing at least a portion of a low-profile IMD in the pocket. The low-profile IMD may include a plurality of modules, covered in part by a flexible overmold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Ruchika Singhal, Robert M. Skime, Carl D. Wahlstrand
  • Publication number: 20040176814
    Abstract: A modular implantable medical device permits implantable medical devices to have a smaller profile in order to better fit into locations within the human body. A modular implantable medical device separates various functional components of the implantable medical device into a set of interconnected modules. This distributed architecture of a modular implantable medical device may permit the device footprint to be distributed over a larger area while making the profile smaller, and may permit the overall shape of the implantable medical device to better match the body location into which it is to be implanted. An overmold integrates the modules of a modular implantable medical device into a single structure. In some embodiments the overmold is flexible and provides a biocompatible interface from the component modules and the patient, while restraining potentially harmful intermodule motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Ruchika Singhal, Darren A. Janzig, Carl D. Wahlstrand, Robert M. Skime, Paulette C. Olson
  • Publication number: 20040176819
    Abstract: A modular implantable medical device includes a plurality of modules that are at least partially encapsulated by an overmold. The modules may be connected by coupling modules, which may be flexible to provide for one or more degrees of relative intermodular motion. The overmold may also be flexible. In order to reduce relative intermodule motion to acceptable direction and/or ranges, the overmold may include one or more motion reduction elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 9, 2004
    Inventors: Carl D. Wahlstrand, Darren A. Janzig, Robert M. Skime
  • Publication number: 20040172090
    Abstract: In an implantable medical device having individual modules, a coupling module couples the modules to one another. The coupling module supports electrical and/or mechanical coupling of the modules. The coupling module may assume a variety of shapes or configurations. The various embodiments of the coupling module may offer the modules varying degrees of freedom of movement relative to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Darren A. Janzig, Carl D. Wahlstrand, Robert M. Skime, Mark S. Lent, Keith Miesel, James E. Cabak
  • Publication number: 20040111130
    Abstract: A medical device known as a trial neuro stimulator with a diagnostics module to determine whether the therapy lead is operational for delivering stimulation therapy to improve operation in areas such as reliability and patient comfort is disclosed. The trial neuro stimulator is typically used to test the efficacy of neuro stimulation before implanting an implantable neuro stimulator in a patient. The trial neuro stimulator has a processor, memory, system reset, telemetry module, recharge module, power management module, power source, therapy module, therapy measurement module, and diagnostics module. The diagnostics module can be a lead sensor, a software detector using therapy lead measurements from the therapy measurement module, or, a combination of both the lead sensor and software detector to detect whether the therapy lead is operation. A method for diagnosing whether a therapy lead is operational is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Inventors: Gregory A. Hrdlicka, Robert M. Skime