Did You Know...
...that the Eveready Battery began as an invention called the "electric flowerpot," which was a tube with a battery and light bulb inside? The idea was to fasten this gizmo to the side of a flowerpot so it would illuminate the flowers from the bottom. The idea died on the vine and the businessman who licensed the flower pot, Conrad Huber, was left with a pile of useless tubes -- until he found a way to market them as batteries to light the world!
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8185212 | Chair pad charging and communication system for a battery-powered microstimulator A system and method are provided for both recharging and communicating with a stimulator having a rechargeable battery, which stimulator is implanted deeply in the body, in particular where the stimulator is a microstimulator, the system includes a base station and ... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8185208 | Modular stimulation lead network A medical kit and method for treating an ailment, such as chronic pain is provided. The kit comprises first and second medical leads, e.g., stimulation leads. Each lead comprises an elongated body and at least one operative element. The first medical lead comprises ... | 05/22/2012 |
| 8180445 | Use of interphase to incrementally adjust the volume of activated tissue A neurostimulation system comprises one or more electrical contacts, output stimulation circuitry capable of outputting a multiphasic waveform (e.g., a biphasic waveform) to the electrical contact(s), and control circuitry capable of varying an interphase of the mul... | 05/15/2012 |
| 8175719 | Techniques for sensing and adjusting a compliance voltage in an implantable stimulator device Disclosed herein are methods and circuitry for monitoring and adjusting a compliance voltage in an implantable stimulator devices to an optimal value that is sufficiently high to allow for proper circuit performance (i.e., sufficient current output), but low enough ... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8175717 | Ultracapacitor powered implantable pulse generator with dedicated power supply A stimulator includes an implantable pulse generator comprising circuit elements, a first power source, such as an ultracapacitor, that provides operating power for the circuit elements of the pulse generator. The pulse generator can also have a memory associated th... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8175716 | Multiple telemetry and/or charging coil configurations for an implantable medical device system Embodiments of an improved implantable medical device system for orientation-independent telemetry to and from the device are disclosed. The system includes an external controller which produces an electromagnetic field to induce a current in a coil in the implantab... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8175710 | Stimulator system with electrode array and the method of making the same An implantable microstimulator can include a housing with a surface containing a metal region. The housing defines an exterior and an interior. At least one conductive electrode is disposed on the exterior of the housing over the metal region of the housing. Adhesiv... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8165696 | Multiple-pronged implantable stimulator and methods of making and using such a stimulator An implantable stimulator includes a base, two prongs extending from the base and an electrode disposed on each of the prongs. This stimulator may be part of a system that includes an external device for transcutaneously communicating with the implanted stimulator. ... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8165694 | Thermal management of implantable medical devices Systems and techniques for thermal management of implantable medical devices. In one aspect an implantable device includes an active component configured to perform medical activities, a charging component configured to convert energy from outside a body in which th... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8165679 | Implantable medical device with polymer-polymer interfaces and methods of manufacture and use An implantable stimulator that includes a housing, a first plastic component, and a second plastic component, where the first and second plastic components form a polymer-polymer interface. A light absorbing metal layer is disposed over at least a portion of the int... | 04/24/2012 |
| 8155752 | Implantable medical device with single coil for charging and communicating 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 ... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8155750 | System and method for avoiding, reversing, and managing neurological accommodation to electrical stimulation A method and programmer for programming a neurostimulation device are provided. The method comprises varying a first stimulation parameter under user control, automatically varying a second stimulation parameter, generating a plurality of stimulation parameter sets ... | 04/10/2012 |
| 8145314 | Self-sealing septum assembly Exemplary septum assemblies include first and second housing components each defined by at least an inner surface, at least one sealing strip disposed at least partially on at least one of the inner surfaces of the housing components, and a compression member at lea... | 03/27/2012 |
| 8137362 | Cranial burr hold plug and insertion tool A cranial burr hole plug with an insertion tool and method of implantation is provided. The burr hole plug includes a shell; a collet interlocked within the shell; a clamp compressing the collet around an elongated medical device exiting the skull of a patient, such... | 03/20/2012 |
| 8131377 | Telemetry listening window management for an implantable medical device An improved arbitration scheme for allowing concurrent stimulation and telemetry listening in a microstimulator is disclosed. A listening window for telemetry is permitted to proceed, and access to the microstimulator's coil granted, during at least a portion of the... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8131358 | System and method for maintaining a distribution of currents in an electrode array using independent voltage sources In one technique, a desired electrical current distribution on at least three active electrodes is selected. An electrical energy perturbation is generated on at least one electrode. A current-to-voltage relationship at each active electrode is estimated based on th... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8131357 | Apparatus and methods for detecting migration of neurostimulation leads Apparatus and methods for detecting lead migration through the use of measured artifactual data about the tissue in the vicinity of the lead. ... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8127424 | Method for assembling components of a microstimulator An electrode assembly includes an electrode electrically connected to a capacitor with a wire. An assembly carrier may be used to hold and secure at least the wire and capacitor during assembly. A method of assembly for attaching a wire to a capacitor and an electro... | 03/06/2012 |
| 8121701 | System and method for displaying stimulation field generated by electrode array An implantable pulse generator includes a current steering capability that allows a clinician or patient to quickly determine a desired electrode stimulation pattern, including which electrodes of a group of electrodes within an electrode array should receive a stim... | 02/21/2012 |
| 8103350 | Method of stimulation fastigium nucleus to treat neurological disorders A method of treating a neurological disorder comprises introducing an electrical stimulation lead within a patient's head, locating the stimulation lead within the 4th ventricle of the patient's head, and placing the stimulation lead adjacent the fastigiu... | 01/24/2012 |
| 8095219 | Stimulation of the stomach in response to sensed parameters to treat obesity A neurostimulation kit and a method of treating a patient are provided. The kit comprises a stimulation backing that includes a flat, electrically insulative, body having a pair of opposing first and second planar surfaces, and an electrode affixed to the first surf... | 01/10/2012 |
| 8081925 | Transceiver for an implantable medical device having switchable series-to-parallel tank circuit An improved transceiver circuit particularly useful in an inductively coupled wireless communication system such as an implantable medical device system is disclosed. The improved transceiver circuit is switchable to assume a serial L-C configuration in the transmit... | 12/20/2011 |
| 8065019 | Methods and systems for improving the reliability of the time basis for data logged in an implantable medical device Disclosed are methods for synchronizing the time basis of logged data between an implantable medical device such as an IPG and an external device. The IPG logs various operational parameters as data and associates the same with a possibly-inaccurate IPG time stamp a... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8065013 | Method for optimizing search for spinal cord stimulation parameter setting A method of transitioning stimulation energy (e.g., electrical stimulation pulses) between a plurality of electrodes implanted within a patient is provided. The method comprises selecting a plurality of stimulation output values (e.g., electrical current amplitude v... | 11/22/2011 |
| 8060215 | Implantable microstimulator having a battery unit and methods of use therefor An implantable microstimulator arrangement includes at least one implantable microstimulator unit; an implantable battery unit separate from the implantable microstimulator unit(s); and at least one lead coupling the microstimulator unit(s) to the battery unit. The ... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8060209 | Methods and systems of treating ischemia pain in visceral organs Methods and systems of treating a patient with ischemia pain include providing a stimulator, configuring one or more stimulation parameters to treat ischemia pain in a visceral organ, programming the stimulator with the one or more stimulation parameters, generating... | 11/15/2011 |
| 8055351 | MRI-safe high impedance lead systems Some embodiments are directed to MRI/RF compatible medical interventional devices. A plurality of spaced apart high impedance circuit segments are configured to have a high impedance at a high range of radiofrequencies and a low impedance at a low range of frequenci... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8055337 | System and method for maintaining a distribution of currents in an electrode array using independent voltage sources In one technique, a desired electrical current distribution on at least three active electrodes is selected. An electrical energy perturbation is generated on at least one electrode. A current-to-voltage relationship at each active electrode is estimated based on th... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8046076 | Treatment of mood and/or anxiety disorders by electrical brain stimulation and/or drug infusion A system and method for introducing one or more stimulating drugs and/or applying electrical stimulation to the brain to treat mood and/or anxiety disorders uses an implantable system control unit (SCU), specifically an implantable signal/pulse generator (IPG) or mi... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8046074 | High-resolution connector for a neurostimulation lead An implantable connector comprises an electrically insulative housing including an outer wall, an interior cavity surrounded by the outer wall, a port through which the lead body portion can be introduced into the interior cavity, and a pair of first apertures dispo... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8044635 | Charger alignment indicator with adjustable threshold Electrical energy is transmitted to charge the implanted medical device, and an electrical parameter (e.g., a steady-state voltage) indicating a rate at which the implanted medical device is charged by the electrical energy is detected. A threshold (e.g., by modifyi... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8043304 | Cam lock burr hole plug for securing retainer/plug base A burr hole plug comprises a plug base configured for being mounted around a cranial burr hole. The plug base includes an aperture through which an elongated medical device exiting the burr hole may pass. The burr hole plug further comprises a retainer configured fo... | 10/25/2011 |
| 8038049 | Hermetic seal A seal design provides positive compression to produce a hermetic seal around a feedthrough pin in a hermetically sealed device, including an implantable medical device. One embodiment of the seal design uses a plurality of “micro-flanges” placed along the lengt... | 10/18/2011 |
| 8036754 | Use of stimulation pulse shape to control neural recruitment order and clinical effect A method, electrical tissue stimulation system, and programmer for providing therapy to a patient are provided. Electrodes are placed adjacent tissue (e.g., spinal cord tissue) of the patient, electrical stimulation energy is delivered from the electrodes to the tis... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8036747 | System and method of rapid, comfortable parameter switching in spinal cord stimulation A system and method for rapidly switching stimulation parameters of a Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) system increases the number of stimulation parameter sets that may be tested during a fitting procedure, or alternatively, reduces the time required for the fitting p... | 10/11/2011 |
| 8032227 | Method for controlling telemetry in an implantable medical device based on power source capacity An implantable microstimulator configured for implantation beneath a patient's skin for tissue stimulation to prevent and/or treat various disorders, uses a self-contained power source. Periodic or occasional replenishment of the power source is accomplished, for ex... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8032220 | Method of implanting microdevice with extended lead and remote electrode An implantable microdevice includes at least one electrode detachably connected to electronic circuitry housed in an hermetically-sealed micro housing. The micro housing has a length no more than about 10 mm. In one embodiment, the electrode is located at a distal e... | 10/04/2011 |
| 8019443 | Anchoring units for leads of implantable electric stimulation systems and methods of making and using A nerve stimulation lead has a distal end, a proximal end, and a longitudinal length. The nerve stimulation lead includes a plurality of electrodes disposed at the distal end, a plurality of terminals disposed at the proximal end, and a plurality of conductive wires... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8019441 | Collapsible/expandable tubular electrode leads A medical lead and method of treating a patient are provided. The medical lead comprises an electrically insulative tubular membrane, a resilient spring element associated with the insulative membrane, and at least one electrode associated with the insulative membra... | 09/13/2011 |
| 8019439 | Lead assembly and method of making same A lead assembly and a method of making a lead are provided. The lead comprises a terminal, proximal end having a plurality of terminal contacts and material separating the terminal contacts. In one embodiment of the lead, the terminal contacts are separated by a pre... | 09/13/2011 |
