Garment for positioning midfield transmitter relative to implanted receiver

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods to facilitate wireless interaction between an implantable therapy delivery device and an external transmitter device are provided. In an example, the systems, devices, and methods discussed herein include or use a garment for receiving and positioning an external transmitter device proximal to an implanted device, and the external transmitter device includes a midfield device configured to provide one or more signals to manipulate evanescent fields outside of tissue to generate a propagating and focused field in the tissue. In an example, the garment includes a receptacle configured to receive and retain the external transmitter device near a tissue interface, and the garment further includes a dielectric portion provided between the receptacle and the tissue interface. In an example, the dielectric portion has a relative permittivity that is approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air.

1 - 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . A garment for receiving and positioning an external transmitter device proximal to an implanted device, the garment comprising:
 garment sidewalls defining a garment body and a first cavity;   a first receptacle provided inside of the first cavity and configured to receive the external transmitter device; and   a dielectric member provided between the external transmitter device and a tissue interface when the garment is worn, wherein the dielectric member has a first relative permittivity that is approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air and the first relative permittivity is different from a relative permittivity of the tissue at the tissue interface.   
     
     
         40 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the dielectric member is disposed inside the first receptacle. 
     
     
         41 . The garment of  claim 39 , further comprising a second receptacle provided inside of the first cavity, wherein the dielectric member is disposed inside of the second receptacle. 
     
     
         42 . The garment of  claim 41 , wherein the first receptacle is coupled to the second receptacle. 
     
     
         43 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the first relative permittivity of the dielectric member is different from a relative permittivity of the garment sidewalls. 
     
     
         44 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the dielectric member is dimensioned to separate the external transmitter device from the tissue interface by at least a specified minimum separation distance, the specified minimum separation distance selected to avoid exceeding a defined maximum loading on a transmission antenna of the external transmitter device. 
     
     
         45 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the dielectric member is dimensioned to separate the external transmitter device from the tissue interface by at least a specified minimum separation distance, the specified minimum separation distance selected to reduce a rate at which electromagnetic energy is absorbed by patient tissue at or near the tissue interface. 
     
     
         46 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the garment body comprises an elastic waistband coupled to the first receptacle, and the garment is configured to position the first receptacle at or near an S3 foramen when the garment is worn. 
     
     
         47 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the first receptacle is coupled to an outward-facing surface of the garment body when the garment is worn. 
     
     
         48 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the dielectric member comprises a portion of a tissue-facing sidewall of the first receptacle. 
     
     
         49 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the garment comprises an underpants garment, and wherein the first receptacle is coupled at a middle-rear portion of the underpants garment and in a fixed location relative to a waistband and leg holes of the underpants garment. 
     
     
         50 . The garment of  claim 39 , wherein the first receptacle is coupled to the garment body inside of the first cavity. 
     
     
         51 . A garment for receiving and positioning an external transmitter device proximal to an implanted device, the garment comprising:
 a garment body comprising a flexible material configured to be worn by a user, the garment body including a garment sidewall;   a first receptacle coupled to the garment sidewall and configured to receive and position the external transmitter device near a tissue interface when the garment is worn by the user; and   a dielectric portion provided between the first receptacle and the tissue interface to electrically decouple contents of the first receptacle from tissue at the tissue interface, wherein the dielectric portion has a first relative permittivity that is different from a relative permittivity of the tissue at the tissue interface.   
     
     
         52 . The garment of  claim 51 , wherein the first receptacle is coupled to an outward-facing surface of the garment sidewall when the garment is worn. 
     
     
         53 . The garment of  claim 51 , wherein the first relative permittivity of the dielectric portion is approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air. 
     
     
         54 . The garment of  claim 53 , wherein the first relative permittivity of the dielectric portion is different from a relative permittivity of the garment body. 
     
     
         55 . The garment of  claim 51 , wherein the garment body comprises an underpants garment, and wherein the first receptacle is coupled to the garment sidewall at a middle-rear portion of the underpants garment and in a fixed location relative to a waistband and leg holes of the underpants garment. 
     
     
         56 . The garment of  claim 51 , further comprising a second receptacle configured to receive and position the dielectric member between the first receptacle and the tissue interface. 
     
     
         57 . A system comprising:
 an external midfield transmitter device with one or more structures excitable by a voltage or current source to generate a propagating and focused field in tissue and thereby communicate power and/or data signals from the external midfield transmitter device to an implanted midfield receiver device; and   a wearable garment for receiving and positioning the external midfield transmitter device proximal to the implanted midfield receiver device, wherein the wearable garment includes:
 garment sidewalls defining a garment body and a first cavity; 
 a first receptacle provided inside of and coupled to the first cavity, wherein the first receptacle is configured to receive the external midfield transmitter device; and 
 a dielectric member provided between the external transmitter device and a tissue interface when the garment is worn, wherein the dielectric member has a first relative permittivity that is approximately the same as the relative permittivity of air and the first relative permittivity is different from a relative permittivity of the tissue at the tissue interface. 
   
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 57 , wherein the wearable garment comprises an underwear garment configured to be worn at or about the waist of a patient, and wherein the first receptacle is configured to position the external midfield transmitter device at a lower spine region of the patient when the underwear garment is worn by the patient.