Implants using ultrasonic communication for neural sensing and stimulation

Abstract

Described herein is an implantable medical device that includes a body having one or more ultrasonic transducers configured to receive ultrasonic waves and convert energy from the ultrasonic waves into an electrical energy, two or more electrodes in electrical communication with the ultrasonic transducer, and a clip attached to the body that is configured to at least partially surround a nerve and/or a filamentous tissue and position the two or more electrodes in electrical communication with the nerve. In certain examples, the implantable medical device includes two ultrasonic transducers with orthogonal polarization axes. Also described herein are methods for treating incontinence in a subject by converting energy from ultrasonic waves into an electrical energy that powers a full implanted medical device, and electrically stimulating a tibial nerve, a pudendal nerve, or a sacral nerve, or a branch thereof, using the fully implanted medical device.

1 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . A method of treating incontinence in a subject, comprising:
 converting energy from ultrasonic waves into electrical energy that powers a fully implanted medical device in the subject, the device comprising two or more electrodes in electrical communication with a tibial nerve or a branch thereof, a pudendal nerve or a branch thereof, or a sacral nerve or a branch thereof of the subject; and   electrically stimulating the tibial nerve or the branch thereof, the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof, or the sacral nerve or the branch thereof, of the subject using the fully implanted medical device.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the two or more electrodes are in electrical communication with the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein electrically stimulating the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof blocks neural activity of the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , electrically stimulating the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof comprises applying to the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof electrical pulses at a frequency of 1 kHz or higher. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein electrically stimulating the tibial nerve or the branch thereof, the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof, or the sacral nerve or the branch thereof comprises emitting a plurality of current pulses to the tibial nerve or the branch thereof, the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof, or the sacral nerve or the branch thereof. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein electrically stimulating the tibial nerve or the branch thereof, the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof, or the sacral nerve or the branch thereof, comprises emitting a plurality of voltage pulses to the tibial nerve or the branch thereof, the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof, or the sacral nerve or the branch thereof. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 44 , comprising transmitting the ultrasonic waves to the implanted medical device using an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the ultrasonic waves encode instructions for operating the implantable device. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , comprising emitting, from the implantable device, an ultrasonic backscatter that encodes data. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the data comprises a stimulation status that indicates whether the implantable device emitted an electrical pulse or what parameters were used to emit the electrical pulse. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52 , comprising receiving, at the interrogator, the ultrasonic backscatter. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , comprising analyzing the data encoded by the ultrasonic backscatter. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the interrogator is an externally worn device. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein electrically stimulating the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof comprises emitting a plurality of current pulses to the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein electrically stimulating the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof comprises emitting a plurality of voltage pulses to the pudendal nerve or the branch thereof. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 45 , comprising transmitting the ultrasonic waves to the implanted medical device using an interrogator comprising one or more ultrasonic transducers. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the ultrasonic waves encode instructions for operating the implantable device. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 59 , comprising emitting, from the implantable device, an ultrasonic backscatter that encodes data. 
     
     
         62 . The method of  claim 61 , wherein the data comprises a stimulation status that indicates whether the implantable device emitted an electrical pulse or what parameters were used to emit the electrical pulse. 
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 61 , comprising receiving, at the interrogator, the ultrasonic backscatter. 
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , comprising analyzing the data encoded by the ultrasonic backscatter. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 59 , wherein the interrogator is an externally worn device. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the interrogator is attached the hip, abdomen, lower back, buttocks, or upper leg of the patient. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the incontinence is an overactive bladder, an underactive bladder, urinary incontinence, or fecal incontinence.