Implantable growth tissue stimulator and method operation

United States Patent [19]

Erickson et al.

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US005565005A [li] Patent Number: 5,565,005 [45] Date of Patent: Oct. 15, 1996

[54] IMPLANTABLE GROWTH TISSUE

STIMULATOR AND METHOD OPERATION

[75] Inventors:

[73]

[56]

John H. Erickson, Piano; John C.
Tepper, Carrollton; Ike C. Thacker,
Galveston, all of Tex.; Greg Turi, Budd
Lake, N.J.; Anthony J. Varrichio,
Flanders, N.J.; Arthur A. Pilla,
Ridge wood, N.J.; Mark A. Bettin;
William C. Brosche, both of Piano,
Tex.

Assignee: AMEI Technologies Inc., Wilmington, Del.

[21] Appl. No.: 18,944

[22] Filed: Feb. 17,1993

Related U.S. Application Data

[63] Continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 839,199, Feb. 20, 1992, abandoned.

[51] Int. CI.6 A61N 1/05

[52] U.S. CI 607/51; 128/903

[58] Field of Search 607/9, 32, 50,

607/51; 128/903

References Cited

Brokaw, A. Paul "A Simple Three-Terminal IC Bandgap Reference", 25 Jul. 1977.

Dohrmann, George J. and Rubin, Jonathan M., "Intraopera-
tive Ultrasound Imaging of the Spinal cord: Syringomyelia,
Cysts, and Tumors—A Preliminary Report", Surgical Neu-
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Brown & Co., Boston Massachusetts.
Saba, Joseph M., "Echo-Encephalography", Medical Elec-
tronics, Sep.-Oct. 1970, pp. 96-103.
"The Alternate Treatment of Fracture Nounion—Electrical
Stimulation to Induce Osteogenesis" Brochure by Zim-
mer-USA, 1979.

Primary Examiner—William E. Kamm
Assistant Examiner—Jeffrey R. Jastrzab
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Baker & Botts, L.L.P.

A hand-held programmer/monitor (500) for programming and monitoring an implantable tissue growth stimulator (10) is provided. The stimulator (10) includes circuitry (46) for implementing selected operations in response to a down-link signal transmitted by the programmer/monitor (500). The stimulator (10) also includes circuitry (46) for transmitting up-link signals to the programmer/monitor (500). The programmer/monitor (500) includes a control circuit (518) for generating the down-link signal. The control circuit (518) also processes the up-link signal to monitor the status of the implantable tissue growth stimulator (10). The programmer/ monitor (500) also includes a transmit/receive circuit (514) for transmitting the down-link signal to and for receiving the up-link signal from the implantable tissue growth stimulator (10). The transmit/receive circuit (514) also couples the up-link signal to the control circuit (518).

39 Claims, 35 Drawing Sheets