The invention relates to a telemetry communication system for an implantable medical device (1) comprising a radiofrequency transceiver, comprising: a remote controller (2) adapted to be used by a patient into whom said medical device (1) is implanted, said remote controller comprising a radiofrequency transceiver configured to communicate with said implantable medical device in a first frequency band (RF1), the transceiver of the remote controller (2) being paired with the transceiver of the implantable medical device (1), a programming device (3) said implantable medical device adapted to be used by a practitioner, comprising a user interface (30), and configured to communicate with the remote controller (2) through a wire connection or a wireless connection in a second frequency band (RF2) different from the first frequency band, the programming device (3) being configured to, when said connection is established between the remote controller (2) and the programming device (3), establish a communication between the implantable medical device and the programming device through the remote controller.

One or more antennas are electrically coupled to one or more switches of an implantable medical device (IMD) in which the one or more switches are additionally electrically coupled to one or more lead wires of an IMD lead. The one or more switches also are electrically coupled to one or more electrodes or electrical circuitry of the IMD's implantable pulse generator (IPG). In response to exposure of the IMD to an energetic electromagnetic field, a voltage signal is induced in the one or more antennas and provided, possibly via one more filters, as a control signal to the one or more switches. Receipt of the control signal by the one or more switches automatically configures the one or more switches into a non-conductive state, thereby electrically isolating the one or more lead wires from the one or more electrodes or the IPG electrical circuitry.

Presented herein are techniques for monitoring the healing of a recipient of an implantable medical device after a surgical procedure, such as after initial implantation of the implantable medical device in the recipient. The implantable medical device comprises one or more implantable sensors configured to detect input signals and to generate sensor output signals therefrom. The sensor output signals are analyzed to determine when the recipient is sufficiently healed from the surgical procedure so as to activate (switch-on) the implantable medical device.

A method of controlling operation of a neurostimulation device comprises receiving, by the neurostimulation device, an indication of a physiological search area of a subject for delivering electrical neurostimulation and a prioritized search list of neurostimulation parameters for neurostimulation therapy delivered to the search area; delivering the neurostimulation therapy to the search area and varying the neurostimulation parameters according to the parameter priority, wherein a highest priority parameter is varied first while lower priority parameters are held constant; determining the optimum value of the highest priority parameter; delivering neurostimulation to the search area using the determined optimum value of the highest priority parameter and varying one or more lower priority parameters according to the parameter priority; and determining optimum lower priority parameters for the neurostimulation.

An Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) is disclosed that is capable of sensing a degree to which recruited neurons in a patient's tissue are firing synchronously, and of modifying a stimulation program to promote desynchronicity and to reduce paresthesia. An evoked compound action potential (ECAP) of the recruited neurons is sensed as a measure of synchronicity by at least one non-active electrode. An ECAP algorithm operable in the IPG assesses the shape of the ECAP and determines one or more ECAP shape parameters that indicate whether the recruited neurons are firing synchronously or desynchronously. If the shape parameters indicate significant synchronicity, the ECAP algorithm can adjust the stimulation program to promote desynchronous firing.

Differential charge-balancing can be used in high-frequency neural stimulation. For example, a neural stimulation apparatus can have first and second electrodes configured to be coupled proximate to a nerve fiber to implement a neural stimulation procedure. A neural stimulation circuit can be electrically coupled to the first and second electrodes. The neural stimulation circuit can apply stimulation currents to the nerve fiber through the first and second electrodes during a first stimulation phase of the neural stimulation procedure. The neural stimulation circuit can also apply a modified stimulation current to the nerve fiber through the first electrode during a second stimulation phase of the neural stimulation procedure. The modified stimulation current can be generated based on a difference between (i) a voltage at the first electrode, and (ii) a reference voltage derived from voltages on the first and second electrodes.

Presented herein are implantable sound sensors that include a non-uniform diaphragm mechanically coupled to a vibrating structure of a recipient's middle or inner ear. The non-uniform diaphragm includes a central region and a peripheral region, where the thickness of the central region is greater than the thickness of the peripheral region.

A system and method of controlling the application of energy to tissue using measurements of impedance are described. The impedance, correlated to the temperature, may be set at a desired level, such as a percentage of initial impedance. The set impedance may be a function of the initial impedance, the size and spacing of the electrodes, the size of a targeted passageway, and so on. The set impedance may then be entered into a PID algorithm or other control loop algorithm in order to extract a power to be applied to a treatment device.

Techniques for providing therapy to a patient via electrical stimulation are described. The techniques include, for example, determining, relative to a start time of providing the electrical stimulation, one or more efficacy times that correspond to an efficacy indicator, determining, according to the efficacy times, efficacy data items for the patient, comparing the efficacy data items with the efficacy indicator, and generating, based on the comparison, a prediction of an expected response to the therapy manifesting in the patient at a prospective time.

A method for estimating neural activation arising from stimulation by a stimulation system includes identifying different neural elements stimulated by the stimulation; obtaining a neural response signal resulting from the stimulation by the stimulation system; and decomposing the neural response signal to estimate neural activation of each of the different neural elements.