Stimulation system, in particular a cardiac pacemaker

Abstract

A stimulation system, an implantable electrode device and a method for operating an implantable electrode device are proposed. A simplified implantation, a simple construction and reliable control are made possible by the electrode device being supplied with energy, and controlled, in an exclusively wireless manner via a time-variable magnetic field. The magnetic field is generated by an implanted control device.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator stimulation system comprising: an implantable control device and an implantable electrode device for generating electrical impulses, which can be one or more of supplied with energy and controlled by the control device in an exclusively wireless manner by means of a time-varying magnetic field, the electrode device being configured such that two-stage triggering is required to generate an electrical impulse by means of the electrode device, wherein pulse generation or triggering is only made possible after respective previous activation. 
     
     
         26 . The stimulation system according to  claim 25 , wherein the activation is effected by a signal different than a signal used for pulse generation or triggering. 
     
     
         27 . The stimulation system according to  claim 26 , wherein the signal for activation has an opposite field direction of the magnetic field. 
     
     
         28 . The stimulation system according to  claim 25 , wherein the triggering is not sensitive to interference to minimize the possibility of triggering a next electrical impulse as a result of an interference signal. 
     
     
         29 . The stimulation system according to  claim 25 , wherein the system is adapted such that the activation takes place shortly before the generation of a next electrical impulse. 
     
     
         30 . The stimulation system according to  claim 25 , wherein a polarity of a coil core of the electrode device is reversed prior to activation for triggering a next electrical impulse. 
     
     
         31 . The stimulation system according to  claim 30 , wherein the coil core polarity is reversed by an external magnetic field having an opposite direction compared to that for generation or triggering the electrical impulse. 
     
     
         32 . The stimulation system according to  claim 25 , wherein the control device is configured such that the magnetic field is alternately generated with an opposite field direction for the alternate generation of an electrical impulse and activating the electrode device before generating the next electrical impulse. 
     
     
         33 . An implantable electrode device for a cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator stimulation system for generating electrical impulses, wherein the electrode device is configured as one or more of a wireless and compact structural unit and can be supplied with energy and directly controlled exclusively by means of a varying magnetic field, the electrode device being configured such that two-stage triggering is required to generate an electrical impulse by means of the electrode device, wherein pulse generation or triggering is only made possible after respective previous activation. 
     
     
         34 . The electrode device according to  claim 33 , wherein the electrode device is configured such that only after preceding activation an electrical impulse is generated when a first minimum field strength of the magnetic field is exceeded. 
     
     
         35 . The electrode device according to  claim 33 , wherein the electrode device is configured such that it generates and delivers an electrical impulse each time the minimum field strength is exceeded after activation. 
     
     
         36 . The electrode device according to  claim 33 , wherein the electrode device is configured such that an electrical impulse can be generated in each case only following previous activation. 
     
     
         37 . The electrode device according to  claim 33 , wherein the electrode device is configured such that an electrical impulse can be generated in each case only following previous activation by exceeding a second minimum field strength of the magnetic field having the opposite field direction to the field direction for the generation of an electrical impulse. 
     
     
         38 . The electrode device according to  claim 37 , wherein the second minimum field strength is greater than the first minimum field strength. 
     
     
         39 . An implantable electrode device for a cardiac pacemaker stimulation system for generating electrical impulses, wherein the electrode device is configured as one or more of a wireless and compact structural unit and can be supplied with energy and directly controlled exclusively by means of a varying magnetic field, wherein the electrode device comprises a coil device with a coil core or a core element having a magnetization which varies abruptly depending on an acting magnetic field strength. 
     
     
         40 . The electrode device according to  claim 39 , which generates a pulse-like induction voltage when a first minimum field strength of the magnetic field is exceeded and is caused by the abruptly varying magnetization of the core or core element. 
     
     
         41 . The electrode device according to  claim 39 , wherein the coil core or core element being at least partially magnetically soft or ultra-soft. 
     
     
         42 . The electrode device according to  claim 39 , wherein the coil device has a layer arrangement of soft and hard magnetic material. 
     
     
         43 . The electrode device according to  claim 39 , wherein the coil device core or core element is ferromagnetic. 
     
     
         44 . The electrode device according to  claim 39 , wherein the electrode device is configured such that each pulse-like induction voltage is output as an electrical impulse via integrated electrodes. 
     
     
         45 . A method for operating an implantable electrode device, the implantable device being a cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator for generating electrical impulses, wherein the electrode device is supplied with energy and directly controlled by means of a magnetic field to generate the electrical impulses, wherein two-stage triggering is required to generate an electrical impulse with the electrode device, wherein pulse generation or triggering is only made possible after respective previous activation. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein the activation takes place shortly before the generation of the next electrical impulse. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein the activation is effected by a signal different than that used for pulse generation or triggering. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the signal has the opposite filed direction of the magnetic field. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein the polarity of a coil core or core element is reversed prior to activation for triggering the next impulse. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the coil core polarity is reversed by the magnetic field having an opposite direction compared to that for generation or triggering of the electrical impulse. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein the magnetic field is alternately generated with an opposite field direction for the alternate generation of an electrical impulse and activating the electrode device before generating a next electrical impulse. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 45 , wherein a number of magnetic field impulses is varied for variation of the duration of each electrical impulse or a contiguous sequence of electrical impulses. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 52 , wherein the magnetic impulses have a substantially sawtooth-shaped profile. 
     
     
         54 . A method for generating an electrical impulse in tissue for operating a cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator, wherein a pulse-like induction voltage is caused by an abruptly varying magnetization of a coil core or core element when a first minimum field strength of the magnetic field is exceeded. 
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the coil core or core element is at least partially magnetically soft or ultra-soft having a layer arrangement of soft and hard magnetic material or is ferromagnetic. 
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein a magnetization of the at least partially soft or ultra-soft magnetic coil core or core element is varied by an external or varying magnetic field in order to vary the magnetic leakage flux for direct electrical stimulation or generation of the electrical impulse. 
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the pulse-like induction voltage is generated when a first minimum filed strength of the magnetic field is exceeded. 
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the pulse-like induction voltage is caused by the abruptly varying magnetization of the coil core or core element. 
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the pulse-like induction voltage is output as an electrical impulse via integrated electrodes.