Combination therapy including peripheral nerve field stimulation

Delivery of peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) in combination with one or more other therapies is described. The other therapy delivered in combination with PNFS may be, for example, a different type of neurostimulation, such as spinal cord stimulation (SCS), or a drug. PNFS and the other therapy may be delivered simultaneously, in an alternating fashion, according to a schedule, and/or selectively, e.g., in response to a request received from a patient or clinician. A combination therapy that includes PNFS may be able to more completely address complex or multifocal pain than would be possible through delivery of either PNFS or other therapies alone. Further, the combination of PNFS with one or more other therapies may reduce the likelihood that neural accommodation will impair the perceived effectiveness PNFS or the other therapies.

The abstract as published by the patent office, from US2007021801A1. It describes the invention; it is not a statement of what is protected.

• Interface and electrodes

  Electrodes and arrays · Peripheral interfaces

• Packaging

  Packaging and hermeticity

• Telemetry

  Wireless telemetry

• Stimulation

  Stimulation

What the filing appears to be about, read by published rules from its title, abstract and classification codes (A61M2205/054, A61M5/14, A61M5/142, A61N1/0531, A61N1/0534). The claims define what a patent protects, and they are not read here.

Interface and electrodes

Everything downstream works with what the contacts pick up. Their number, size and distance from the neurons set the ceiling on the signal. The problem behind it: more contacts, closer to neurons, that still record after years in tissue that reacts to them.

Packaging

Body fluid destroys unprotected electronics. An implant meant to last has to stay sealed for years while passing every channel through its wall. The problem behind it: a seal that lasts as long as the patient needs it, at a size that leaves room for the channels.

Telemetry

Thousands of channels produce more data than a low-power radio can carry raw, so what is sent, and how, decides what the system can use. The problem behind it: high data rates at low power through tissue, reliably and securely.

Why the layer matters to the field, not a judgement of this filing. A patent family shows that protection was sought. It does not show that the technology was built, is used in a product, or works in people. The whole stack

One invention, published 55 times in 5 offices. Each publication opens in Espacenet.

• International (PCT)a route to several countries, not a countryWO2006133443A214 Dec 2006WO2006133444A214 Dec 2006WO2006133445A214 Dec 2006WO2006135751A221 Dec 2006WO2006135753A121 Dec 2006WO2006135766A221 Dec 2006WO2006135791A221 Dec 2006WO2006135792A121 Dec 2006WO2006133445A38 Feb 2007WO2006135751A315 Feb 2007WO2006135766A315 Mar 2007WO2006135791A322 Mar 2007WO2006133443A329 Mar 2007WO2006133444A319 Apr 2007
• United StatesUS2007021801A125 Jan 2007US2007021802A125 Jan 2007US2007039625A122 Feb 2007US2007073353A129 Mar 2007US2007073356A129 Mar 2007US2007073357A129 Mar 2007US2007118196A124 May 2007US2007150034A128 Jun 2007US7792591B27 Sep 2010 · grantUS7813803B212 Oct 2010 · grantUS2010324570A123 Dec 2010US7890166B215 Feb 2011 · grantUS8204607B219 Jun 2012 · grantUS8244360B214 Aug 2012 · grantUS8588914B219 Nov 2013 · grantUS8620435B231 Dec 2013 · grantUS8644941B24 Feb 2014 · grantUS2014107747A117 Apr 2014US2014114374A124 Apr 2014US9020599B228 Apr 2015 · grantUS9084872B221 Jul 2015 · grantUS2015224251A113 Aug 2015US9320847B226 Apr 2016 · grantUS9393416B219 Jul 2016 · grantUS2016279411A129 Sep 2016US10300273B228 May 2019 · grantUS2019232058A11 Aug 2019US11154709B226 Oct 2021 · grant
• European Patent Officea route to several countries, not a countryEP1904154A22 Apr 2008EP1904159A22 Apr 2008EP1904160A22 Apr 2008EP1904173A22 Apr 2008EP1919552A214 May 2008EP1904154B126 Jan 2011 · grantEP1904160B121 Dec 2011 · grantEP1904159B122 Aug 2012 · grantEP1904173B130 Dec 2015 · grantEP1904173B88 Jun 2016 · grant
• AustriaATE496652T115 Feb 2011ATE537870T115 Jan 2012
• GermanyDE602006019869D110 Mar 2011

1. 9 Jun 2005First filingEarliest priority, at United States. The family is counted in this year.
2. 14 Mar 2006ApplicationFiled at United States.
3. 24 Apr 2006Owner recordedUnited States, on US2007021802A1: assignment; owner named: MEDTRONIC, INC., MINNESOTA.
4. 9 Jun 2006ApplicationsFiled at International (PCT), United States, European Patent Office, Austria, Germany.
5. 14 Dec 2006First publicationWO2006133443A2, International (PCT).
6. 6 Aug 2008Office recordInternational (PCT), on WO2006135751A2: ep: pct application non-entry in european phase.
7. 27 Aug 2010ApplicationFiled at United States.
8. 15 Jul 2011Office recordAustria, on ATE496652T1: ceased as to paragraph 5 lit. 3 law introducing patent treaties.
9. 17 Dec 2013ApplicationFiled at United States.
10. 30 Dec 2013ApplicationFiled at United States.
11. 24 Apr 2015ApplicationFiled at United States.
12. 26 Aug 2015Owner recordedEuropean Patent Office, on EP1904173A2: party data changed (applicant data changed or rights of an application transferred); owner named: MEDTRONIC INC..
13. 28 Mar 2016ApplicationFiled at United States.
14. 18 May 2016Owner recordedEuropean Patent Office, on EP1904173A2: party data changed (patent owner data changed or rights of a patent transferred); owner named: MEDTRONIC, INC..
15. 8 Jun 2016Grant publishedEP1904173B8, European Patent Office.
16. 8 Apr 2019ApplicationFiled at United States.
17. 26 Oct 2021Grant publishedUS11154709B2, United States.
18. 31 May 2023Office recordEuropean Patent Office, on EP1904173A2: lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] (AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LI, LT, LU, LV, MC, NL, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK, TR).
19. 13 Jan 2026Office recordUnited States, on US2007073353A1: lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee.

Dates as the offices published them. Office records are in the offices' own words and are a selection: refusals, lapses and withdrawals, and records that name an owner. Each concerns one member of the family, not the family as a whole, and another member in the same office may stand. Whether a patent is in force today is not assessed.

Organisation

Medtronic · 40 families identified

Technology

Peripheral / neuromotor

• Bibliographic data, family members and office records: European Patent Office, Open Patent Services (the DOCDB and INPADOC databases), read 7 Oct 2026.
• The record itself, with its claims and description: US2007021801A1 in Espacenet
• Counted as a BCI patent family: classified A61N1/0531 (brain cortex electrodes); filed by MEDTRONIC, INC., an organisation already in the graph; describes neural hardware or methods without naming the field. How families are found and judged