Precision delivery of electrical stimulation

An example method for controlling delivery of electrical stimulation therapy includes maintaining, by one or more processors of a medical device configured to deliver electrical stimulation to a patient, a counter tied to a clock used by the medical device to deliver the electrical stimulation to the patient; and obtaining, by the one or more processors, one or more representations of sensed electrical signals for the patient that are referenced to counts of the counter. In this example, the method also includes identifying, based on the one or more representations of the sensed electrical signals for the patient, a count of the counter at which stimulation is to be delivered to the patient; and delivering, by the medical device and to the patient, electrical stimulation based on the identified count of the counter.

The abstract as published by the patent office, from US2018200523A1. It describes the invention; it is not a statement of what is protected.

• Interface and electrodes

  Electrodes and arrays · Peripheral interfaces

• Telemetry

  Wireless telemetry

• Signal processing

  Signal processing

• Stimulation

  Stimulation

What the filing appears to be about, read by published rules from its title, abstract and classification codes (A61B5/293, A61B5/7275, A61B5/7282, A61B5/7285, 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.

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.

Signal processing

A decoder is only as good as the features it is given, and recordings drift and pick up noise from movement, muscle and stimulation. The problem behind it: stable features from signals that change from day to day, computed fast enough to act on.

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 13 times in 7 offices. Each publication opens in Espacenet.

• CanadaCA3049963A119 Jul 2018
• United StatesUS2018200523A119 Jul 2018US10765869B28 Sep 2020 · grant
• International (PCT)a route to several countries, not a countryWO2018132243A119 Jul 2018
• AustraliaAU2017393274A118 Jul 2019
• ChinaCN110167631A23 Aug 2019CN110167631B30 May 2023 · grant
• European Patent Officea route to several countries, not a countryEP3568197A120 Nov 2019EP3568197B18 Sep 2021 · grant
• JapanJP2020503972A6 Feb 2020JP2022033973A2 Mar 2022JP7086969B220 Jun 2022 · grantJP7278360B219 May 2023 · grant

1. 13 Jan 2017First filingEarliest priority, at United States. The family is counted in this year.
2. 20 Dec 2017ApplicationFiled at United States.
3. 20 Dec 2017Owner recordedUnited States, on US2018200523A1: assignment; owner named: MEDTRONIC, INC., MINNESOTA.
4. 21 Dec 2017ApplicationsFiled at Canada, International (PCT), Australia, China, European Patent Office, Japan.
5. 19 Jul 2018First publicationCA3049963A1, Canada.
6. 8 Sep 2020Grant publishedUS10765869B2, United States.
7. 8 Sep 2021Grant publishedEP3568197B1, European Patent Office.
8. 15 Dec 2021ApplicationFiled at Japan.
9. 21 Jul 2022Office recordAustralia, on AU2017393274A1: application lapsed section 142(2)(d) - no continuation fee paid for the application.
10. 19 May 2023Grant publishedJP7278360B2, Japan.
11. 30 May 2023Grant publishedCN110167631B, China.
12. 10 Jun 2025Office recordJapan, on JP2020503972A: cancellation because of no payment of annual fees.
13. 11 Nov 2025Office recordCanada, on CA3049963A1: renewal or maintenance fee not paid.
14. 12 Dec 2025Office recordEuropean Patent Office, on EP3568197A1: lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LI, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR).

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

• 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: US2018200523A1 in Espacenet
• Counted as a BCI patent family: classified A61B5/293 (invasive electrodes for brain recording); filed by Medtronic, Inc., an organisation already in the graph. How families are found and judged