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Implantable Neural Prostheses 1 pp 253–273Cite as

The Bion® Microstimulator and its Clinical Applications

Part of the Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering book series (BIOMEDICAL)

Abstract

The Bion® microstimulator is a miniature leadless implantable neurostimulator designed to be implanted through a minimally invasive procedure. The small profile of the microstimulator allows it to be implanted through a small incision or by injection. Additionally, the stimulating electrodes are mounted directly on the microstimulator, which eliminates possible complications associated with the use of a lead (e.g., migration). An RF-powered version of the Bion® microstimulator was developed over a decade ago and that device has been used in feasibility clinical studies for several functional electrical stimulation (FES) applications, including shoulder subluxation and post-stroke hand rehabilitation. It has also been explored in clinical applications for knee osteoarthritis rehabilitation, obstructive sleep apnea, and pressure ulcer prevention. A version of the Bion® microstimulator with a rechargeable battery has also been developed, and the first-generation battery-powered microstimulator was used in a feasibility clinical trial for headaches. It is also being used in a clinical trial for overactive bladder. Preclinical experiments on the use of the microstimulator for gastroesophageal reflux disease have also been promising. Battery-Powered Microstimulator-sensors with bidirectional propagated wave telemetry, capable of coordinating hundreds of injectable devices for stroke and quadriplegic patients, are presently in the last stages of development.

Keywords

  • Lower Esophageal Sphincter
  • Pudendal Nerve
  • Functional Electrical Stimulation
  • Lower Esophageal Sphincter Pressure
  • Central Controller

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Boston Scientific Neuromodulation, Valencia, CA 91355, USA

    Todd K. Whitehurst

  2. Mann Medical Research Organization, 25155 Rye Canyon Loop Valencia, CA, USA

    Joseph H. Schulman

  3. Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation, 25155 Rye Canyon Loop, Valencia, CA 91355, USA

    Kristen N. Jaax & Rafael Carbunaru

Authors
  1. Todd K. Whitehurst
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  2. Joseph H. Schulman
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  3. Kristen N. Jaax
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  4. Rafael Carbunaru
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Correspondence to Todd K. Whitehurst .

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    Whitehurst, T.K., Schulman, J.H., Jaax, K.N., Carbunaru, R. (2009). The Bion® Microstimulator and its Clinical Applications. In: Greenbaum, E., Zhou, D. (eds) Implantable Neural Prostheses 1. Biological and Medical Physics, Biomedical Engineering. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77261-5_8

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-77261-5_8

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