I claim:
1. A neurostimulation device for treatment of a disorder comprising in combination:
(a) an implantable signal generator;
(b) a timer to provide timing information to the signal generator to establish whether the signal generator is to provide electrical stimulation energy; and
(c) at least one implantable electrode coupled to the signal generator and adapted to deliver the electrical stimulation energy to at least one predetermined site in a body of a patient.
2. A neurostimulation device of claim 1, further comprising:
(d) a controller responsive to the timing information for controlling whether the signal generator is to provide electrical stimulation energy.
3. A neurostimulation device of claim 1, further comprising:
(d) a microprocessor responsive to the timing information for controlling whether the signal generator is to provide electrical stimulation energy.
4. A neurostimulation device of claim 1, further comprising:
(d) circuitry responsive to the timing information for controlling whether the signal generator is to provide electrical stimulation energy.
5. A neurostimulation device of claim 2, further comprising:
(e) a sensor coupled to the signal generator for generating a signal indicative of whether a patient is asleep or awake, wherein the controller is also responsive to the signal.
6. A neurostimulation device of claim 5, further comprising:
(f) an analog-to-digital converter coupling the sensor to the signal generator.
7. A neurostimulation device of claim 1, wherein the timer is a real time clock.
8. A neurostimulation device of claim 7, wherein the real time clock is responsive to a external source for providing time of day information.
9. A neurostimulation device of claim 1, further comprising:
(d) a switch coupled to the signal generator and responsive to input by a patient to allow the patient to manually turn on or off the device.
10. A drug delivery system device for treatment of a disorder comprising in combination:
(a) an implantable pump having at least one reservoir for storing at least one drug;
(b) a timer coupled to the pump and providing timing information to establish whether the pump is to deliver the drug; and
(c) at least one implantable catheter coupled to the pump and adapted to deliver the drug to at least one predetermined site in a body of a patient.
11. A drug delivery system of claim 10, further comprising:
(d) a controller responsive to the timing information for controlling whether the pump is to deliver the drug.
12. A drug delivery system of claim 10, further comprising:
(d) a microprocessor responsive to the timing information for controlling whether the pump is to deliver the drug.
13. A drug delivery system of claim 10, further comprising:
(d) circuitry responsive to the timing information for controlling whether the pump is to deliver the drug.
14. A drug delivery system of claim 10, further comprising:
(d) a sensor coupled to the pump for generating a signal indicative of whether a patient is asleep or awake, wherein the circuitry is also responsive to the signal.
15. A drug delivery system of claim 14, further comprising:
(e) an analog-to-digital converter coupling the sensor to the pump.
16. A drug delivery system of claim 9, wherein the timer is a real time clock.
17. A drug delivery system of claim 16, wherein the real time clock is responsive to a external source for providing time of day information.
18. A drug delivery system of claim 9, further comprising:
(d) a switch coupled to the pump and responsive to input by a patient to allow the patient to manually turn on or off the system.
19. In an implanted therapeutic device for treatment of a disorder, a method of automatically starting and stopping delivery of treatment therapy to a patient comprising the steps of:
(a) calibrating the device with at least two parameters for determining whether treatment is to be delivered, a first parameter corresponding to a first time of day indicating that the therapy is to be started and a second parameter corresponding to a second time of day indicating that the therapy is to be stopped;
(b) monitoring a timer to determine whether at least one of the parameters is satisfied;
(c) if the first parameter is satisfied, automatically initiating the device to start delivering treatment therapy to the patient; and
(d) if the second parameter is satisfied, automatically initiating the device to stop the delivery of the treatment therapy.
20. A method of claim 19, wherein a third parameter corresponds to a pattern indicative of whether the patient is asleep or awake and further comprising the step of:
(e) if the third parameter indicates that the patent is awake, automatically initiating the device to start delivering treatment therapy to the patient; and
(f) if the third parameter indicates that the patient is asleep, automatically initiating the device to stop the delivery of the treatment therapy.
21. A method of claim 19, wherein the disorder is selected from the group consisting of pain, movement disorder and epilepsy.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An X-A-b-B block copolymer comprising a terminal B block; a methacrylate-containing A block, and a terminal anchoring group, wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is less than about 30 kgmol and the B block fraction in the block copolymer is between about 0.15 and 0.4.
2. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the B block is selected from the group consisting of PS, P2VP, PV4P, PEO, and PDMS.
3. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the A block is selected from the group consisting of PMMA, PHEMA, PHEMA-TMS, PIBMA, PNPMA and PTFEMA.
4. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is less than about 25 kgmol.
5. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is less than about 20 kgmol.
6. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is less than about 15 kgmol.
7. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the anchoring group is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, a thiol group, an azide group, a carboxylic acid group, an amide group, an amine group, an epoxide group, a vinyl group, and a trichlorosilane group.
8. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the B block fraction is less than about 0.35.
9. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the B block fraction is less than about 0.3.
10. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the B block fraction is less than about 0.25.
11. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the B block fraction is less than about 0.2.
12. The block copolymer of claim 1 wherein the block copolymer is attached via the anchoring group to a substrate.
13. An X-A-b-B block copolymer comprising a terminal B block; a methacrylate-containing A block, and a terminal anchoring group, wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is between about 10 and 80 kgmol and the B block fraction in the block copolymer is between about 0.3 and 0.9.
14. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the B block is selected from the group consisting of PS, PS, P2VP, PV4P, PEO, and PDMS.
15. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the A block is selected from the group consisting of PMMA, PHEMA, PHEMA-TMS, PIBMA, PNPMA and PTFEMA.
16. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is less than about 30 kgmol.
17. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is less than about 25 kgmol.
18. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein B block fraction in the block copolymer is between about 0.3 and 0.75.
19. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is greater than about 30 kgmol.
20. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is greater than about 40 kgmol.
21. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the anchoring group is selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, a thiol group, an azide group, a carboxylic acid group, an amide group, an epoxide group, a vinyl group, a trichlorosilane group.
22. The block copolymer of claim 13 wherein the block copolymer is attached via the anchoring group to a substrate.
23. An X-A-b-C block copolymer comprising a terminal C block; a methacrylate-containing A block, and a terminal anchoring group, wherein the C is block is an B-r-D random copolymer, and wherein the average molecular weight of the block copolymer is between about 10 and 80 kgmol, the C block fraction in the block copolymer is between about 0.4 and 0.9 and the B fraction in the C block is between about 0.1 and 0.9.
24. The block copolymer of claim 23 wherein the C block is selected from the group consisting of PS-r-PMMA, PS-r-P2VP, PS-r-P4VP, PS-r-PEO, PS-r-PDMS, and PS-r-PEMA.