Patent ID: 7729772

Claim:
A method of treating urinary incontinence in a patient through neuromodulation of body tissue of the patient at a desired internal stimulation site, comprising: implanting a receiver subcutaneously in the patient, the receiver comprising passive receiver circuitry, a dielectric, bio-compatible shell encapsulating the receiver circuit, a first elongated resiliently-insulated flexible helical electrically conductive wire lead extending from the shell, a first electrode disposed at a distal end of the first lead and electrically connected to the receiver circuitry through the first lead to function as an anode, a second elongated resiliently-insulated flexible helical electrically conductive wire lead extending from the shell, and a second electrode disposed at a distal end of the second lead and electrically connected to the receiver circuitry through the second lead to function as a cathode; during the implanting step, positioning the first and second electrodes in proximity to a tibial nerve of the patient, approximately five centimeters cephalic to the medial tibial malleolus, by elongation of at least one of the first and second leads, and supplying a first pulsed alternating magnetic field to the receiver from a portable transmitter outside of the patient to test for accurate positioning of the first and second electrodes as indicated by a curl or curve of a foot of the patient; and supplying a second pulsed alternating magnetic field to the receiver from the portable transmitter outside of the patient, wherein the second pulsed alternating magnetic field comprises alternating magnetic field pulses have pulse frequency, pulse amplitude and pulse width characteristics corresponding to a predetermined treatment protocol for urinary incontinence; and wherein the first and second alternating magnetic field pulses inductively couple to the passive receiver circuitry to generate treatment current pulses therein in accordance with the treatment protocol, the treatment current pulses being supplied to the electrode through the lead for stimulating the tibial nerve.