Patent ID: 8165670

Claim:
A stimulation system for treatment of dysphagias comprising: an implantable stimulation device ( 60 ); at least one implantable stimulation electrode ( 70 ); at least one initializing sensor ( 40 ) configured to be attached in or to a palate of a patient wherein said at least one initializing sensor is further configured to detect a swallowing process in the patient through detection of a pressure of a tongue against the palate of said patient, generate a sensor signal continuously, or in a clocked cycle and send the sensor signal to the implantable stimulation device ( 60 ); and, wherein the implantable stimulation device ( 60 ) comprises a computer unit ( 110 ) that is configured to filter out of said sensor signal, a filtered sensor signal, that represents only signals which can be attributed to a voluntary initiation of said swallowing process through comparison of a chronological characteristic of said sensor signal to a pressure profile or patient-individual pressure profile to prevent unwanted stimulation of said swallowing process; trigger a delivery of a stimulation pulse via the at least one implantable stimulation electrode ( 70 ) in response to the filtered sensor signal that represents a voluntary initiation of the swallowing process.