Patent ID: 8831730

Claim:
A device for treating sleep apnea by powering an implant within a body of a subject from a location external to the subject, wherein the implant requires a threshold rate of power increase in order to operate in at least one stimulate a hypoglossal nerve and thereby cause contraction of a genioglossus muscle, the device comprising: an antenna configured for location between a neck and a chin of the subject and to wirelessly transmit energy to the implant, the antenna being part of a resonant circuit; a power storage unit configured to store energy from a power source incapable of delivering the threshold rate of power increase to enable the implant unit to operate in the at least one mode; and a power release unit configured to release a pulse of energy from the power storage unit to the antenna, the pulse of energy being sufficient to enable the implant unit to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve to cause contraction of the genioglossus muscle, and wherein the resonant circuit is configured to generate a signal for transmission to the implant by electrical oscillation in the resonant circuit at a resonant frequency of the resonant circuit when the pulse of energy is received by the resonant circuit.