Patent ID: 7617001

Claim:
A system for activating an implant within a body, comprising: an external controller for placement adjacent to an exterior surface of a patient's body, the controller comprising a controller transducer for transmitting an acoustic control signal including one or more commands into the patient's body and an energy storage device for providing electrical energy to operate the external controller; and one or more implants for placement within the patient's body, at least one implant comprising an electrical circuit configured for performing the one or more commands when the implant is activated, an energy storage device, a switch coupled between the electrical circuit and the energy storage device, and an acoustic implant transducer coupled to the switch, the implant transducer configured for receiving the acoustic control signal from the controller transducer to activate the switch between a first state, in which current is limited from flowing from the energy storage device of the at least one implant to the electrical circuit, and a second state, in which current flows from the energy storage device of the at least one implant to the electrical circuit.