Patent ID: 6842647

Claim:
A neural stimulation system comprising an implantable neural stimulator and a remote control unit, wherein the implantable neural stimulator comprises: an electrode array having a multiplicity of electrode contacts positionable to be in contact with body tissue that is to be simulated, an implantable coil, an implantable microphone, and implantable control circuitry connected to the electrode array, implantable coil, and implantable microphone, said implantable control circuitry comprising, pulse generation circuitry that generates stimulation pulses that are applied to the body tissue through selected ones of the multiplicity of electrode contacts as controlled by audio control signals received through the implantable microphone, and a transmitter circuit that generates a back telemetry signal and applies the back telemetry signal to the implanted coil for broadcasting to the remote control unit; and wherein the remote control unit comprises: an external coil, a receiver circuit connected to the external coil that senses the back telemetry signal broadcast from the implantable control circuitry through the implantable coil, a speaker, an audio transmitter coupled to the speaker that broadcasts the audio control signals from the speaker; wherein audio control signals are sent to the implantable neural stimulator from the remote control unit for the purpose of controlling the implantable neural stimulator, and wherein back telemetry signals generated by the implanted neural stimulator are sent to the, remote control unit for the purpose of providing an indication as to whether audio control signals sent to the implantable neural stimulator were successfully received within the Implantable neural stimulator.