Implantable microstimulator with dissecting tip and/or retrieving anchor and methods of manufacture and use

1. An implantable microstimulator comprising:

a housing having a first end;

an electronic subassembly disposed within the housing;

a plurality of electrodes disposed on the housing and coupled to the electronic subassembly; and

a dissecting tip disposed at the first end of the housing, wherein the dissecting tip is dimensioned to open a path large enough through which the housing may be implanted into a body of a patient.

2. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , wherein the dissecting tip is a blunt dissecting tip.

3. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , wherein the dissecting tip is metal.

4. The implantable microstimulator of claim 2 , wherein the blunt dissecting tip is in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of electrodes.

5. The implantable microstimulator of claim 2 , wherein the blunt dissecting tip is conical.

6. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing comprises a second end; and

the implantable microstimulator further comprises an extraction aid disposed at the second end of the housing and configured and arranged for attachment of an extraction line.

7. The implantable microstimulator of claim 6 , further comprising an extraction line coupled to the extraction aid.

8. The implantable microstimulator of claim 7 , further comprising an anchor attached to the extraction line.

9. The implantable microstimulator of claim 6 , wherein the extraction aid defines a hole through which an extraction line can be passed.

10. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a sealed material configured to resist transport of moisture into an interior of the housing after implantation.

11. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , wherein the dissecting tip comprises a cone-shaped member that is coupled to the first end of the housing by a weld, a braze, an adhesive, or a threaded surface.

12. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrodes includes the dissecting tip and the dissecting tip is coupled to the electronic subassembly.

13. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , further comprising:

a battery disposed within the housing; and

an electrical connection between the battery and the electronic subassembly.

14. The implantable microstimulator of claim 1 , wherein the electronic subassembly comprises a programmable processor adapted to receive and interpret instructions from an external programming unit.

15. A method of using an implantable microstimulator, the method comprising:

providing an implantable microstimulator comprising a housing having a first end, an electronic subassembly disposed within the housing, a plurality of electrodes disposed on the housing and coupled to the electronic subassembly, and a dissecting tip disposed at the first end of the housing, wherein the dissecting tip is dimensioned to open a path large enough through which the housing may be implanted into a body of a patient;

inserting the microstimulator in a body of a patient using the dissecting tip to open a path to body tissue to be stimulated; and

providing signals to the electrodes to stimulate the body tissue.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the dissecting tip is conductive and is in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of electrodes; and

providing signals to the electrodes comprises using the dissecting tip as an electrode to assist in stimulating the body tissue.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the microstimulator further comprises an extraction aid disposed on a second end of the housing, the method further comprising attaching an extraction line to the extraction aid.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising attaching an anchor to the extraction line.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising implanting the anchor near a skin region of the patient.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising identifying the anchor prior to extracting the microstimulator.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising extracting the microstimulator using the extraction line.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein providing the signals to the electrodes comprises:

receiving and interpreting instructions from an external programming unit; and

modifying a characteristic of a signal provided to the electrodes based on the instructions from the external programming unit.

23. The method of claim 15 , further comprising finding, as the microstimulator is implanted, a tissue to be stimulated by providing a signal to the dissecting tip.

24. A device comprising:

an implantable microstimulator comprising:

an elongate housing comprising a material that prevents a transport of moisture into an interior of the housing, the housing having a front end;

an electronic subassembly housed within the housing, the electronic subassembly configured to generate electrical pulses for stimulation of tissue;

a first electrode mounted to the housing and coupled to the electronic subassembly to receive the electrical pulses for the stimulation of tissue; and

a dissecting tip mounted to the front end of the elongate housing, wherein the dissecting tip is dimensioned to open a path large enough through which the elongate housing may be implanted into a body of a patient.

25. The device of claim 24 , wherein the dissecting tip is dimensioned to substantially cover the entire lateral sectional area of the elongate housing.