Assembly with a coaxial audio connector for charging an implantable medical device

• US 10,105,545 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Aghassian, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Wehrheim, Lindsey G
• Application Number:
  US15/050,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20160263385A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Disclosed is a charging coil assembly for a mobile device able to wirelessly provide power to charge a battery in an Implantable Medical Device (IMD). The assembly includes a coaxial connector that can be inserted into a coaxial audio port on the mobile device to allow bi-directional communications between the assembly and the mobile device. One or more housings coupled to the connector by a cable can include control circuitry, a charging coil, and a battery. The charging coil can be driven by control circuitry in the assembly or by a charging audio signal at an audio frequency provided by the mobile device via the audio port and connector. A Charging Application on the mobile device can detect and authenticate the charging coil assembly, and render a charging graphical user interface on the mobile device to control and/or monitor charging of the IMD.

Claims

1. An assembly coupleable to a mobile device to enable power delivery to a medical device, comprising:

a housing;

a charging coil within the housing;

a battery within the housing, wherein the battery is configured to provide power to produce a magnetic charging field for the medical device from the charging coil; and

a connector, wherein the connector is configured for connection to an audio port on a mobile device,

wherein the charging coil is configured to be controlled by an audio signal received from the mobile device via the connector to produce the magnetic charging field.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the charging coil is configured to receive a charging audio signal as the audio signal from the mobile device via the connector, and wherein the charging audio signal drives the charging coil to produce the magnetic charging field.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein a frequency of the charging audio signal is in the range of 5 kHz to 20 kHz.

4. The assembly of claim 2, further comprising a comparator, wherein the comparator converts the charging audio signal to a digital signal, and wherein the digital signal drives the charging coil to produce the magnetic charging field.

5. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising signal processing circuitry to center a DC offset of the charging audio signal to half a power supply voltage prior to presentation of the charging audio signal to the comparator.

6. The assembly of claim 4, further comprising an amplifier for receiving the digital signal, wherein the amplifier drives the charging coil.

7. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising control circuitry within the housing.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive a charging instruction as the audio signal from the mobile device via the connector, and wherein the control circuitry drives the charging coil in response to the charging instruction to produce the magnetic charging field.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the control circuitry is configured to transmit data via the connector to the mobile device via an audio input channel of the connector.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the data comprises one or more of a temperature of the charging coil assembly, a voltage of a battery in the medical device, and data regarding alignment between the charging coil and the medical device.

11. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the battery is not within an area extent of the charging coil.

12. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cable, wherein the housing is coupled to the connector by the cable.

13. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a switch on the housing for turning the magnetic charging field on and off.

14. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the connector comprises a coaxial audio connector.

15. A system, comprising:

a non-transitory machine-readable medium upon which are stored instructions for a charging application executable by a mobile device, wherein the charging application when executed on the mobile device is configured to;

provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the mobile device to control or monitor, or control and monitor, charging of a medical device; and

a charging coil assembly, comprising;

a housing;

a charging coil within the housing;

a battery within the housing, wherein the battery is configured to provide power to produce a magnetic charging field for the medical device from the charging coil; and

a connector, wherein the connector is configured for connection to an audio port on the mobile device,

wherein the charging coil is configured to be controlled by the GUI via an audio signal received from the connector to produce the magnetic charging field.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the charging application is further configured to detect when the connector has been connected to the audio port of the mobile device, and to automatically provide the GUI on the mobile device upon detection of the connector.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the charging application is further configured to authenticate the charging coil assembly prior to providing the GUI on the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the GUI provides at least one selectable option to turn the magnetic charging field on or off.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the charging application is further configured to receive data from the charging coil assembly during production of the magnetic charging field.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the charging application is further configured to cause the mobile device to produce a charging audio signal as the audio signal, wherein the charging coil assembly is configured to receive the charging audio signal from the mobile device via the connector, and wherein the charging audio signal drives the charging coil to produce the magnetic charging field.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein a frequency of the charging audio signal is in the range of 5 kHz to 20 kHz.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the charging coil assembly further comprises control circuitry within the housing, wherein the charging application is further configured to produce a charging instruction as the audio signal, wherein the control circuitry is configured to receive the charging instruction from the mobile device via the connector, and wherein the control circuitry drives the charging coil in response to the charging instruction to produce the magnetic charging field.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the control circuitry is configured to transmit data via the connector to the mobile device via an audio input channel of the connector.

24. The system of claim 15, further comprising a cable, wherein the housing is coupled to the connector by the cable.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the connector comprises a coaxial audio connector.