Electronic medical system with implantable medical device, having wireless power supply transfer

• US 10,207,120 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R39 S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Ado Holding SA
• Inventors: Guardiani, Carlo, Piazza, Daniele, Menegoli, Paolo, Clementi, Leonardo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hulbert, Amanda
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Philip C
• Application Number:
  US15/336,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20170100599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 607 60
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3515 using magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• 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 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/27 characterised by the type of receiving antennas, e.g. rectennas
• 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: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

An electronic medical system is described. The system comprises an external RF power transmitter configured to emit a first power signal via an electromagnetic coupling, said RF power transmitter being configured to emit said first energy signal with a power no greater than 1 W. The system further comprises an implantable medical device comprising: at least one receiver antenna configured to receive said first energy signal via an electromagnetic coupling; an RF power receiver module configured to extract a second energy signal having a power of at least 1 mW and to be powered by said second energy signal; a power actuator module, operatively connected to the RF power receiver module, powered by said second energy signal. The power actuator module is configured to deliver a medical treatment to at least a target tissue of a patient on the basis of a control signal generated by the RF power receiver module.

Claims

1. An electronic medical system, comprising:

an external RF power transmitter configured to emit a first energy signal via an electromagnetic coupling, said external RF power transmitter being configured to emit said first energy signal with a power no greater than 1 W;

an implantable medical device comprising;

at least one receiver antenna configured to receive said first energy signal via the electromagnetic coupling;

an RF power receiver module operatively connected to the at least one receiver antenna, the RF power receiver module being configured to extract a second energy signal having a power of at least 1 milliwatt (mW), the RF power receiver module being powered by said second energy signal, the RF power receiver module being configured to generate a control signal;

a power actuator module, operatively connected to the RF power receiver module, powered by said second energy signal, the power actuator module being configured to receive said control signal, the power actuator module being configured to deliver a medical treatment to at least a target tissue of a patient on a basis of said control signal;

wherein an RF power transmitter module comprises an RF power amplifier, an impedance matching module, a resonant network module and a transmitter antenna in cascade arrangement with one another;

wherein the external RF power transmitter comprises the RF power transmitter module; and

wherein the external RF power transmitter comprises a power limiter module operatively connected to the RF power transmitter module, the power limiter module being configured to limit the first energy signal to an instantaneous transmission power no greater than 1 W.

2. The electronic medical system of claim 1, wherein the external RF power transmitter comprises an energy storage element.

3. The electronic medical system of claim 1, wherein the external RF power transmitter further comprises a first programmable control unit configured to manage the external RF power transmitter.

4. The electronic medical system of claim 1, wherein the external RF power transmitter is configured to control RF power transmission on a basis of feedback information.

5. The electronic medical system of claim 1, wherein the external RF power transmitter is worn by the patient.

6. The electronic medical system of claim 1, wherein the external RF power transmitter is carried by the patient as a portable device.

7. The electronic medical system of claim 1, wherein the RF power amplifier is a Class-E amplifier with Zero Voltage Switching.

8. The electronic medical system of claim 1, wherein the RF power amplifier is configured to generate a second and a third harmonic components that are at least 70 dBc less than a carrier frequency component.

9. An electronic medical system, comprising:

an external RF power transmitter configured to emit a first energy signal via an electromagnetic coupling, said external RF power transmitter being configured to emit said first energy signal with a power no greater than 1 W;

an implantable medical device comprising;

at least one receiver antenna configured to receive said first energy signal via the electromagnetic coupling;

an RF power receiver module operatively connected to the at least one receiver antenna, the RF power receiver module being configured to extract a second energy signal having a power of at least 1 milliwatt (mW), the RF power receiver module being powered by said second energy signal, the RF power receiver module being configured to generate a control signal;

a power actuator module, operatively connected to the RF power receiver module, powered by said second energy signal, the power actuator module being configured to receive said control signal, the power actuator module being configured to deliver a medical treatment to at least a target tissue of a patient on a basis of said control signal;

wherein an RF power transmitter module comprises an RF power amplifier, an impedance matching module, a resonant network module and a transmitter antenna in cascade arrangement with one another;

wherein the external RF power transmitter comprises the RF power transmitter module; and

wherein the external RF power transmitter comprises a first communication interface operatively connected to the RF power transmitter module, the first communication interface being configured to communicate data with the implantable medical device via a wireless link.

10. The electronic medical system of claim 9, wherein the external RF power transmitter comprises an energy storage element.

11. The electronic medical system of claim 9, wherein the external RF power transmitter further comprises a first programmable control unit configured to manage the external RF power transmitter.

12. The electronic medical system of claim 9, wherein the RF power amplifier is a Class-E amplifier with Zero Voltage Switching.

13. The electronic medical system of claim 9, wherein the RF power amplifier is configured to generate a second and a third harmonic components that are at least 70 dBc less than a carrier frequency component.

14. The electronic medical system of claim 9, wherein the external RF power transmitter is configured to control RF power transmission on a basis of feedback information.

15. The electronic medical system of claim 9, wherein the external RF power transmitter is worn by the patient.

16. The electronic medical system of claim 9, wherein the external RF power transmitter is carried by the patient as a portable device.

17. An electronic medical system, comprising:

an external RF power transmitter configured to emit a first energy signal via an electromagnetic coupling, said external RF power transmitter being configured to emit said first energy signal with a power no greater than 1 W;

an implantable medical device comprising;

at least one receiver antenna configured to receive said first energy signal via the electromagnetic coupling;

an RF power receiver module operatively connected to the at least one receiver antenna, the RF power receiver module being configured to extract a second energy signal having a power of at least 1 milliwatt (mW), the RF power receiver module being powered by said second energy signal, the RF power receiver module being configured to generate a control signal;

a power actuator module, operatively connected to the RF power receiver module, powered by said second energy signal, the power actuator module being configured to receive said control signal, the power actuator module being configured to deliver a medical treatment to at least a target tissue of a patient on a basis of said control signal;

wherein an RF power transmitter module comprises an RF power amplifier, an impedance matching module, a resonant network module and a transmitter antenna in cascade arrangement with one another; and

wherein the RF power amplifier is a Class-E amplifier with Zero Voltage Switching.

18. An electronic medical system, comprising:

an external RF power transmitter configured to emit a first energy signal via an electromagnetic coupling, said external RF power transmitter being configured to emit said first energy signal with a power no greater than 1 W;

an implantable medical device comprising;

at least one receiver antenna configured to receive said first energy signal via the electromagnetic coupling;

an RF power receiver module operatively connected to the at least one receiver antenna, the RF power receiver module being configured to extract a second energy signal having a power of at least 1 milliwatt (mW), the RF power receiver module being powered by said second energy signal, the RF power receiver module being configured to generate a control signal;

a power actuator module, operatively connected to the RF power receiver module, powered by said second energy signal, the power actuator module being configured to receive said control signal, the power actuator module being configured to deliver a medical treatment to at least a target tissue of a patient on a basis of said control signal;

wherein an RF power transmitter module comprises an RF power amplifier, an impedance matching module, a resonant network module and a transmitter antenna in cascade arrangement with one another; and

wherein the RF power amplifier is configured to generate a second and a third harmonic components that are at least 70 dBc less than a carrier frequency component.