Powering of an implantable medical therapy delivery device using far field radiative powering at multiple frequencies

• US 10,220,217 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2016
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Inventors: Chow, Eric Y., Rowell, Jonathan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Heller, Tammie K
• Application Number:
  US15/222,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20160331982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0556 Cuff electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A particular implantable device may include one or more antennas configured to receive a first far field radiative signal and a second far field radiative signal. The one or more antennas may be configured to receive the first far field radiative signal in a first frequency band and to receive the second far field radiative signal in a second frequency band. The implantable device may include a voltage rectifier configured to rectify the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to provide a rectified voltage signal. The implantable device may further include a charge storage element operative to receive the rectified voltage signal and to store charge responsive to the rectified voltage signal. The implantable device may also include a therapy delivery unit powered by the charge storage element. The therapy delivery unit may be operative to deliver a therapy to a patient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first far field radiative signal in a first frequency band and a second far field radiative signal in a second frequency band at an implantable medical device;

rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to provide a voltage;

using the provided voltage to charge a charge storage element of the implantable medical device;

detecting whether a charge stored at the charge storage element satisfies a threshold; and

in response to detecting that the charge stored at the charge storage element satisfies the threshold, providing a therapy to a patient using a therapy delivery unit of the implantable medical device, wherein the therapy delivery unit receives power from the charge storage element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to provide the voltage comprises:

rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to generate a rectified voltage; and

increasing the rectified voltage with a voltage multiplier to provide the voltage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to provide the voltage comprises:

rectifying the received first far field radiative signal to generate a first rectified voltage;

rectifying the received second far field radiative signal to generate a second rectified voltage; and

summing the first rectified voltage and the second rectified voltage to provide the voltage.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to provide the voltage further comprises:

rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to generate a rectified voltage; and

increasing the rectified voltage at a DC-to-DC converter to provide the voltage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device includes a multiband antenna configured to receive the first far field radiative signal and the second far field radiative signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device includes a first antenna configured to receive the first far field radiative signal and a second antenna configured to receive the second far field radiative signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first far field radiative signal and the second far field radiative signal each have a frequency that is within a range of approximately 100 MHz to approximately 5.8 GHz.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first far field radiative signal and the second far field radiative signal each have a frequency in a frequency band centered at one of approximately 433 MHz and 900 MHz, respectively, approximately 433 MHz and 2.4 GHz, respectively, approximately 433 MHz and 5.8 GHz, respectively, approximately 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz, respectively, approximately 900 MHz and 5.8 GHz, respectively, or approximately 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz, respectively.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first far field radiative signal is received from a first transmission over a first distance of at least twice a first wavelength of the first far field radiative signal, and wherein the second far field radiative signal is received from a second transmission over a second distance of at least twice a second wavelength of the second far field radiative signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first far field radiative signal or the second far field radiative signal is a pulsed signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pulsed signal has a duty cycle of 10% or less.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first far field radiative signal is a first pulsed signal and the second far field radiative signal is a second pulsed signal, wherein the first pulsed signal and the second pulsed signal are interleaved.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first pulsed signal and the second pulsed signal each have an average transmission power of 1 watt or less and an instantaneous transmission power of 5 watts or less.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising encoding data by modulating energy backscattered responsive to at least one of the first far field radiative signal or the second far field radiative signal.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the therapy is provided by generating an electrical stimulation signal to stimulate a target tissue of the patient.

16. A method comprising:

receiving a first far field radiative signal in a first frequency band and a second far field radiative signal in a second frequency band at an implantable medical device;

rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to provide a voltage;

modifying the voltage to provide an increased voltage;

using the provided voltage to charge a charge storage element of the implantable medical device;

detecting whether a charge stored at the charge storage element satisfies a threshold; and

in response to detecting that the charge stored at the charge storage element satisfies the threshold, providing a therapy to a patient using a therapy delivery unit of the implantable medical device, wherein the therapy delivery unit receives power from the charge storage element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying the voltage comprises increasing the voltage with a voltage multiplier to provide the increased voltage.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein rectifying the received first far field radiative signal and the received second far field radiative signal to provide the voltage comprises rectifying the received first far field radiative signal to generate a first rectified voltage and rectifying the received second far field radiative signal to generate a second rectified voltage;

and

wherein modifying the voltage to provide the increased voltage comprises summing the first rectified voltage and the second rectified voltage to provide the increased voltage.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein modifying the voltage to provide an increased voltage further comprises increasing the voltage at a DC-to-DC converter to provide the voltage.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the therapy provided to the patient is a single treatment.