Method and system for controlling supply of energy to an implantable medical device

• US 10,293,173 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2016
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forsell Peter
• Original Assignee: Forsell Peter
• Inventors: Peter, Forsell
• Primary Examiner(s): Wehrheim, Lindsey G
• Application Number:
  US15/276,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20170080240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

A method and system for supplying energy to an electrically operable medical device (100) implanted in a patient. Wireless energy is transferred from an external energy source (104) located outside the patient to an internal energy receiver (102) located inside the patient and connected to the medical device. An internal control unit (108) determines an amount of energy currently required for the operation of said medical device. A control signal is transmitted to the external energy source, reflecting the required amount of energy. An external control unit (106) controls the amount of transferred energy in response to the control signal, by adjusting the energy transfer efficiency from the external energy source to the internal energy receiver. The energy transfer efficiency is adjusted by adjusting the position of a primary coil, serving as the external energy source, relative to an implanted secondary coil, serving as the internal energy source.

Claims

1. An arrangement for supplying energy to an electrically operable medical device implanted in a patient, said arrangement comprising:

an internal energy receiver located inside the patient, said internal energy receiver being connected to said medical device for directly or indirectly supplying received energy thereto,

an internal control unit connected to the medical device, the internal control unit being adapted to determine an amount of energy currently required for the operation of said medical device,

an internal signal transmitter connected to the internal control unit, the internal signal transmitter being arranged to transmit a control signal reflecting the determined required amount of energy,

an external energy source located outside the patient, the external energy source being arranged to transfer energy inductively from a primary coil in said external energy source to a secondary coil in said internal energy receiver,

an external control unit arranged to, in response to a control signal, accurately control the amount of transferred energy to the implanted medical device, by adjusting the energy transfer efficiency from said external energy source to said internal energy receiver,

an external signal receiver connected to the external control unit, the external signal receiver being arranged to receive the control signal reflecting the determined required amount of energy, and

a coil displacement unit connected to said external control unit and configured to adjust the energy transfer efficiency by repeatedly adjusting the position of said primary coil relative to said secondary coil by displacing the primary coil in at least one of a plurality of different directions relative to said secondary coil,

wherein the external control unit is arranged to decrease the energy transfer efficiency by automatically control movements of said primary coil based on said control signal, using said coil displacement unit such that a distance between said primary coil and said secondary coil is increased, or such that an angle between a symmetry axis of the primary coil and a symmetry axis of the secondary coil is increased.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust the distance between said primary coil and said secondary coil by adjusting the position of the primary coil in the coil displacement unit.

3. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust said distance by displacing a first reference point at said primary coil relative to a second reference point at said secondary coil.

4. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein said first and second reference points are the weight or symmetry centers of said primary and secondary coils, respectively.

5. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust said distance by displacing said primary coil in a first direction substantially perpendicular to the skin of said patient.

6. The arrangement according to claim 2, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust said distance by displacing said primary coil in a second direction substantially parallel to the skin of said patient.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to displace said primary coil in said second direction circumferentially around a first distance adjustment axis which is substantially perpendicular to the skin of said patient.

8. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to displace said primary coil in said second direction circumferentially around a second distance adjustment axis which is substantially parallel to but separate from said first distance adjustment axis.

9. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust said position by adjusting the angle between said primary coil and said secondary coil by adjusting the position of the primary coil in the coil displacement unit.

10. The arrangement according to claim 9, wherein said primary and secondary coils each comprises a helical winding around a symmetry axis, and wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust the angle by turning the symmetry axis of said primary coil relative to the symmetry axis of said secondary coil.

11. The arrangement according to claim 10, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust the angle by turning said primary coil around a first angle adjustment axis.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein said first angle adjustment axis is substantially parallel to the skin of said patient, such that said primary coil is turned in a first plane substantially perpendicular to the skin of said patient.

13. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to adjust the angle by turning said primary coil around a second angle adjustment axis substantially perpendicular to said first angle adjustment axis.

14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein said second angle adjustment axis is substantially parallel to the skin of said patient, such that said primary coil is turned in a second plane substantially perpendicular to the skin of said patient and substantially perpendicular to said first plane.

15. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said control signal reflects the difference or ratio between the energy received by said internal energy receiver and at least one of;

said required amount of energy, and energy consumed by said medical device.

16. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to decrease the energy transfer efficiency if said received energy is less than said consumed energy.

17. The arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the internal control unit is arranged to determine an amount of currently consumed energy per time unit for directly operating the medical device.

18. The arrangement according to claim 15, wherein an amount of currently required or consumed energy is determined for storing the incoming energy in an energy storing device, wherein at least one characteristic, parameter, or characteristic and parameter of the energy storing device is measured.

19. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the coil displacement unit is configured to decrease the energy transfer efficiency if said received energy is greater than said required amount of energy.

20. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the internal control unit is arranged to determine an amount of currently required energy per time unit for directly operating the medical device.

21. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein coil displacement unit is further configured to repeat the position of said primary coil relative to said secondary coil intermittently.

22. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein coil displacement unit is further configured to repeat the position of said primary coil relative to said secondary coil continuously.