Energy harvesting mechanism for medical devices

• US 10,398,904 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Inventors: Imran, Mir A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voorhees, Catherine M
• Application Number:
  US15/440,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20170197085A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3629 in combination with non-electric therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3785 generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus, systems and methods for harvesting energy from bio-kinetic events to power various implanted medical devices. One embodiment provides an energy harvesting mechanism for a cardiac pacemaker comprising an energy converter and a signal path component. The energy converter is positionable inside a human body and configured to generate electric power signals in response to a bio-kinetic event of the human body such as a heart beat, respiration or arterial pulse. The converter can comprise a piezoelectric material which generates electricity in response to mechanical deformation of the converter. The converter can also have a power generation characteristic that is matched to the frequency of the bio-kinetic event. For heart beat powered applications, the power generation characteristic can be matched to the physiologic range of pulse rates.

Claims

1. An energy harvesting mechanism for a pacemaker, the mechanism comprising:

a deformable energy converter positionable inside a human body to convert a mechanical deformation of the energy converter by a bio-kinetic event of the human body into electric power signals, the energy converter having a stiffness profile in which a center portion of the energy converter has a stiffness that is greater than a stiffness at either end portion of the energy converter, and wherein the stiffness profile enables the energy converter to be deformable at either of the end portions; and

a signal path component structured to enable the electric power signals to be carried from the energy converter to the pacemaker.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the pacemaker is a cardiac pacemaker.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the signal path component comprises a cable that provides a pace making signal to a heart of the human body.

4. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the stiffness profile produces a resonant frequency within a predetermined physiological frequency range associated with a normal occurrence of the bio-kinetic event.

5. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein the energy converter is positioned within the cable.

6. The mechanism of claim 5, wherein the energy converter has a form factor which does not change a form factor of the cable.

7. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter is structured to approximate a shape of a ventricle of the human body in a contracted or an expanded state so that the electric power signals can be generated during both systole and diastole.

8. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter comprises a piezoelectric material.

9. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the bio-kinetic event is a heartbeat, a respiration or an arterial pulse.

10. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter functions as a sensor to sense a property of a heart of the human body.

11. The mechanism of claim 10, wherein the property is one of a heart rate, heart rhythm, arrhythmia, heart wall motion or heart wall motion abnormality.

12. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable power supply coupled to the signal path component to receive electrical energy generated by the energy harvesting mechanism.

13. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter generates an AC signal.

14. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter generates sufficient power to autonomously power the pacemaker from motion of a beating heart.