External controller for an implantable medical device system with an external charging coil powered by an external battery

• US 10,530,179 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 01/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Aghassian, Daniel, Lewis, Terril G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thapa, Sailesh
• Application Number:
  US15/896,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20180175658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• 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

An integrated external controller/charger system for an implantable medical device is disclosed comprising an external controller/charger device with a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and first battery, and an external charging coil assembly coupleable to the external controller/charger device and including or associated with a second battery. The second battery is used to energize a charging coil in the external charging coil assembly, while the first battery is used to power other aspects of the system (data telemetry circuitry, control circuitry, the GUI, etc.). Because the second battery powers the relatively high-power charging function, the first battery in the external controller/charger device can be made smaller. Additionally, the second battery enables a suitable external controller device (e.g. a mobile device such as a cell phone) to provide charging functionality even if its first battery is otherwise inadequate.

Claims

1. A system for use with a medical device, comprising:

an external controller, comprising

a first housing with a first port,

at least one antenna for communicating data with the medical device, and

a first battery;

a charging coil assembly for use with a medical device, comprising

a first connector configured to couple to the first port,

a charging coil configured to produce a magnetic charging field for the medical device, wherein production of the magnetic charging field is controlled by the external controller via the first connector, and

a second battery; and

first circuitry powered by the second battery, wherein the first circuitry is configured to energize the charging coil to produce the magnetic charging field.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna comprises at least one coil antenna, and wherein the at least one coil antenna communicates data with the medical device via magnetic inductive coupling.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna communicates data with the medical device via short-range electromagnetic RF telemetry.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one antenna communicates data with the medical device to monitor and/or control the medical device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second housing and a third housing, wherein the charging coil is within the second housing, the second battery is within the third housing, and the first and second housings are electrically coupled.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a holding device configured to be wearable by a medical device patient, wherein the holding device is configured when worn by the patient to hold the second housing proximate to the medical device of the patient.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second housings are located at different positions on the holding device, and wherein the second and third housings are electrically coupled by a cable within the holding device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second housing, wherein the charging coil and the second battery are within the housing.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the external controller contains a user interface configured to receive an input from a user, and wherein the charging coil assembly does not contain a user interface configured to receive an input from a user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to communicate the data with the medical device, and to control production of the magnetic charging field from the charging coil.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry is within the first housing, and wherein the first connector comprises a first signal to send a first voltage provided or generated from the second battery to the first circuitry, and second signals coupled to ends of the charging coil.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the external controller further comprises battery recharging circuitry for the first battery, and wherein the first voltage is coupled to a pin on the first connector corresponding with a pin of the first port meeting with the battery recharging circuitry.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the first circuitry comprises an amplifier.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging coil assembly further comprises at least one temperature sensor, wherein a temperature determined by the at least one temperature sensor is reported to the external controller via the first connector and the first port.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first connector is attachable to and detachable from the first port of the external controller.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the second battery only powers the first circuitry.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the second battery does not power circuitry in the external controller.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the charging coil assembly further comprises communication interface circuitry coupled to the first connector, wherein the communication interface circuitry is configured to control communications with the first port of the external controller.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the external controller comprises a cell phone.

20. A system for use with a medical device, comprising:

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

provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) on the mobile device to allow a user to communicate data between the mobile device and a medical device, and to control charging of the medical device; and

a charging coil assembly, comprising;

a first connector configured to couple to a first port of a mobile device executing the medical device application;

a charging coil configured to produce a magnetic charging field for the medical device, wherein production of the magnetic charging field is controlled by GUI; and

a battery, wherein the battery is configured to power first circuitry to energize the charging coil to produce the magnetic charging field.