Inductance coil with varied geometry

• US 10,692,642 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2016
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Ridler, Oliver John, Kennes, Patrik, Forrester, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hoang V
• Application Number:
  US15/334,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20170117086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• 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: H01F 27/006 with special arrangement or spacing of turns of the winding(s), e.g. to produce desired self-resonance
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2804 Printed windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/2871 Pancake coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 5/003 Printed circuit coils
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/248 provided with an AC/DC converting device, e.g. rectennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• 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: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 : Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 : Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 : using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 : using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

An inductance communication coil, including a conductor having at least one conductive turn, wherein a width of the conductor is wider at a first location relative to that at a second location. The conductor can be made out of metal. In some embodiments, the first location and the second location are on the same turn. In some embodiments, the conductor includes a plurality of turns, wherein the first location is at a first turn and the second location is at a second turn.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a transcutaneous inductance communication coil, including a conductor having at least one conductive turn, wherein a width of the conductor is wider at a first location relative to that at a second location, wherein

the conductor comprises a plurality of turns, wherein the first location is at a first turn and the second location is at a second turn, and

the second turn is an outer turn relative to the first turn.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the first location and the second location are at a location where the locations are as close as possible while still being on separate turns.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the conductor comprises at least three turns, wherein the first location is at a first turn and the second location is at a second turn;

a width of the conductor is wider at a third location relative to that at the first location; and

the third location is on a third turn, wherein the third turn is inside the first turn and second turn.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the conductor includes a first turn located on a first tier of a substrate and a second turn located on a second tier of the substrate, wherein a width of the first turn is the same as the width of the second turn at least along substantially all of the respective turns.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein:

the conductor is part of a printed circuit board;

the inductance communication coil includes a first tier and a second tier;

the at least one conductive turn includes at least a first conductive turn and a second conductive turn, both located on the first tier;

a third conductive turn and a fourth conductive turn are located on the second tier;

a conductive path extends along the first conductive turn and then to the third conductive turn and then to the fourth conductive turn and then to the second conductive turn.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a radius normed surface area of a first turn is different than that of the second turn.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein:

a beginning of the conductor and an end of the conductor is respectively electrically coupled to, via respective separate paths, circuitry of;

an external component of a medical device, wherein the external component is configured to communicate transcutaneously via the inductance communication coil;

or

an implantable component of a medical device, wherein the implantable component is configured to communicate transcutaneous via the inductance communication coil.

8. A device, comprising:

a transcutaneous inductance communication antenna including a conductor having a non-uniform geometry wherein the non-uniform geometry is a non-uniform width.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the conductor includes at least a first turn, a second turn and a third turn, wherein the first turn has a different width than the second turn and the third turn, and the second turn has a different width than the third turn.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein:

at least one of the first turn, the second turn or the third turn has a uniform width over substantially all of the turn.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein:

with respect to the first, second and third turns, the respective widths vary non-linearly.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein:

with respect to the first, second and third turns, the respective widths vary exponentially.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the conductor has a plurality of turns, and a surface area of a first turn is different than that of the second turn beyond that due to the difference in circumference, and wherein a first turn and a second turn of the plurality of turns have bottoms that lie on the same plane.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the conductor has a plurality of turns, and a cross-sectional area of a first turn is different than that of the second turn.

15. The device of claim 8, wherein:

a beginning of the conductor and an end of the conductor is respectively electrically coupled to, via respective separate paths, circuitry of;

an external component of a medical device, wherein the external component is configured to communicate transcutaneously via the inductance communication antenna;

or

an implantable component of a medical device, wherein the implantable component is configured to communicate transcutaneous via the inductance communication antenna.

16. A device, comprising:

an inductance communication coil, including a coiled conductor including at least three turns on a first layer, wherein

a maximum outer diameter of the outermost turn of the at least three turns is about 30 mm, and

the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 75.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of between 75 and 94.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 82.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 85.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 88.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein:

the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 90.

22. A method, comprising:

transcutaneously transmitting, using a first coiled inductance antenna located outside the skin of the recipient, an inductance signal to an implanted second coiled inductance antenna; and

at least one of recharging an implanted battery or powering an implanted functional component based on a second signal from the second coiled inductance antenna, the second signal being generated by the inductance signal, wherein

a current is applied to the first coiled inductance antenna to generate a magnetic field, thereby transmitting the inductance signal; and

an average current density at least one of increases or decreases with distance from a geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over at least a portion of the distance from the geometric center.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising, after transcutaneously transmitting the inductance signal:

capturing an ambient sound with a microphone;

converting the captured ambient sound to a third signal;

transcutaneously transmitting, using the first coiled inductance antenna, a second inductance signal based on the third signal to the implanted second coiled inductance antenna; and

evoking a hearing percept based on a fourth signal from the second coiled inductance antenna, the fourth signal being generated by the inductance signal based on the third signal.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the average current density decreases over a first distance from a geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over at least a portion of the distance from the geometric center.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the average current density increases over a first distance from a geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over a portion of the distance from the geometric center.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the at least one of the first coiled inductance antenna or the second coiled inductance antenna is substantially identical to at least 500 others previously provided to other recipients and used to transcutaneously communicate an inductance signal.

27. A device, comprising:

a transcutaneous inductance antenna coil including a conductor having a plurality of turns, wherein DC resistance of the conductor varies along a path between a first location and a second location, wherein the plurality of turns are electrically located between the first location and the second location.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein:

DC resistance of the conductor varies along a path between a third location and a fourth location;

both the third location and the fourth location are located between the first location and the second location; and

the third location and the fourth location are located on a single turn of the plurality of turns, and a cross-section of the conductor taken normal to a direction of extension of the conductor between the first location and the second location is solid.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein:

DC resistance of the conductor is constant along a path between a third location and a fourth location;

both the third location and the fourth location are located between the first location and the second location; and

the third location and the fourth location are located on a single turn of the plurality of turns.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein:

a cross-sectional area of the conductor normal to a direction of alternating current flow varies such that the DC resistance is inversely proportional to a cross-sectional area of the conductor normal to a direction of alternating current flow when applied thereto to generate an inductance field, thereby varying the DC resistance of the conductor.

31. The device of claim 27, wherein:

a point to point DC resistance over a first arc of at least about 180 degrees on an outer turn of the plurality of turns is lower than that over a second arc, spanning the same angle as the first arc, on an inner turn of the plurality of turns.

32. The device of claim 27, wherein:

a point to point DC resistance over a first arc of at least about 180 degrees on an outer turn of the plurality of turns is higher than that over a second arc, spanning the same angle as the first arc, on an inner turn of the plurality of turns.

33. The device of claim 27, wherein:

cross-sectional areas of the conductor on respective planes normal to a longitudinal axis of a turn of the plurality of turns varies with location along the turn.

34. The device of claim 27, wherein:

a boundary area encompassing the plurality of turns has a first area; and

an effective AC resistance of a portion of the conductor located within the boundary area is lower than that which would be the case for a same number of turns located within the same boundary area where the turns are spaced evenly apart from one another and where cross-sectional areas of the conductor on respective planes normal to a longitudinal axis of the conductor is non-varying with location along the conductor within the boundary area.