External Coil Assembly for Implantable Medical Prostheses

• US 20080082147A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cortigent Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Robert J., Zhou, Dao Min, Dai, Rongqing, Gord, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,010,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• 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: H04B 5/263 Multiple coils at either side
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/43 Antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Methods and devices for inductively coupled implants on the human or animal body are disclosed. An external coil assembly to be used with the implant has a transmitting coil and one or more receiving coils. The number of the receiving coils, their distance from the transmitting coil and their shape is chosen to reduce the influence of a noise signal received by the external coil assembly.

Claims

1. An inductive assembly adapted to communicate with an implant on the human or animal body, comprising:

a transmitting inductor;

a first receiving inductor, comprising a first coil, a first substrate associated with the first coil, and a first metal shield connected with the first substrate; and

a second receiving inductor, comprising a second coil, a second substrate associated with the second coil, and a second metal shield connected with the second substrate,

wherein the first receiving inductor and the second receiving inductor are located on different sides of the transmitting inductor and substantially equidistant from the transmitting inductor.

2. The inductive assembly of claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are a PCB substrate.

3. The inductive assembly of claim 2, wherein the PCB substrate is a double-layered PCB.

4. The inductive assembly of claim 1, wherein the first metal shield and the second metal shield are made of a material selected from the group consisting of traces and wires.

5. The inductive assembly of claim 1, wherein the transmitting inductor, first receiving inductor and second receiving inductor are separated therefrom by way of an insulator.

6. The coil assembly of claim 5, wherein the insulator is air.

7. An inductive transceiver comprising:

a transmitting coil; and

a receiving coil,

wherein a coupling coefficient between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil is substantially equal to zero, and

wherein the inductive transceiver is adapted to interact with an implant implanted in a human or animal body and is adapted to be located externally to the human or animal body.

8. The inductive transceiver of claim 7, wherein:

the receiving coil is displaced with respect to the transmitting coil in a view from the top or the bottom of the transmitting coil and the receiving coil;

the transmitting coil defines a first area internal to the transmitting coil and a second area external to the transmitting coil;

the receiving coil defines a third area internal to the receiving coil; and

the third area is located on and above a portion of the first area and a portion of the second area.

9. An inductive assembly adapted to be coupled with an implant on a human or animal body and to be located externally to the implant, the assembly comprising:

a first inductor, the first inductor defining a first area inside the first inductor and a second area outside the first inductor;

a second inductor located proximate to the first inductor, the second inductor having a symmetrical shape comprised of a first second inductor region and a second second inductor region, the first second inductor region defining a third area inside the first second inductor region, the second second inductor region defining a fourth area inside the second second inductor region, wherein

intersection between the first area and the third area defines a first magnetic flux region,

intersection between the first area and the fourth area defines a second magnetic flux region,

intersection between the second area and the third area defines a third magnetic flux region,

intersection between the second area and the fourth area defines a fourth magnetic flux region, and wherein

magnetic flux intensity through the first magnetic flux region and the second magnetic flux region is substantially equal and opposite to magnetic flux intensity through the second magnetic flux region and the third magnetic flux region.

10. The inductive assembly of claim 9, wherein the first second inductor region and the second second inductor region are circularly shaped.

11. The inductive assembly of claim 9, wherein the first second inductor region and the second second inductor region are mushroom shaped.

12. The inductive assembly of claim 9, wherein the second inductor further comprises a third second inductor region and a fourth second inductor region.