POWER SUPPLY HAVING AN AUXILIARY POWER CELL

• US 20090079265A1
• Filed: 07/24/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Seligman, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,026,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A power supply having a plurality of selectively electrically connectable power cells configured to supply power to a load. The power supply comprises a plurality of power cells electrically connected in series and an auxiliary power cell electrically connected in parallel with one of said plurality of power cells. A control is configured to selectively electrically connect said auxiliary cell in parallel with whichever one of said plurality of power cells has a lower power delivery capability.

Claims

1. A power supply configured to supply power to a load comprising:

a plurality of power cells electrically connected in series;

an auxiliary power cell electrically connected in parallel with one of said plurality of power cells;

a control module configured to selectively electrically connect said auxiliary cell in parallel with whichever one of said plurality of power cells has a lower power delivery capability.

2. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said control module electrically connects said auxiliary cell in parallel with whichever one of said plurality of power cells has a lower operating voltage.

3. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said control module electrically connects said auxiliary cell in parallel with whichever one of said plurality of power cells experiences an uncharacteristically rapid change in its voltage during one or more of a charging and discharging operation.

4. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said control module continually monitors the power delivery capabilities of said plurality of power cells.

5. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said control module periodically evaluates the power delivery capabilities of said plurality of power cells.

6. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said control module evaluates the power delivery capabilities of said plurality of power cells following a determination that the power output by said electrically connected cells is insufficient to meet power demands of the load.

7. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said control module comprises:

a controller configured to evaluate the power delivery capabilities of said plurality of power cells; and

a switch arrangement which connects said auxiliary power cell in parallel with one of said plurality of power based on said evaluation by said controller.

8. The power supply of claim 11, wherein said controller comprises a microprocessor.

9. The power supply of claim 1, wherein said controller comprises a comparator.

10. The power of supply of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more additional auxiliary power cells, wherein said control module is configured to connect at least one of said one or more additional auxiliary power cells in parallel with a selected one of said plurality of power cells.

11. The power supply of claim 10, wherein said selected one of said plurality of power cells is said power cell having said lower power delivery capability.

12. The power supply of claim 10, wherein said selected one of said plurality of power cells is one of said plurality of power cells that does not have the lower power delivery capability.

13. The power supply of claim 2, wherein said a control module determines which one of said plurality of power cells has a lower operating voltage by comparing the voltages of said plurality of power cells to one another.

14. The power supply of claim 2, wherein said a control module determines which one of said plurality of power cells has a lower operating voltage by comparing the voltages of said plurality of power cells to a threshold voltage.

15. The power supply of claim 1, wherein the power supply is integrated with a medical prosthesis.

16. The power supply of claim 15, wherein said medical prosthesis is a cochlear implant.

17. The power supply of claim 16, wherein said cochlear implant is fully implantable.

18. A method for supplying power to a load from a power supply comprising a plurality of power cells and an auxiliary power cell, the method comprising:

electrically connecting said plurality of power cells in series;

determining which of said plurality of power cells has a lower power delivery capability;

electrically connecting an auxiliary power cell in parallel with one of said plurality of power cells; and

supplying said power to said load with said electrically connected power cells.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining which of said plurality of power cells has a lower power delivery capability comprises:

measuring the operating voltages of said plurality of power cells;

comparing said acquired operating voltages to one another; and

determining which of said plurality of power cells has a lower operating voltage.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining which of said plurality of power cells has a lower power delivery capability comprises:

measuring the voltages of said plurality of power cells during one or more of a charging and discharging operation; and

determining that the voltage of one of said plurality of power cells uncharacteristically rapidly changed during said one or more of the charging and discharging operation.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining which of said plurality of power cells has a lower power delivery capability comprises:

measuring the operating voltages of said plurality of power cells;

comparing said acquired operating voltages to a threshold voltage; and

determining which of said plurality of power cells has an operating voltage which is below said threshold voltage.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

continually re-evaluating the power delivery capabilities of said plurality of power cells.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

periodically re-evaluating the power delivery capabilities of said plurality of power cells.

24. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

re-evaluating the power delivery capabilities of said plurality of power cells following a determination that the power output by said electrically connected cells is insufficient to meet power demands of the load.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said power supply further comprises one or more additional auxiliary power cells, the method further comprising:

electrically connecting at least one of said one or more additional auxiliary power cells in parallel with a selected one of said plurality of power cells.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said selected one of said plurality of power cells is said power cell having said lower power delivery capability.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said selected one of said plurality of power cells is one of said plurality of power cells that does not have the lower power delivery capability.