Systems configured to deliver energy out of a living subject, and related appartusesand methods

• US 20100065097A1
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Rivet, Dennis J., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Wood, Victoria Y.H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,391 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 136/201
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02N 2/18 producing electrical output from mechanical input, e.g. generators for measurement devices G01
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems configured to deliver energy out of a living subject to power at least one external device, and related apparatuses, and methods of use.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an electrical-power source configured to be disposed within a living subject and provide electrical energy; and

an internal power transmitter configured to be disposed within the living subject, the internal power transmitter coupled to the electrical power source to receive at least a portion of the electrical energy therefrom, the internal power transmitter further configured to deliver energy out of the living subject in response to receiving the at least a portion of the electrical energy, the energy having a power of at least about 10 μ

W.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical-power source includes an electricity generator configured to convert internal body energy of the living subject to the electrical energy.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the electricity generator includes at least one of a fluid-flow generator, a fluid-pressure generator, a muscle-motion generator, an acceleration-motion generator, or a thermal-electric generator.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electrical-power source includes an energy-storage device configured to provide the electrical energy.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the energy-storage device includes a battery.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a transducer configured to convert at least a portion of the electrical energy to a second type of energy.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second type of energy is transdermally transmittable out of the living subject.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes an electrical-optical converter configured to output the energy as one or more optical power signals.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a converter configured to output the energy as electromagnetic energy.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes an electrical-magnetic converter configured to output the energy as magnetic energy.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes one or more ultrasonic elements configured to output the energy as ultrasonic energy.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a heating element configured to output the energy as thermal energy.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a radio-frequency device configured to output the energy as radio-frequency energy.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter includes one or more electrical conductors configured to transmit the energy therethrough as an electrical current.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a portal through which the energy is delivered from the internal power transmitter out of the living subject.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter is configured to output the energy such that the energy is transdermally transmittable out of the living subject.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external device positionable to receive at least a portion of the energy from the internal power transmitter and configured to be powered by the at least a portion of the energy.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the external device is configured to convert the received at least a portion of the energy to one or more electrical power signals that power the external device.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external device positionable to receive at least a portion of the energy from the internal power transmitter and configured to store the at least a portion of the energy.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical-power source includes an energy-storage device configured to store the electrical energy; and

wherein the internal power transmitter is coupled to the energy-storage device to receive the at least a portion of the electrical energy therefrom.

26. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source positionable externally to the living subject and configured to output electromagnetic energy that is transdermally transmittable into the living subject;

an optical-electrical converter configured to be disposed within the living subject, the optical-electrical converter further configured to convert at least a portion of the received electromagnetic energy to electrical energy;

wherein the electrical-power source includes an energy-storage device coupled to receive at least a portion of the converted electrical energy from the optical-electrical converter; and

wherein the internal power transmitter is coupled to receive the at least a portion of the converted electrical energy from the energy-storage device.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter is configured to output the energy with the power at about 100 mW to about 1 W.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal power transmitter is configured to output the energy with the power at about 1 W to about 100 W.

6. (canceled)

17-20. -20. (canceled)

27. -32. (canceled)

35. A method, comprising:

storing electrical energy in an energy-storage device disposed within a living subject; and

in response to an internal power transmitter receiving at least a portion of the electrical energy, delivering energy out of the living subject from the internal power transmitter to an external device located external to the living subject, wherein the energy has a power of at least about 10 μ

W.

36-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A method, comprising:

receiving energy delivered out of a living subject from an internal power transmitter disposed therein; and

powering at least one device located external to the living subject using the energy.

57-63. -63. (canceled)

64. A method, comprising:

receiving energy delivered out of a living subject from an internal power transmitter disposed therein; and

storing at least a portion of the energy in a first device located external to the living subject.

65-73. -73. (canceled)

74. A system, comprising:

an electricity generator configured to convert internal body energy of a living subject to electrical energy; and

an internal power transmitter configured to be disposed in the living subject, the internal power transmitter operably coupled to the electricity generator to receive at least a portion of the electrical energy therefrom, the internal power transmitter further configured to deliver energy out of the living subject in response to receiving the at least a portion of the electrical energy.

75. The system of claim 74, wherein the electricity generator includes at least one of fluid-flow generator, a fluid-pressure generator, a muscle-motion generator, an acceleration-motion generator, or a thermal-electric generator.

76. The system of claim 74, further comprising an energy-storage device configured to store the electrical energy generated by the electricity generator, the internal power transmitter coupled to the energy-storage device to receive the at least a portion of the electrical energy therefrom.

77. The system of claim 76, wherein the energy-storage device includes a battery.

79. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a transducer configured to convert the at least a portion of the electrical energy to a second type of energy.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein the second type of energy is transdermally transmittable out of the living subject

81. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes an electrical-optical converter configured to output the energy as one or more optical power signals.

82. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a converter configured to output the energy as electromagnetic energy.

83. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes an electrical-magnetic converter configured to output the energy as magnetic energy.

84. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes one or more ultrasonic elements configured to output the energy as ultrasonic energy.

85. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a heating element configured to output the energy as thermal energy.

86. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes a radio-frequency device configured to output the energy as radio-frequency energy.

87. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter includes one or more electrical conductors configured to transmit the energy therethrough as an electrical current.

93. The system of claim 74, wherein the internal power transmitter is configured to output the energy such that the energy is transdermally transmittable out of the living subject.

94. The system of claim 74, further comprising an external device positionable to receive at least a portion of the energy from the internal power transmitter and configured to be powered by the at least a portion of the energy.

95. The system of claim 94, wherein the external device is configured to convert the received at least a portion of the energy to one or more electrical power signals to power the external device.

96. The system of claim 94, wherein the external device includes at least one of a hearing aid, a cellular phone, a therapeutic device, a sensor, or a personal data assistant.

97. The system of claim 74, further comprising an external device positionable to receive at least a portion of the energy from the internal power transmitter and configured to store the at least a portion of the energy.

98. The system of claim 74, further comprising a power converter configured to convert the electrical energy from a first format to a second format.

78. (canceled)

88-92. -92. (canceled)

99-103. -103. (canceled)

105. A method, comprising:

generating electrical energy internally within a living subject; and

in response to receiving at least a portion of the electrical energy, delivering energy out of the living subject from an internal power transmitter to an external device.

106. The method of claim 105, wherein generating electrical energy internally within a living subject includes generating the electrical energy using at least one of a fluid-flow generator, a fluid-pressure generator, a muscle-motion generator, an acceleration-motion generator, or a thermal-electric generator.

107. The method of claim 105, further comprising storing the electrical energy in an energy-storage device disposed within the living subject.

109. The method of claim 105, further comprising converting the at least a portion of the electrical energy to the energy.

110. The method of claim 109, wherein the energy includes at least one of one or more optical signals, electromagnetic energy, magnetic energy, ultrasonic energy, thermal energy, or radio-frequency energy.

116. The method of claim 105, wherein delivering energy out of the living subject from an internal power transmitter to an external device includes transdermally transmitting the energy out of the living subject.

117. The method of claim 105, wherein delivering energy out of the living subject from an internal power transmitter to an external device includes transmitting the energy through a portal disposed in the living subject.

118. The method of claim 117, wherein transmitting the energy through a portal disposed in the living subject includes transmitting one or more optical signals through an optical portal.

119. The method of claim 117, wherein transmitting the energy through a portal disposed in the living subject includes transmitting one or more electrical power signals through the portal.

108. (canceled)

111-115. -115. (canceled)

120-123. -123. (canceled)

126-177. -177. (canceled)