APPARATUS FOR DRIVING ARTIFICIAL RETINA USING MEDIUM-RANGE WIRELESS POWER TRANSMISSION TECHNIQUE

• US 20100094381A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: KANG, Seung Youl, KIM, Yong Hae, YU, Byoung Gon
• Application Number:
  US12/477,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20100094381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0543 Retinal electrodes
• 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

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus for driving an artificial retina using a medium-range power transmission technique. The apparatus can wirelessly transmit power to an artificial retina circuit within a medium range of about 1 m using resonance between a first coil equipped around a user'"'"'s waist and a second coil implanted in a user'"'"'s eye. Thus, it is possible to solve the difficulty of implanting a coil in a lens, provide convenience to a user by eliminating the necessity of artificial glasses, and stably supply power to the artificial retina circuit. In addition, it is possible to remarkably lessen the difficulty in connecting the second coil with the artificial retina circuit in an eye.

Claims

1. An apparatus for driving an artificial retina using a medium-range wireless power transmission technology, wherein power is wirelessly supplied to an artificial retina circuit in a user'"'"'s eye by resonance between a first driver circuit equipped on a specific part of the user'"'"'s body and a second driver circuit implanted in the user'"'"'s eye.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first driver circuit includes a first coil, a power coil disposed adjacent to the first coil, and a power supply for supplying the power to the power coil, and the second driver circuit includes a second coil having the same resonant frequency as the first coil and a load coil disposed adjacent to the second coil and supplying the power received from the second coil to the artificial retina circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first coil and the second coil have helicities in opposite directions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the power coil has a helicity in the same direction as the helicity of the first coil.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the load coil has a helicity in the same direction as the helicity of the second coil.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the power is supplied from the power supply to the power coil, the power is transmitted to the first coil by resonance between the power coil and the first coil, and the power transmitted to the first coil is wirelessly transmitted to the second coil by resonance between the first coil and the second coil.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, when the power is wirelessly transmitted to the second coil, the power is supplied to the artificial retina circuit by resonance between the second coil and the load coil.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first coil is equipped on a belt in a winding form.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first coil has a diameter of 20 cm to 60 cm, and the second coil has a diameter of 5 cm or less.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first coil has a larger pitch than the second coil such that the first coil and the second coil have the same resonant frequency.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the number of turns of the first coil is larger than the number of turns of the second coil such that the first coil and the second coil have the same resonant frequency.