METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPLYING ENERGY TO A MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20100222848A1
• Filed: 10/10/2008
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirk Promotion Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Teslux Holding SA
• Inventors: Forsell, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for supplying wireless energy to a medical device (100) implanted in a patient, wireless energy is transmitted from an external energy source (104) located outside a patient and is received by an internal energy receiver (102) located inside the patient, for directly or indirectly supplying received energy to the medical device. An energy balance is determined between the energy sent by the external energy source and energy received by the internal energy receiver, and the transmission of wireless energy is then controlled based on the determined energy balance. The energy balance thus provides an accurate indication of the correct amount of energy needed, which is sufficient to operate the medical device properly, but without causing undue temperature rise.

Claims

1. A method of controlling transmission of wireless energy supplied to an electrically operable medical device implanted in a patient, wherein said wireless energy is transmitted from an external energy source located outside the patient and is received by an internal energy receiver located inside the patient, the internal energy receiver being connected to the medical device for directly or indirectly supplying received energy thereto, the method comprising the steps of:

determining an energy balance between the energy sent by the external energy source and the energy received by the internal energy receiver, and

controlling the transmission of wireless energy from the external energy source, based on the determined energy balance.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the wireless energy is transmitted inductively from a primary coil in the external energy source to a secondary coil in the internal energy receiver.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein a change in said energy balance is detected, and the transmission of wireless energy is controlled based on said detected energy balance change.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein a difference is detected between the energy sent by the external energy source and the energy received by said internal energy receiver, and the transmission of wireless energy is controlled based on said detected energy difference.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the amount of transmitted wireless energy is decreased if the detected energy balance change implies that the energy balance is increasing, or vice versa.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the decrease/increase of energy transmission corresponds to a detected change rate.

7. A method according to claim 4, wherein the amount of transmitted wireless energy is decreased if the detected energy difference implies that the received energy is greater than the used energy, or vice versa.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the decrease/increase of energy transmission corresponds to the magnitude of said detected energy difference.

9. A method according to claim 3, wherein the energy used for the medical device is consumed to operate the medical device, and/or stored in at least one energy storage device of the medical device.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein substantially all energy used for the medical device is consumed to operate the medical device.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the energy is consumed after being stabilized in at least one energy stabilizing unit of the medical device.

12. A method according to claim 9, wherein substantially all energy used for the medical device is stored in said at least one energy storage device.

13. A method according to claim 9, wherein the energy used for the medical device is partly consumed to operate the medical device and partly stored in said at least one energy storage device.

14. A method according to claim 9, wherein the energy received by the internal energy receiver is stabilized by a capacitor, before the energy is supplied directly or indirectly to the medical device.

15. A method according to claim 9, wherein the difference between the total amount of energy sent by the external energy source and the total amount of energy received by the internal energy receiver is directly or indirectly measured over time, and the energy balance is determined based on a detected change in said total amount difference.

16. A method according to claim 9, wherein the energy received by the internal energy receiver is accumulated and stabilized in an energy stabilizing unit, before the energy is supplied to the medical device.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the feedback information is related to the amount of energy being received in the internal energy receiver.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein an electronic circuit in the external energy source compares the feedback information with the amount of energy transmitted by the external energy source.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein an analyzer in the electronic circuit analyzes the amount of energy being transmitted and receives the feedback information related to the amount of energy received in the receiver, and further determines the special energy balance by comparing the amount of transmitted energy and the feedback information related to the amount of received information.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the external energy source uses said feedback information to adjust the level of said transmitted energy.

21-70. -70. (canceled)