ALIGNMENT INDICATION FOR TRANSCUTANEOUS ENERGY TRANSFER
First Claim
1. A system for transcutaneous energy transfer, comprising:
- an implantable medical device having componentry for providing a therapeutic output, said implantable medical device having an internal power source and a secondary coil operatively coupled to said internal power source, said implantable medical device adapted to be implanted in a patient; and
an external power source having a primary coil, said external power source providing energy to said implantable medical device when said primary coil of said external power source is placed in proximity of said secondary coil of said implantable medical device and thereby generating a current in said internal power source;
wherein said external power source automatically varies its power output in order to generate a predetermined current in said internal power source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
System for transcutaneous energy transfer. An implantable medical device, adapted to be implanted in a patient, has componentry for providing a therapeutic output. The implantable medical device has an internal power source and a secondary coil operatively coupled to the internal power source. An external power source, having a primary coil, provides energy to the implantable medical device when the primary coil of the external power source is placed in proximity of the secondary coil of the implantable medical device and thereby generates a current in the internal power source. An alignment indicator reports the alignment as a function of the current generated in the internal power source with a predetermined value associated with an expected alignment between the primary coil and secondary coil.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A system for transcutaneous energy transfer, comprising:
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an implantable medical device having componentry for providing a therapeutic output, said implantable medical device having an internal power source and a secondary coil operatively coupled to said internal power source, said implantable medical device adapted to be implanted in a patient; and an external power source having a primary coil, said external power source providing energy to said implantable medical device when said primary coil of said external power source is placed in proximity of said secondary coil of said implantable medical device and thereby generating a current in said internal power source; wherein said external power source automatically varies its power output in order to generate a predetermined current in said internal power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of transcutaneous energy transfer between an external primary coil and an inductively coupled secondary coil of an implanted medical device, said external primary coil being operatively coupled to a charging unit, said secondary coil supplying power to a power source having an internal impedance, comprising the steps of:
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driving said external primary coil with a charging signal from said charging unit; measuring a current generated in said power source by said charging signal; and said charging unit automatically varying said charging signal in order to generate a predetermined current in said internal power source. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An external power source for use with an implantable medical device adapted to be implanted in a patient and having componentry for providing a therapeutic output, an internal power source and a secondary coil operatively coupled to said internal power source, comprising:
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an external power unit; and a primary coil, operatively coupled to said external power unit; said external power source providing energy to said implantable medical device when said primary coil is placed in proximity of said secondary coil of said implantable medical device and thereby generating a current in said internal power source; wherein said external power source automatically varies its power output in order to generate a predetermined current in said internal power source. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification