ELECTROMAGNETIC POWER BOOSTER FOR BIO-MEDICAL UNITS

• US 20110077718A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Application Number:
  US12/626,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20110077718A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3507 with implanted devices, e.g. external control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/325 for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body electrodes for external use A61N1/0428
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

An on-body power booster module includes an electromagnetic power harvesting unit, a continuous wave generator, and a transmitter module. The electromagnetic power harvesting unit is operably coupled to convert magnetic field energy into a voltage. The continuous wave generator is powered by the voltage and is operably coupled to generate a continuous wave signal. The transmitter module is powered by the voltage and is operably coupled to wirelessly transmit the continuous wave signal as wireless power to an implanted bio-medical unit.

Claims

1. A bio medical system comprises:

an on-body power booster module includes;

an electromagnetic power harvesting unit operably coupled to convert magnetic field energy into a voltage; and

a generator powered by the voltage and operably coupled to generate an electromagnetic transmission, wherein the electromagnetic transmission has a frequency that is greater than a frequency of the magnetic field energy;

one or more implanted bio-medical units, wherein an implanted bio-medical unit includes;

a power harvesting module operably coupled to convert the electromagnetic transmission into a supply voltage;

a processing module powered by the supply voltage;

memory operably coupled to the processing module and powered by the supply voltage; and

one or more functional modules operably coupled to the processing module and powered by the supply voltage.

2. The bio medical system of claim 1, wherein the on-body power booster module comprises:

the electromagnetic power harvesting unit operably coupled to convert magnetic field energy into a voltage; and

the generator including;

a continuous wave generator powered by the voltage and operably coupled to generate a continuous wave signal; and

transmitter module operably coupled to wirelessly transmit the continuous wave signal, wherein the wireless transmission of the continuous wave signal corresponds to the electromagnetic transmission.

3. The bio medical system of claim 1, wherein the on-body power booster module comprises:

the electromagnetic power harvesting unit operably coupled to convert the magnetic field energy into a voltage; and

the generator operably coupled to generate a varying magnetic field, wherein the varying magnetic field corresponds to the electromagnetic transmission.

4. The bio medical system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit is further operable to:

receive varying gradient magnetic fields of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals, wherein the magnetic field energy include the MRI signals;

induce an alternating current from the varying gradient magnetic fields; and

convert the alternating current into the voltage.

5. The bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit is further operable to:

receive radio frequency (RF) transmission burst signals of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals, wherein the magnetic field energy include the MRI signals; and

convert the RF transmission burst signals into the voltage.

6. The bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit comprises:

a plurality of inductors operable to produce an AC voltage from the magnetic field energy; and

a rectifying module to convert the AC voltage into a voltage.

7. The bio-medical unit of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit comprises:

a plurality of Hall effect devices operable to produce a plurality of voltages from the magnetic field energy; and

a power combining module to convert the plurality of voltages into a voltage.

8. The bio-medical unit of claim 1 further comprises:

the generator further functioning to;

generate an outbound message;

wireless transmit the outbound message as an outbound wireless signal;

receive an inbound wireless signal; and

convert the inbound wireless signal into an inbound message; and

the implanted bio-medical unit further including to;

a wireless transceiver operable to;

receive the outbound wireless signal;

convert the outbound wireless signal into a receive symbol stream;

convert a transmit symbol stream into the inbound wireless signal; and

transmit the inbound wireless signal;

the processing module is further operable to;

convert the receive symbol stream into the outbound message; and

convert the inbound message into the transmit symbol stream.

9. An on-body power booster module comprises:

an electromagnetic power harvesting unit operably coupled to convert magnetic field energy into a voltage;

a continuous wave generator powered by the voltage and operably coupled to generate a continuous wave signal; and

a transmitter module powered by the voltage and operably coupled to wirelessly transmit the continuous wave signal as wireless power for an implanted bio-medical unit.

10. The on-body power booster module of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit comprises:

a plurality of inductors operable to produce an AC voltage from the magnetic field energy; and

a rectifying module to convert the AC voltage into a voltage.

11. The on-body power booster module of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit comprises:

a plurality of Hall effect devices operable to produce a plurality of voltages from the magnetic field energy; and

a power combining module to convert the plurality of voltages into a voltage.

12. The on-body power booster module of claim 9, wherein the transmitter module comprises at least one of:

a radio frequency (FR) transmitter; and

a millimeter wave (MMW) transmitter.

13. The on-body power booster module of claim 9, wherein the continuous wave generator comprises at least one of:

a phase locked loop;

a digital frequency synthesizer;

a voltage controlled oscillator; and

a resonant tank circuit.

14. The on-body power booster module of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit operably further functions to:

receive varying gradient magnetic fields of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals, wherein the magnetic field energy include the MRI signals;

induce an alternating current from the varying gradient magnetic fields; and

convert the alternating current into the voltage.

15. The bio-medical unit of claim 9, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit is further operable to:

receive radio frequency (RF) transmission burst signals of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals, wherein the magnetic field energy include the MRI signals; and

convert the RF transmission burst signals into the voltage.

16. The bio-medical unit of claim 9 further comprises:

a processing module operably coupled to;

generate an outbound message;

convert the outbound message into an outbound symbol stream; and

convert an inbound symbol stream into an inbound message; and

the transmitter module is further operable to;

convert the outbound system stream into an outbound wireless signal;

transmit the outbound wireless signal;

receive an inbound wireless signal; and

convert the inbound wireless signal into the inbound symbol stream.

17. An on-body power booster module comprises:

an electromagnetic power harvesting unit operably coupled to convert the magnetic field energy into a voltage; and

a generator powered by the voltage and operably coupled to generate a varying magnetic field as wireless power to an implanted bio-medical unit.

18. The on-body power booster module of claim 17, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit comprises:

a plurality of inductors operable to produce an AC voltage from the magnetic field energy; and

a rectifying module to convert the AC voltage into a voltage.

19. The on-body power booster module of claim 17, wherein the electromagnetic power harvesting unit comprises:

a plurality of Hall effect devices operable to produce a plurality of voltages from the magnetic field energy; and

a power combining module to convert the plurality of voltages into a voltage.

20. The on-body power booster module of claim 17, wherein the generator comprises:

an oscillating circuit operably coupled to generate an oscillation;

an inductor; and

a switching circuit operably coupled to connect and disconnect the inductor to the voltage such that the inductor generates the varying magnetic field.

21. The on-body power booster module of claim 20 further comprises:

the inductor including a magnetic material core; and

the switching circuit operable to disconnect the inductor from the voltage when receiving varying gradient magnetic fields of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signals, wherein the magnetic field energy include the MRI signals.

22. The bio-medical unit of claim 17 further comprises:

a processing module operably coupled to;

generate an outbound message;

convert the outbound message into an outbound symbol stream; and

convert an inbound symbol stream into an inbound message; and

a transmitter module operably coupled to;

convert the outbound system stream into an outbound wireless signal;

transmit the outbound wireless signal;

receive an inbound wireless signal; and

convert the inbound wireless signal into the inbound symbol stream.