SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTACTLESS POWER TRANSFER IN IMPLANTABLE DEVICES

• US 20120245649A1
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Bohori, Adnan Kutubuddin, Ramachandrapanicker, Somakumar, Bhat, Suma Memana Narayana
• Granted Patent: US 8,849,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/9
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system and method for contactless power transfer in implantable devices for charging rechargeable batteries disposed within the implantable devices are provided. The system includes a first coil electrically couplable to a power source, wherein the first coil is configured to produce a magnetic field. The system further includes a second coil electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery disposed within the implantable device and configured to receive power from the first coil via the magnetic field and to transfer the power to the rechargeable battery. The system also includes a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil and configured as a self resonant coil having a standing wave current distribution to focus the magnetic field onto the second coil and enhance the coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

Claims

1. A system for contactless power transfer in an implantable device for charging a rechargeable battery disposed within the implantable device comprising:

a first coil electrically couplable to a power source, wherein the first coil is configured to produce a magnetic field;

a second coil electrically coupled to the rechargeable battery disposed within the implantable device and configured to receive power from the first coil via the magnetic field and to transfer the power to the rechargeable battery; and

a field focusing element disposed between the first coil and the second coil and configured as a self resonant coil having a standing wave current distribution to focus the magnetic field onto the second coil and enhance the coupling between the first coil and the second coil.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the field focusing element is disposed within the implantable device or wherein the field focusing element is disposed within a charging device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable device comprises a cardiac pacemaker, a neurological simulator, a muscle simulator, or a cochlear implant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the power transferred to the rechargeable battery is within a range of about 1 microwatt to about 900 milliwatts.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first coil and the second coil are disposed at a distance within a range of about 15 millimeters to about 5 centimeters during the contactless power transfer.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a high frequency inverter coupled between the power source and the first coil.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the field-focusing element comprises at least one resonator.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one resonator comprises a split ring structure, a circular loop structure, a Koch fractal, an omega structure or a spiral structure.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one resonator is disposed within at least one of a dielectric medium, a magnetic medium, or a magneto-dielectric medium.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one resonator comprises a plurality of resonators with at least two of the plurality of resonators having different resonant frequencies.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the different resonant frequencies are configured to enable transfer of power and data signals.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one resonator is configured to focus at least one of an electric field, a magnetic field, or an electromagnetic field.

13. A method for contactless charging of a rechargeable battery disposed in an implantable device comprising:

generating a magnetic field via a first coil coupled to a power source;

focusing the magnetic field to a second coil via a field focusing element;

transferring power from the first coil to the second coil via the magnetic field; and

transmitting the power from the second coil to the rechargeable battery disposed within the implantable device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transferring the power from the first coil to the second coil comprises transferring the power within a range of about 1 microwatt to about 900 milliwatts.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising, prior to focusing the magnetic field, disposing the first coil and the second coil at a distance within a range of about 15 millimeters to about 5 centimeters.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining data signals regarding the implantable device, the state of charge of the rechargeable battery, or both, and transferring the data signals to a processor situated outside of the implantable device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transferring of the data signals further comprising transferring the power to the rechargeable battery and the data signals from the implantable device at different resonant frequencies.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising using the data signals to control the magnetic field generated by the first coil.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining data signals regarding the implantable device, the state of charge of the rechargeable battery, or both, and using the data signals to control the power transmitted from the second coil to the rechargeable battery.