AUTONOMOUS INTRACORPOREAL CAPSULE WITH DOUBLE ENERGY HARVESTING

• US 20130238073A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 09/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sorin CRM SAS (MicroPort Scientific Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sorin CRM SAS (MicroPort Scientific Corp.)
• Inventors: MAKDISSI, Alaa, DETERRE, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,095,716 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/126
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36542 controlled by body motion, e.g. acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3785 generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement

Abstract

A intracorporeal medical capsule is shown and described. The capsule includes an elastically deformable base having an anchor at one end and coupled to a capsule body at the opposite end. An energy harvesting element is elastically coupled to a seismic mass within the capsule body. The elastically deformable base increases energy harvested at the energy harvesting element due to elastic movement of the capsule body in the presence of blood flow around the capsule body.

Claims

1. A intracorporeal medical capsule, comprising:

a housing defining a chamber, wherein the chamber houses an oscillating seismic mass and an energy harvester that converts movement of the seismic mass relative to the energy harvester into electrical energy;

an anchor for anchoring the housing to a wall of an organ of a patient; and

an elastically deformable base between the housing at a first end and the anchor at a second end.

2. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the masses (m₁, m₂) and the elastic coefficients (k₁, k₂) of the seismic mass and of the housing are such that the spectrum of the relative movement (U) of the seismic mass relative to the housing has a first maximum between 0.5 and 10 Hz and a second maximum between 15 and 40 Hz.

3. The capsule of claim 2, wherein the first maximum is at 1.2 Hz.

4. The capsule of claim 2, wherein the second maximum is at 18 Hz.

5. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the coefficients (k₁, k₂) of the restoring forces of the oscillating seismic mass and of the housing are in a ratio equal to 1.

6. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the seismic mass and the base are located so that the oscillating movement of the seismic mass and the deformation movement of the base are coaxial and are perpendicular to the wall of the patient'"'"'s organ.

7. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the seismic mass and the base are located so that the oscillating movement of the seismic mass and the deformation movement of the base are transverse main directions oriented parallel to the wall of the patient'"'"'s organ.

8. The capsule of claim 1, comprising an elastically deformable element providing for oscillation of the seismic mass, wherein the elastically deformable element comprises at least one of:

a cantilever beam, an engraved spring, and a spiral spring.

9. The capsule of claim 1, wherein the elastically deformable base comprises at least one of:

a coil spring and a cantilever beam.

10. The capsule of claim 1, comprising means for reversible attachment of the housing on the base.

11. A intracorporeal medical capsule, comprising:

an elastically deformable base having an anchor at one end and coupled to a capsule body at the opposite end; and

an energy harvesting element elastically coupled to a seismic mass within the capsule body;

wherein the elastically deformable base increases energy harvested at the energy harvesting element due to elastic movement of the capsule body in the presence of blood flow around the capsule body.

12. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the masses (m₁, m₂) and the elastic coefficients (k₁, k₂) of the seismic mass and of the capsule body are such that the frequency of the relative movement (U) of the seismic mass relative to the housing has a first maximum between 0.5 and 10 Hz and a second maximum between 15 and 40 Hz.

13. The capsule of claim 12, wherein the first maximum is at 1.2 Hz.

14. The capsule of claim 12, wherein the second maximum is at 18 Hz.

15. The capsule of claim 12, wherein the elastic coefficients (k₁, k₂) of the restoring forces of the seismic mass and of the housing are in a ratio equal to 1.

16. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the seismic mass and the base are located so that the oscillating movement of the seismic mass and the deformation movement of the base are coaxial and are perpendicular to the wall of the patient'"'"'s organ.

17. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the seismic mass and the base are located so that the oscillating movement of the seismic mass and the deformation movement of the base are transversely oriented and are parallel to the wall of the patient'"'"'s organ.

18. The capsule of claim 11, comprising an elastically deformable element providing for oscillation of the seismic mass, wherein the elastically deformable element comprises at least one of:

a cantilever beam, an engraved spring, and a spiral spring.

19. The capsule of claim 11, wherein the elastically deformable base comprises at least one of:

a coil spring and a cantilever beam.

20. A method for harvesting energy in an intracorporeal medical capsule for a heart, comprising:

anchoring an elastically deformable base to a wall of tissue within the heart;

receiving mechanical energy via movement of the wall, a seismic mass elastically coupled inside the capsule to an energy harvesting element;

receiving mechanical energy via movement of blood in the heart using the elastically deformable base; and

utilizing, by the energy harvesting element, the mechanical energy received via the movement of the wall and the mechanical energy received via the movement of blood in the heart.