TRANSCUTANEOUS POWER TRANSMISSION AND COMMUNICATION FOR IMPLANTED HEART ASSIST AND OTHER DEVICES

• US 20130289334A1
• Filed: 07/11/2012
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vascor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Charles E. Greene, Jonathan R. Speicher, Marlin S. Heilman, Richard A. Bates
• Inventors: BADSTIBNER, KURT D., SPEICHER, JONATHAN R., HEILMAN, MARLIN S., BATES, RICHARD A., GREENE, CHARLES E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,764,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8243 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/126 implantable via, into, inside, in line, branching on, or around a blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/148 in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/216 including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/515 Regulation using real-time patient data
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/523 using blood flow data, e.g. from blood flow transducers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/531 using blood pressure data, e.g. from blood pressure sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/538 Regulation using real-time blood pump operational parameter data, e.g. motor current
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/585 User interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/875 specially adapted for optimising alignment of external and implantable coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/892 Active valves, i.e. actuated by an external force
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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 50/90 : involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• 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: H02J 7/0042 : characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 : Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 : for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system includes an implantable pump system for assisting blood flow in a patient including at least one movable valve. The movable valve is in a normally open state when the moveable valve is not being powered and a drive system in operative connection with the moveable valve to move the moveable valve under power. The system further includes an energy transfer system to provide energy to the drive system. The energy transfer system includes an external system including a power source and an external coil and an internal system including an internal coil adapted to receive transcutaneous energy transmitted from the external coil. The internal system has at least a first state wherein energy transmission from the external coil is required to provide operational power to the drive system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an implantable pump system for assisting blood flow in a patient comprising;

at least one movable valve, the movable valve being in a normally open state when the moveable valve is not being powered, a drive system in operative connection with the moveable valve to move the moveable valve under power; and

an energy transfer system to provide energy to the drive system, the energy transfer system comprising;

an external system comprising a power source and an external coil, and

an internal system comprising an internal coil adapted to receive transcutaneous energy transmitted from the external coil, the internal system having at least a first state wherein energy transmission from the external coil is required to provide operational power to the drive system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the internal system is unable to power the drive system to move the moveable pump through one stroke without energy transmission from the external coil when the internal system is in the first state.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the internal system comprises a first energy storage device in electrical connection with the internal coil and the drive system, energy being provided to the drive system via the first energy storage system.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the first energy storage system comprises no battery.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the first energy storage system comprises a capacitor system.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein the first energy storage is capable of storing no more than 260 Joules of energy.

7. The system of claim 3 wherein the external system comprises an external control system in operative connection with the power source and the external coil and the internal system comprises an internal control system in operative connection with the first energy storage system and the internal coil.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein in the external system further comprises an external communication system in operative connection with the external control system, and the internal system further comprises an internal communication system in operative connection with the internal control system.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the internal communication system is adapted to wirelessly transmit a signal to the external communication system to provide information related to a voltage of the first energy storage system, the external system being adapted to cause the power source to energize the external coil upon receiving information transmitted from the internal communication system indicating that the voltage is at least as low as a lower threshold value to charge the first energy storage system and to de-energize the external coil upon receiving information transmitted from the internal communication system indicating that the voltage is at least as high as a higher threshold value.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein, when the external coil is energized, energy is transmitted from the external coil to the internal coil over a range of frequencies.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein, when the external coil is energized, energy is transmitted from the external coil to the internal coil in a range of frequencies under control of a spread spectrum algorithm.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the nominal transmission frequency is between 50 and 500 kHz.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the range of frequencies extends from approximately 120 kHz to approximately 130 kHz.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the range of frequencies extends from approximately 120 kHz to approximately 126 kHz.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the external system and the internal system are adapted such that a change of frequency of energy transmitted from the external coil to the internal coil of +/−

10% results in a change in transfer efficiency of no greater than 10%.

16. The system of claim 11 wherein the external system and the internal system are adapted to operate as a band-pass filter.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein tuning capacitors and leakage inductances form series elements of the band-pass filter and magnetizing inductance forms a shunt element.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising fixed tuning capacitors.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein the spread spectrum algorithm is a frequency hopping spread spectrum algorithm.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein the spread spectrum algorithm is a direct sequence spread spectrum algorithm.

21. The system of claim 12 having a Q factor less than 10.

22. The system of claim 11 wherein energy is transmitted from the external coil to the internal coil in the range of frequencies with a set resonant frequency of the external coil and a set resonant frequency of the internal coil.

23. The system of claim 11 wherein a resonant frequency of at least one of the internal coil or the external coil is tunable.

24. The system of claim 9 wherein the external control system is adapted to cause the power source to energize the external coil after a determined maximum time period that the external coil has not been energized regardless of whether or not the voltage is at least as low the lower threshold value.

25. The system of claim 9 wherein the external control system is adapted to cause the power source to energize the external coil in a manner to result in the voltage being greater than the higher threshold value in anticipation of a required high energy load.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the external system comprises an external communication system and the internal system comprises and internal communication system, wherein the external communication is adapted to transmit to or receive informational signals from the internal communication system via at least one of an external radio or the external coil, and the internal communication system is adapted to transmit information signals to or receive signals from the external communication system via at least one of an internal radio or the internal coil.

27. The system of claim 9 wherein the external communication is adapted to transmit to or receive informational signals from the internal communication system via at least one of an external radio or the external coil, and the internal communication system is adapted to transmit information signals to or receive signals from the external communication system via at least one of an internal radio or the internal coil.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein, when information signals are transmitted between the external coil and the internal coil, the information signals are transmitted within a frequency range different from a frequency range at which energy is transmitted from the external coil to the internal coil.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the internal communication system is adapted to transmit a periodic status signal to confirm operability of at least a portion of the internal system.

30. The system of claim 8 further comprising a monitoring system to measure a variable related to current draw by the external coil to provide information to the patient regarding position of the external coil relative to the internal coil based at least in part on the measured variable related to current draw on the external coil.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the monitoring system to measure a variable related to current draw on the external coil comprises a current sensor in electrical connection with the external coil and in communicative connection with the external control system.

32. The system of claim 3 wherein the internal system further comprises a second energy storage system, and the internal system has a second state wherein energy is drawn from the second energy storage system to provide energy to the drive system.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the second energy storage system stores sufficient energy to provide operation power to the drive system without transfer of energy from the external coil.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the second energy storage system comprises an internal rechargeable battery.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the internal system is placed in the second state upon instructional information being transmitted from the external control system via the external communication system to the internal control system via the internal communication system.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the external system is adapted to allow the patient to manually cause the internal system to be in the second state.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein no energy is drawn from the rechargeable battery to provide energy to the drive system in the first state.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein the rechargeable battery is adapted to power the drive system for a period of time in the range of 5 minutes to 2 hours.

39. The system of claim 1 wherein the power source consists of a single rechargeable battery pack.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the battery pack comprises a plurality of lithium ion battery cells.

41. The system of claim 1 wherein the external coil is energized at a voltage of sufficient amplitude to provide an efficiency of at least 75%.

42. An energy transfer system, comprising:

a first system comprising a power source, a first control system, and a first coil in operative connection with the first control system; and

a second system comprising a second coil adapted to receive wireless energy transmitted from the first coil, wherein, when the first coil is energized, energy is wirelessly transmitted from the first coil to the second coil over a range of frequencies under control of a spread spectrum algorithm.

43. The system of claim 42 wherein the spread spectrum algorithm is a frequency hopping spread spectrum algorithm.

44. The system of claim 42 wherein the spread spectrum algorithm is a direct sequence spread spectrum algorithm.

45. The system of claim 42 having a Q factor less than 10.

46. The system of claim 42 wherein the first system and the second system are adapted such that a change of frequency of energy transmitted from the first coil to the second coil of +/−

10% results in a change in transfer efficiency of no greater than 10%.

47. The system of claim 42 wherein the first system and the second system are adapted to operate as a band-pass filter.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein tuning capacitors and leakage inductances form series elements of the band-pass filter and magnetizing inductance forms a shunt element.

49. The system of claim 47 further comprising fixed tuning capacitors.

50. The system of claim 42 wherein energy is transmitted from the external coil to the internal coil in the range of frequencies with a set resonant frequency of the external coil and a set resonant frequency of the internal coil.

51. The system of claim 42 wherein a resonant frequency of at least one of the internal coil or the external coil is tunable.

52. The system of claim 42 wherein the first coil is an external coil adapted to be outside of a body and the second coil is an internal coil adapted to be implanted within a body, the first coil further being adapted to transcutaneously transmit energy to the second coil.

53. The system of claim 42 wherein the external coil is energized at a voltage of sufficient amplitude to provide an efficiency of at least 75%.

54. A method of assisting blood flow in a patient, comprising:

placing an implantable pump system in fluid connection with a blood vessel, the implantable pump system comprising at least one movable valve, the movable valve being in a normally open state when the moveable valve is not being powered, a drive system in operative connection with the moveable valve to move the moveable valve under power;

providing an external system comprising a power source and an external coil;

providing an internal system comprising an internal coil adapted to receive transcutaneous energy transmitted from the external coil; and

operating the internal system in a first state wherein energy transmission from the external coil is required to provide operational power to the drive system.

55. A method of powering a device, comprising:

providing a first system comprising a power source, a first control system, and a first coil in operative connection with the first control system;

providing a second system comprising a second coil adapted to receive wireless energy transmitted from the first coil; and

wirelessly transmitting energy from the first coil to the second coil over a range of frequencies under control of the spread spectrum algorithm.

56. A method of claim 55 wherein the first coil is an external coil placed outside of a body and the second coil is an internal coil implanted within a body, the first coil being adapted to transcutaneously transmit energy to the second coil.