SYSTEM FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE HAVING AN EXTERNAL CHARGER COUPLEABLE TO ACCESSORY CHARGING COILS

• US 20140197786A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 07/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Aghassian, Daniel, Ozawa, Bob, Hyun, Joonho
• Granted Patent: US 9,026,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36128 Control systems
• 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 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/60 responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

An external charger system is disclosed comprising an external charger with an internal charging coil, as well as an output port coupleable to one of a plurality of types of external accessory charging coils of varying shapes and sizes. If the internal charging coil of the external charger is sufficient for a given patient'"'"'s charging needs, the accessory charging coils may be detached from the external charger, and the external charger may serve as a standalone self-contained external charger. The external charger can automatically detect which of the plurality of types of accessory charging coils is connected, and can adjust its operation accordingly. This versatile design allows the external charger system to be used by large numbers of patients, even if their particular implant charging scenarios are different.

Claims

1. An external charger system for providing power to one or more implantable medical devices, comprising:

an external charger comprising an internal first charging coil configured to selectively provide a first field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices; and

an external charging coil assembly comprising a second charging coil configured to selectively provide a second field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices,

wherein the external charging coil assembly is attachable to and detachable from the external charger.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger is hand-held and portable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly is attachable to and detachable from the external charger at a port on the external charger.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly is flexible.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly is rigid.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger further comprises a coil driver configured to energize the first charging coil and the second charging coil of the external charging coil assembly to respectively produce the first and second fields.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the coil driver is configured to energize the first coil with a first power, and to energize the second coil with a second power different from the first power.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger system is configured to provide the first field to the one or more implantable medical devices using the first coil if no external charging coil assembly is attached to the external charger.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the external charger system is configured to provide the second field to the one or more implantable medical devices using the second charging coil if the external charging coil assembly is attached to the external charger.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly comprises at least one thermistor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the thermistors is used to encode an address for the external charging coil assembly.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger further comprises a microcontroller for automatically determining whether the external charging coil assembly is attached to or detached from the external charger.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller determines whether the external charging coil assembly has been attached to the external charger by reading at least one address from the external charging coil assembly.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller adjusts operation of the system depending whether the external charging coil assembly is attached to or detached from the external charger.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the external charger further comprises

a coil driver configured to energize the first charging coil if the external charging coil assembly is detached from the external charger, or the second charging coil of the external charging coil assembly if the external charging coil assembly is attached to the external charger,

wherein adjusting the operation of the system comprises adjusting a power provided by the coil driver.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein adjusting the operation of the system comprises adjusting a temperature set point.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly comprises at least one address recognizable by the external charger.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger further comprises a user interface and a battery.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a cradle, wherein the cradle is configured to charge the battery in the external charger.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the cradle is further configured to provide power to the external charger, and wherein the power provided to the external charger can be used to produce the second field of the external charging coil assembly.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the second field of the external charging coil assembly is produced using either the power provided to the external charger or the battery.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly further comprises a magnetic shielding material for focusing the second field to the one or more implantable medical devices.

23. A method for providing power to one or more implantable medical devices with an external charger system, comprising:

determining whether an external charging assembly is coupled to an external charger;

if the external charging assembly is not coupled to the external charger, wirelessly providing a first field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices from the external charger; and

if the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger, wirelessly providing a second field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices from the coupled external charging assembly.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first field is produced by a first coil in the external charger.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the second field is produced by a second coil in the external charging assembly.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising, as an initial step, initiating the external charger to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein initiating the external charger comprises receiving a selection at a user interface on the external charger.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices is adjusted by the external charger depending whether the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger or not.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein an intensity of the power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices is adjusted.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein a temperature set point is adjusted by the external charger depending whether the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger or not.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein the external charger comprises a port for coupling to the external charging assembly.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising reading an address of the external charging assembly at the external charger if the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger.

33. The method of claim 23, wherein the power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices by the first and second fields is provided by a battery in the external charger.

34. The method of claim 23, wherein power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices by the first and second fields is provided by an AC power source coupled to the external charger.