SELF-POWERED INTERNAL MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20150054468A1
• Filed: 08/20/2013
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Nikonov, Dmitri E., Young, Ian A., Kuhn, Kelin J., Mayberry, Michael C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,287,576 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/006 of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/402 Combination of fuel cell with other electric generators combination of fuel cells with other electrochemical generator H01M16/003
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1097 Fuel cells applied on a support, e.g. miniature fuel cells deposited on silica supports
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to a self-powered internal medical device. An example device may comprise at least an energy generation module and an operations module to at least control the energy generation module. The energy generation module may include a structure to capture certain molecules in the organic body based at least on size, the structure including a surface of the device in which at least one opening is formed. The at least one opening may be sized to only capture certain molecules. The operations module may initiate oxidation reactions in the captured molecules to generate current for device operation or for storage in an energy storage module. Thermoelectric generation circuitry in the energy generation module may also use heat from the reaction to generate a second current. The operations module may control operation of a sensor module and/or communication module in the device based on the generated energy.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

an energy generation module to generate energy based on molecules captured from an organic body in which the device is implanted, the molecules being captured based at least on size; and

an operations module to at least control operation of the energy generation module.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy generation module is to cause a chemical reaction to occur in the captured molecules to at least generate electrical current.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy generation module comprises at least one surface of the device in which is formed at least one opening, the at least one opening being sized to capture molecules of a first size and to allow molecules of a second size to escape capture.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the at least one surface is formed on the device using silicon underetch with electrodes on the at least one surface and an opposing surface of the device, the electrodes being at least structurally coupled by a silicon via formed through the device.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the molecules of a first size are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) molecules and the molecules of a second size are high-density lipoprotein (HDL) molecules.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the operations module is to initiate an oxidation reaction in the captured LDL molecules by causing a voltage to be placed across the captured LDL molecules, the oxidation reaction causing a first electrical current and heat to be generated.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the energy generation module comprises thermoelectric generation circuitry to generate a second electrical current based on the generated heat.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first electrical current or the second electrical current is stored by at least one energy storage module also in the device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the operations module comprises at least a control module, a communication module and a sensor module.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the control module is to control the operation of the energy generation module by periodically supplying a voltage to the energy generation module.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the sensor module is to sense at least one characteristic of the organic body and the communication module is to transmit information about at least one of the device or the at least one characteristic via wireless communication.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the control module is further to control operation of at least one of the sensor module and the communication module based on the energy in the device.

13. A method, comprising:

capturing molecules from an organic body in which a device is implanted, the molecules being captured based at least on size;

triggering energy generation in the device, the energy being generated based on the captured molecules; and

controlling operations in the device based on the energy generation.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing a reaction to occur in the captured molecules to at least generate a first current; and

charging an energy storage module in the device based on the first current.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein capturing molecules comprises capturing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) molecules and triggering energy generation comprises triggering an oxidation reaction in the captured LDL molecules.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

generating a second current based on heat generated by the reaction using thermoelectric generation circuitry in the device; and

charging the energy storage module in the device based on the second current.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein controlling operations comprises determining if there is enough energy in the device to allow at least one of a sensor module or communication module in the device to operate.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

if it is determined that there is enough energy in the device, causing the sensor module to sense at least one characteristic of the organic body; and

causing the communication module to transmit information about at least one of the device or the at least one characteristic via wireless communication.

19. At least one machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon, individually or in combination, instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations comprising:

capturing molecules from an organic body in which a device is implanted, the molecules being captured based at least on size;

triggering energy generation in the device, the energy being generated based on the captured molecules; and

controlling operations in the device based on the energy generation.

20. The medium of claim 19, further comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations comprising:

causing a reaction to occur in the captured molecules to at least generate a first current; and

charging an energy storage module in the device based on the first current.

21. The medium of claim 20, wherein capturing molecules comprises capturing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) molecules and triggering energy generation comprises triggering an oxidation reaction in the captured LDL molecules.

22. The medium of claim 20, further comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations comprising:

generating a second current based on heat generated by the reaction using thermoelectric generation circuitry in the device; and

charging the energy storage module in the device based on the second current.

23. The medium of claim 19, wherein controlling operations comprises determining if there is enough energy in the device to allow at least one of a sensor module or communication module in the device to operate.

24. The medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that when executed by one or more processors result in the following operations comprising:

if it is determined that there is enough energy in the device, causing the sensor module to sense at least one characteristic of the organic body; and

causing the communication module to transmit information about at least one of the device or the at least one characteristic via wireless communication.