TRANSCUTANEOUS ENERGY TRANSFER SYSTEMS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A transcutaneous energy transfer system comprising:
- (a) an internal component comprising a power-consuming device and an internal coil electrically connected to the power-consuming device, the internal component being adapted for mounting within the body of an animal;
(b) an external coil adapted for mounting outside of the body;
(c) a coupling detection circuit operative to provide an indication of whether or not the external coil is electromagnetically coupled to the internal coil; and
(d) a drive circuit operative to apply a power-level alternating potential to the external coil responsive to an indication from the coupling detection circuit that the external coil is electromagnetically coupled to the internal coil, and to apply a test-level alternating potential less than the power-level alternating potential to the external coil when the not applying the power-level alternating potential.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to an improved transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) system that generates and wirelessly transmits a sufficient amount of energy to power one or more implanted devices, including a heart pump, while maintaining the system'"'"'s efficiency, safety, and overall convenience of use. The disclosure further relates one or more methods of operation for the improved system.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A transcutaneous energy transfer system comprising:
-
(a) an internal component comprising a power-consuming device and an internal coil electrically connected to the power-consuming device, the internal component being adapted for mounting within the body of an animal; (b) an external coil adapted for mounting outside of the body; (c) a coupling detection circuit operative to provide an indication of whether or not the external coil is electromagnetically coupled to the internal coil; and (d) a drive circuit operative to apply a power-level alternating potential to the external coil responsive to an indication from the coupling detection circuit that the external coil is electromagnetically coupled to the internal coil, and to apply a test-level alternating potential less than the power-level alternating potential to the external coil when the not applying the power-level alternating potential. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
-
-
4. A transcutaneous energy transfer system comprising:
-
(a) an internal component adapted for mounting within the body of an animal, the internal component including; an internal coil; an internal device electrically connected to the internal coil for receipt of power from the internal coil; and a telemetry transmitter operative to send telemetry signals representing one or more parameters relating to operation of the internal component; and (b) an external component adapted for mounting outside of the body, the external component including; an external coil; a telemetry receiver adapted to receive the telemetry signals from the telemetry transmitter; and a drive circuit operative in a normal mode of operation when the telemetry receiver receives the telemetry signals, and in a safe mode of operation when the telemetry receiver does not receive the telemetry signals, the drive circuit being operative in both the normal and safe modes to apply power to the external coil so that power applied to the external coil will be coupled to the internal coil, the circuit being operative to control the power applied to the external coil at least in part responsive to the telemetry signals when operating in the normal mode. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A driver for a transcutaneous energy transfer system, the driver comprising:
-
a primary coil; a drive circuit operative to supply an electrical current to the primary coil; one or more sensors operative to measure one of an electrical current and a temperature associated with the drive circuit; and a control circuit operative to; compare the measured current or temperature to a corresponding threshold temperature or current value; and if the measured current or temperature equals or exceeds the corresponding threshold value, stop operation of the drive circuit until a predetermined condition is met. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
12. A driver for a wireless energy transfer system comprising:
-
a primary coil having a primary axis and a primary conductor extending in a spiral around the primary axis, the primary conductor having an inner end and an outer end, the inner and outer ends of the primary conductor being disposed substantially on a common radial line of the primary axis; and a drive circuit electrically connected to the inner and outer ends of the primary coil, and operative to drive the primary coil. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A transcutaneous energy transfer system including:
-
(a) a driver including a primary coil and a drive circuit operative to drive the primary coil, the primary coil having a primary axis and a primary conductor extending in a substantially flat spiral around the primary axis; (b) an implantable secondary coil having a secondary axis and a secondary conductor extending in a substantially flat spiral around the secondary axis; and (c) an implantable energy-consuming device electrically connected to the secondary coil, each of the primary and secondary coils having an outer diameter at least about 70 millimeters, the driver being operative to drive the primary coil so as to supply at least about 5 watts of power to the energy-consuming device. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. A driven element for a wireless energy transfer system comprising:
-
(a) a secondary coil; (b) one or more capacitors connected in circuit with the secondary coil to form a resonant circuit; (c) a rectifier connected to the resonant circuit; (d) a DC-DC converter having an input connected to the rectifier and an output; (e) one or more power-consuming devices connected to the output of the DC-DC converter; and (f) a control circuit constructed and arranged to control a characteristic of the DC-DC converter so that as power consumption by the power-consuming devices increases, one of an output voltage or current at the output of the DC converter remains substantially constant. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
-
-
27. An implantable blood pump system comprising:
-
(a) an implantable coil housing; (b) a resonant circuit including a secondary coil and one or more capacitors coupled to the secondary coil, the resonant circuit being disposed entirely within the coil housing and having a pair of load terminals; (c) an implantable rectifier housing separate from the coil housing; (d) an internal controller circuit including a rectifier and a drive circuit electrically connected to the rectifier, the rectifier being disposed within the rectifier housing; (e) a first cable extending between the coil housing and the rectifier housing, the first cable having conductors electrically connected between the load terminals of the resonant circuit and the rectifier, whereby only load current passing from the resonant circuit to the rectifier passes along the conductors of the first cable; and (e) a pump electrically connected to the drive circuit. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A driver for a wireless energy transfer system comprising:
-
(a) a primary coil; (b) a drive circuit operative to drive the primary coil; (c) a detector circuit operative to determine a degree of coupling between the primary coil and a secondary coil, and to determine a realignment direction for which translating the external coil in the realignment direction would increase the degree of coupling; and (d) a signal output element connected to the detector and arranged to provide a human-perceptible signal representing the degree of coupling and realignment direction determined by the detector circuit. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
-
-
35. An implantable blood pump comprising:
-
(a) a substantially flat secondary coil, the secondary coil having a front side and a rear side facing in opposite directions; (b) an implantable coil housing containing the secondary coil, the coil housing having front and rear sides, the front side of the secondary coil facing toward the front side of the coil housing; and (c) a blood pump electrically connected to the secondary coil for receipt of power from the secondary coil, the blood pump having at least one flat end, wherein the rear side of the implantable coil housing is adapted to mount to the flat end of the blood pump. - View Dependent Claims (36)
-
Specification