ULTRA-THIN IMPLANTABLE ENERGY SOURCE

• US 20160015987A1
• Filed: 02/27/2014
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), Universite Joseph Fourier
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation), Universite Joseph Fourier
• Inventors: PERRAUD, Simon, KARST, Nicolas, BERGER, Francois, GAILLARD, Frederic, PANTIGNY, Philippe, ROUVIERE, Emmanuelle
• Application Number:
  US14/772,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20160015987A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0236 Special surface textures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/03926 comprising a flexible substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/043 Mechanically stacked PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0463 characterised by special patterning methods to connect the PV cells in a module, e.g. laser cutting of the conductive or active layers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

The invention relates to an implantable energy source comprising at least one energy storage sub-system (171) constructed in the form of a stack of thin layers (175) on a substrate (176), characterised in that said energy storage sub-system has a plurality of through-openings (174) for allowing the development and the passage of blood vessels. Preferably, the energy source thereof has a thickness of less than, or equal to, 1 mm, over at least 80% of its surface.

Claims

1. An implantable power source comprising at least one energy storing subsystem (171) produced in the form of a thin-film stack (175) on a substrate (176), characterized in that said energy storing subsystem has a plurality of through-apertures (174) in order to allow the development and passage of blood vessels.

2. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, in which each said aperture has an area comprised between 0.01 mm² and 4 mm².

3. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, in which the spacing between said apertures is comprised between 1 mm and 1 cm.

4. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, having a biocompatible coating (73, 182) covering at least one portion of its surface comprising the interior surface of said apertures.

5. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 4, in which said biocompatible coating comprises an exterior film (81) made of a biocompatible organic material and an interior film (82) made of an inorganic material that is impermeable to moisture and oxygen.

6. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 4, in which said biocompatible coating is substantially transparent at least in a spectral range in the visible or near infrared.

7. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, in which said apertures are completely or partially filled with a gel promoting cellular growth.

8. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, in which said energy storing subsystem has a plurality of active regions (172) separated by interconnect regions (173), at least certain of said apertures being produced in said active regions.

9. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, in which said energy storing subsystem has a plurality of active regions (172) separated by interconnect regions (173), at least certain of said apertures being produced in said interconnect regions.

10. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, also comprising at least one energy harvesting subsystem (151, 161) connected to said energy storing subsystem so as to allow the latter to be charged, said energy harvesting subsystem being in turn produced in the form of a thin-film stack (156) on a substrate (155) and having a plurality of said through-apertures (174).

11. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 10, in which said energy harvesting subsystem is chosen from a thin-film photovoltaic module (151) and a thin-film spiral coil (161).

12. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 10, in which said energy harvesting subsystem has at least one active region (152, 162) and at least one inactive or interconnect region (153), at least certain of said apertures being produced in said active region(s).

13. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 10, in which said energy harvesting subsystem has at least one active region (152, 162) and at least one inactive or interconnect region (153), at least certain of said apertures being produced in said inactive or interconnect region(s).

14. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 10, in which said energy storing subsystem and said energy harvesting subsystem comprise thin-film stacks deposited on or transferred to respective substrates (12, 52) and are in turn stacked.

15. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 10, in which said energy storing subsystem and said energy harvesting subsystem are stacked on a common substrate (122).

16. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 10, in which said energy storing subsystem and said energy harvesting subsystem comprise thin-film stacks deposited on or transferred to two opposite sides of a common substrate (12).

17. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, in which said or each said substrate is flexible or shapeable.

18. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 10, in which said energy storing subsystem and said energy harvesting subsystem are arranged side-by-side.

19. The implantable power source as claimed in claim 1, having, over at least 80% of its area, a thickness smaller than or equal to 1 mm.

20. An implantable device comprising an implantable power source as claimed in claim 1 and a medical apparatus connected to said energy storing subsystem in order to be powered.