ANTENNA DESIGNS FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A WIRELESSLY POWERED IMPLANT TO AN EXTERNAL DEVICE OUTSIDE THE BODY

• US 20160087331A1
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Published: 03/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: TC1 LLC (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: HEPPELL, Kevin Gerald
• Granted Patent: US 10,186,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/36 Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewithH01Q1/08, H01Q1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/52 Means for reducing coupling between antennas; Means for reducing coupling between an antenna and another structure absorbing means H01Q17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/526 Electromagnetic shields
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for wireless power transfer and communications are provided. In one embodiment, a wireless power transfer system comprises an external transmit resonator configured to transmit wireless power, an implantable receive resonator configured to receive the transmitted wireless power from the transmit resonator, and communications antenna in the implantable receive resonator configured to send communication information to the transmit resonator. The communications antenna can include a plurality of gaps positioned between adjacent conductive elements, the gaps being configured to prevent or reduce induction of current in the plurality of conductive elements when the antenna is exposed to a magnetic field.

Claims

1. An antenna for use in a wireless power system, comprising:

a differential transmission line;

a plurality of conductive elements coupled to the differential transmission line and configured to radiate RF energy to transmit and receive radio information; and

a plurality of gaps positioned between adjacent conductive elements, the gaps being configured to prevent or reduce induction of current in the plurality of conductive elements when the antenna is exposed to a magnetic field.

2. The antenna of claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive elements are arranged so as to provide a first electrical path and a second electrical path.

3. The antenna of claim 2, wherein the first electrical path comprises an interior trace of the antenna, and the second electrical path comprises an exterior trace of the antenna.

4. The antenna of claim 3, wherein the first electrical path is tuned to a first resonant frequency, and the second electrical path is tuned to a second resonant frequency.

5. A wireless receiver for use in a TET system, comprising:

a hermetic internal housing;

an energy source disposed in the internal housing;

a controller disposed in the housing, the controller configured to control operation of the TET receiver;

a low-frequency ferrite housing disposed around the internal housing, the ferrite housing configured to reduce the amount of magnetic flux that reaches the internal housing;

at least one wire coil wrapped around the ferrite housing, the at least one wire coil configured to receive wireless energy from an external power transmitter;

an antenna body;

a plurality of conductive elements disposed on the antenna body;

a differential transmission line electrically connecting the plurality of conductive elements to the controller and configured to deliver RF energy to the plurality of conductive elements to transmit and receive radio information; and

a plurality of gaps positioned between adjacent conductive elements, the gaps being configured to prevent or reduce induction of current in the plurality of conductive elements when the antenna is exposed to a magnetic field.

6. The wireless receiver of claim 5, wherein the plurality of conductive elements are arranged so as to provide a first electrical path and a second electrical path.

7. The wireless receiver of claim 6, wherein the first electrical path comprises an interior trace of the antenna, and the second electrical path comprises an exterior trace of the antenna.

8. The wireless receiver of claim 7, wherein the first electrical path is tuned to a first resonant frequency, and the second electrical path is tuned to a second resonant frequency.

9. The wireless receiver of claim 5, further comprising a high-frequency ferrite material positioned between the plurality of conductive elements and the low-frequency ferrite material.

10. An implantable antenna assembly for communicating with an external device, comprising:

a housing formed of metal for enclosing electrical elements;

a low-frequency ferrite layer disposed on an outer surface of the housing;

an antenna body disposed over the low-frequency ferrite layer; and

an antenna metal disposed on the antenna body.

11. The antenna assembly of claim 10, wherein the antenna metal is a resonant structure formed of metal strips.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 11, wherein the metal strips are formed in a pattern having a region of symmetry.

13. The antenna assembly of claim 10, further comprising a high-frequency ferrite layer disposed between the low-frequency ferrite layer and the antenna body.

14. The antenna assembly of claim 10, further comprising a conductive well extending from within the housing to the antenna metal.

15. The antenna assembly of claim 10, further comprising feedthrough pins extending from within the housing to the antenna metal.

16. The antenna assembly of claim 15, wherein conductive well comprises the feedthrough pins formed within a ceramic.

17. The antenna assembly of claim 10, further comprising a clearance layer separating the high-frequency ferrite layer from the housing.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 10, wherein the antenna assembly does not include a ground plane.

19. A communications antenna, comprising:

a differential transmission line;

a plurality of conductive elements coupled to the differential transmission line and configured to radiate RF energy to transmit and receive radio information; and

a plurality of gaps positioned between adjacent conductive elements, the gaps being configured to prevent or reduce induction of current in the plurality of conductive elements when the antenna is exposed to a magnetic field.