VIRTUAL MAGNETIC TRANSMISSION LINES FOR COMMUNICATION AND POWER TRANSFER IN CONDUCTING MEDIA

• US 20180069439A1
• Filed: 02/18/2016
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents (University of Arizona)
• Original Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents (University of Arizona)
• Inventors: Diaz, Rodolfo E., Yousefi, Tara
• Granted Patent: US 10,111,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/40 Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the nervous system A61B5/4806, A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/143 for signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

System and method for wireless, low-loss transmission in conductive medium of a radio-frequency signal received by a passive array of magnetic dipole elements from a source magnetic dipole. The individual elements are separated from one another by a distance on the order of or less than a quarter-wavelength corresponding to resonant radio-frequency. An array individual elements of which are microscopically dimensioned form a neuronal transmitter that can be configured to be implanted into neuronal tissue such that a source dipole, disposed near a neuron, passes a signal representative of neuronal activity along the array to an outmost element and further to external receiver disposed near skull. Macroscopically-dimensioned embodiment is configured to be submerged into and operate in salty water.

Claims

1. A wireless power transmission line comprising:

a source magnetic dipole element configured to operate at a chosen frequency; and

an array of magnetic dipole elements separated from one another by a distance that defines near-field interaction between immediately neighboring magnetic dipole elements from said array,

wherein an outmost element of said array is separated from said source magnetic dipole element by said distance,

wherein said transmission line is configured to operate in a conductive medium.

2. A transmission line according to claim 1, wherein the array includes at least one of a one dimensional array, a two-dimensional array and a three-dimensional array.

3. A transmission line according to claim 1, further comprising electronic circuitry configured to tune at least one of (i) a configuration of elements of said transmission line and (ii) the chosen frequency.

5. A transmission line according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic dipole elements from the array include spherical elements having diameters not exceeding 1.5 inches.

6. A transmission line according to claim 1, wherein said magnetic dipole elements from the array include antenna elements having a longest dimension that does not exceed one half wavelength in a medium surrounding the transmission line.

4. (canceled)

7. A method for wireless transmission of power in a conductive environment, the method comprising:

causing a source magnetic dipole element radiate energy by emitting a signal at a chosen frequency;

passively transferring said signal between said source magnetic dipole element and an outer element at a first end of an array of magnetic dipole elements, wherein the outer element is separated from the source magnetic dipole element by a distance that defines a near-field interaction between the source magnetic dipole element and the outer element;

passively transferring said signal from the outer element to an element at a second end of the array only via near-field interactions between magnetic dipole elements of the array.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising disposing the source magnetic dipole element and the array in a conductive medium.

9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising disposing the array in a conductive medium such that each of magnetic dipole elements of the array are embedded in the conductive medium.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said disposing the array in the conductive medium includes disposing the array under the surface of a sea.

11. A neuronal radio-frequency (RF) telemetry system comprising:

a microscopically-sized neuronal sensor tuned to a resonance at a chosen radio-frequency;

an electronic circuitry operably connected to said neuronal sensor,

a passive array of microscopically-sized neuronal transmitter elements separated from one another by a distance that defines near-field interaction between immediately neighboring neuronal transmitter elements of the passive array, wherein an outmost transmitter element of said array is separated from the neuronal sensor by the distance, and

a receiver in RF communication at least with the outmost transmitter element.

12. A telemetry system according to claim 11, wherein said neuronal sensor includes a source magnetic dipole element and said transmitter elements from the passive array include passive magnetic dipole elements.

13. A telemetry system according to claim 11, wherein the passive array includes at least one of a one dimensional array, a two-dimensional array, and a three-dimensional array.

14. A telemetry system according to claim 11, further comprising electronic circuitry configured to tune at least one of (i) a configuration of elements of said transmission line and (ii) the chosen frequency.

16. A telemetry system according to claim 11, wherein said microscopically-sized neuronal transmitter elements include antenna elements having a longest dimension that does not exceed one half wavelength corresponding to said chosen frequency in a medium surrounding the telemetry system.

15. (canceled)