Electromagnetic coil configurations for power transmission through tissue
First Claim
1. An electromagnetic coil configuration for conveying power transcutaneously, comprising:
- (a) a core of a magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, a transverse cross-sectional area of said intermediate section being substantially less than a transverse cross-sectional area of said first and second pole faces to provide an increased pole face area for conveying a transcutaneous magnetic flux; and
(b) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section, said electrical conductor carrying an induced current if the coil is used as a receiver that is electromagnetically excited by an external source of the transcutaneous magnetic flux, and carrying a varying electrical current supplied by a power supply to which the electrical conductor is adapted to be connected if the coil is used as a transmitter of the transcutaneous magnetic flux.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Several embodiments of relatively compact transmitter coils and receiver coils having an improved transcutaneous power transfer efficiency. The transmitter coils are preferably applied to the outer surface of a cutaneous layer on a patient'"'"'s body and held in place using adhesive tape or other appropriate supporting material. Implanted within the patient'"'"'s body is a receiver coil. To improve the power transfer efficiency of one embodiment, a transmitter coil and receiver coil include cores having pole faces with a substantially larger area than the cross section of the core at other locations. In addition, the core of the receiver coil is substantially shorter than that of the transmitter coil so that the lines of flux produced by the transmitter coil tend to pass through the pole faces of the receiver coil in greater density than they would if the pole faces of the transmitter and receiver cores were spaced identically. Relatively compact configurations for the transmitter core include an angled portion adjacent each of the pole faces so that the main portion of the transmitter core is disposed generally parallel and closely spaced to the surface of the cutaneous layer against which the transmitter core is placed. Further, two separate transmitter windings are provided on the transmitter core with an intermediate section joining the portions of the core on which these windings are disposed. This configuration provides enhanced power transfer capability compared to using a single winding around the intermediate section of the core.
516 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An electromagnetic coil configuration for conveying power transcutaneously, comprising:
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(a) a core of a magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, a transverse cross-sectional area of said intermediate section being substantially less than a transverse cross-sectional area of said first and second pole faces to provide an increased pole face area for conveying a transcutaneous magnetic flux; and (b) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section, said electrical conductor carrying an induced current if the coil is used as a receiver that is electromagnetically excited by an external source of the transcutaneous magnetic flux, and carrying a varying electrical current supplied by a power supply to which the electrical conductor is adapted to be connected if the coil is used as a transmitter of the transcutaneous magnetic flux. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for transferring power transcutaneously to energize an implanted medical device within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) a transmitter coil adapted to be disposed external to the patient'"'"'s body, said transmitter coil including; (i) a transmitter corn of a magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section; (b) a receiver coil adapted to be disposed subdermally, inside the patient'"'"'s body, said receiver coil including; (i) a receiver core of a substantially solid and magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, said first and second pole faces having a substantially different transverse cross-sectional area than the first and second pole faces of the transmitter coil; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section and having ends adapted to couple to the medical device; and (c) a power supply adapted to couple to the turns of the electrical conductor wound around the intermediate section of the transmitter core, said power supply supplying a time varying electrical current to energize the transmitter coil, producing an electromagnetic field that couples transcutaneously with the receiver coil, causing a corresponding electrical current to flow in the receiver coil for energizing the medical device implanted inside the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for transferring power transcutaneously to energize an implanted medical device within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) a transmitter coil adapted to be disposed external to the patient'"'"'s body, said transmitter coil including; (i) a transmitter core of a magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, said transmitter core increasing in transverse cross-sectional size so that said first and second pole faces have an increased pole face area for conveying a transcutaneous magnetic flux; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section; (b) a receiver coil adapted to be disposed subdermally, inside the patient'"'"'s body, said receiver coil including; (i) a receiver core of a substantially solid and magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, said receiver core increasing in transverse cross-sectional size so that said first and second pole faces of the receiver core have an increased pole face area for receiving a transcutaneous magnetic flux generated by the transmitter coil; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section and having ends adapted to couple to the medical device; and (c) a power supply adapted to couple to the turns of the electrical conductor wound around the intermediate section of the transmitter core, said power supply supplying a time varying electrical current to energize the transmitter coil, producing an electromagnetic field that couples transcutaneously with the receiver coil, causing a corresponding electrical current to flow in the receiver coil for energizing the medical device implanted inside the patient'"'"'s body. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An electromagnetic coil configuration for conveying power transcutaneously, comprising:
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(a) a core of a magnetically permeable material, said core being V-shaped and having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, a transverse cross-sectional area of said intermediate section being substantially less than a transverse cross-sectional area of said first and second pole faces to provide an increased pole face area for conveying a transcutaneous magnetic flux; and (b) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section, said electrical conductor carrying an induced current if the coil is used as a receiver that is electromagnetically excited by an external source of the transcutaneous magnetic flux, and carrying a varying electrical current supplied by a power supply to which the electrical conductor is adapted to be connected if the coil is used as a transmitter of the transcutaneous magnetic flux.
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33. A system for transferring power transcutaneously to energize an implanted medical device within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) a transmitter coil adapted to be disposed external to the patient'"'"'s body, said transmitter coil including; (i) a transmitter core of a magnetically permeable material, said transmitter core being V-shaped and having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section; (b) a receiver coil adapted to be disposed subdermally, inside the patient'"'"'s body, said receiver coil including; (i) a receiver core of a magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, said first and second pole faces having a substantially different transverse cross-sectional area than the first and second pole faces of the transmitter coil; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section and having ends adapted to couple to the medical device; and (c) a power supply adapted to couple to the turns of the electrical conductor wound around the intermediate section of the transmitter core, said power supply supplying a time varying electrical current to energize the transmitter coil, producing an electromagnetic field that couples transcutaneously with the receiver coil, causing a corresponding electrical current to flow in the receiver coil for energizing the medical device implanted inside the patient'"'"'s body.
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34. A system for transferring power transcutaneously to energize an implanted medical device within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
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(a) a transmitter coil adapted to be disposed external to the patient'"'"'s body, said transmitter coil including; (i) a transmitter core of a magnetically permeable material, said transmitter core being V-shaped and having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, said transmitter core increasing in transverse cross-sectional size so that said first and second pole faces have an increased pole face area for conveying a transcutaneous magnetic flux; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section; (b) a receiver coil and adapted to be disposed subdermally, inside the patient'"'"'s body, said receiver coil including; (i) a receiver core of a magnetically permeable material having a first pole face coupled to a second pole face by an intermediate section, said receiver core increasing in transverse cross-sectional size so that said first and second pole faces of the receiver core have an increased pole face area for receiving a transcutaneous magnetic flux generated by the transmitter coil; and (ii) a plurality of turns of an electrical conductor wound around said intermediate section and having ends adapted to couple to the medical device; and (c) a power supply adapted to couple to the turns of the electrical conductor wound around the intermediate section of the transmitter core, said power supply supplying a time varying electrical current to energize the transmitter coil, producing an electromagnetic field that couples transcutaneously with the receiver coil, causing a corresponding electrical current to flow in the receiver coil for energizing the medical device implanted inside the patient'"'"'s body.
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Specification