Magnetic annunciator

• US 5,745,019 A
• Filed: 05/16/1996
• Issued: 04/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Renger, Herman Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARRERA, RAMON M
• Application Number:
  US08/648,748
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 335/222, 335/229-234, 340/384.1-404.3, 607/4-7, 607/14, 607/27, 607/32, 607/33, 318/128, 310/12-15, 310/127, 381/199-201
• US Class Current: 335/222
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/066 Electromagnets with movable winding

Abstract

An annunciator is provided for an organ stimulating system which is implantable in the body of a patient. A tubular support member is mounted at one end on the casing for the organ stimulating system and extends to a free end and an electrically conductive coil encircles the support member. An elongated oscillating member includes a field return member of magnetically permeable material which is spaced from and generally encircles the support member. The field return member extends between an integral head member at a proximal end generally proximate the free end of the support member and a distal end generally proximate the casing. A stack member is mounted on the head member and extends away therefrom toward the casing for the organ stimulating system. The stack member has an outer peripheral surface which is spaced from the support member and includes a magnetically permeable pole piece and a permanent magnet member, the pole piece and the magnet member being in stacked relationship which together produce a radial magnetic field which extends through the coil and to the field return member. A resilient member intermediate the stack member and the casing of the organ stimulating system biases the oscillating member to an initial position. With this construction, cyclic energization of the coil interacts with the radial magnetic field to cause the oscillating member to oscillate relative to the initial position. A similarly constructed activity sensor is also disclosed for relating patient movement.

Claims

1. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system encapsulated within a casing and implantable in the body of a patient comprising:

an elongated support member mounted at one end on the casing for the organ stimulating system, said support member being tubular and having an inner peripheral surface and extending to a free end;

an electrically conductive coil encircling said support member;

an elongated oscillating member including;

a field return member of magnetically permeable material, spaced from and generally encircling said support member, said field return member being tubular and extending between a proximal end generally proximate said free end of said support member and a distal end generally proximate the casing;

a head member integral with said field return member and overlying said proximal end thereof; and

a stack member mounted on said head member and extending away therefrom toward the casing for the organ stimulating system, said stack member having an outer peripheral surface which is spaced from said inner peripheral surface of said support member;

said stack member including a magnetically permeable pole piece and a permanent magnet member, said pole piece and said magnet member being in stacked relationship which together produce a radial magnetic field which extends through said coil and to said field return member; and

resilient means intermediate, and bearing against, respectively, said head member and said free end of said support member, said resilient means biasing said oscillating member to an initial position;

whereby cyclic energization of said coil interacts with said radial magnetic field to cause said oscillating member to oscillate relative to said initial position.

2. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1:

wherein said stack member extends to a base end at an extremity thereof;

wherein, when said oscillating member assumes said initial position, both said base end of said stack member and said distal end of said field return member are spaced from the casing; and

wherein cyclic energization of said coil causing oscillation of said oscillating member results in at least one of said base end of said stack member and said distal end of said field return member to strike the casing with resultant vibration and production of sound.

3. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1:

wherein said stack member extends to a base end at an extremity thereof;

wherein, when said oscillating member assumes a position at which said resilient means is fully compressed between said head member of said oscillating member and said free end of said support member, said base end of said stack member and said distal end of said field return member are spaced from the casing; and

wherein cyclic energization of said coil causes oscillation of said oscillating member with resultant vibration of said oscillating member on said support member and production of sound.

4. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said support member, said field return member, and said stack member are all cylindrical.

5. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resilient means includes elastomeric material interposed intermediate said head member and said free end of said support member.

6. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resilient means includes a compression spring having one end engaging said head member and an opposite end engaging said free end of said support member.

7. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1:

wherein said support member includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced electrically conductive coils thereon; and

wherein said stack member includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of said magnetically permeable pole pieces and permanent magnet members, each of said pole pieces corresponding to each of said electrically conductive coils and having substantially similar axial spacing.

8. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system encapsulated within a casing and implantable in the body of a patient comprising:

a support member mounted on the casing for the organ stimulating system, said support member being hollow and having an inner peripheral surface defining a cavity therein, said support member extending to a free end;

an electrically conductive coil encircling said support member;

a hollow oscillating member including;

a field return member of magnetically permeable material slidably engaged with and generally enveloping said support member, said oscillating member extending between a distal end generally proximate the casing and a base end generally proximate said free end of said support member;

a stack member mounted on said oscillating member and extending through the cavity of said support member toward the casing for the organ stimulating system, said stack member having an outer peripheral surface which is slidably engaged with said inner peripheral surface of said support member;

said stack member including a first magnetically permeable member and a second permanent magnet member, said first and second members being in stacked relationship which together produce a radial magnetic field which extends through said coil and to said field return member;

a resilient member intermediate said oscillating member and said free end of said support member biasing said oscillating member to an initial position; and

whereby cyclic energization of said coil interacts with said radial magnetic field to cause said oscillating member to oscillate relative to said initial position.

9. An annunciator for an organ stimulating system encapsulated within a casing and implantable in the body of a patient comprising:

oscillating means including a head member, a tubular magnetically permeable outer wall member extending from said head member to a free end at an extremity thereof, and a central elongated stack member mounted on said head member and extending to a base end, said outer wall member and said central stack member defining an annular cavity therebetween, said stack member including an magnetically permeable member and a permanent magnet member in back-to-back relationship;

electrically conductive coil means mounted on and electrically insulated from the casing and slidably received in the annular cavity of said oscillating means and slidably engaged with said outer wall member and with said stack member;

resilient means intermediate, and bearing against, said head member and said coil means biasing said oscillating means to a first position whereat said base end and said free end are spaced from the casing; and

whereby cyclic energization of said coil means creates a magnetic field which interacts with the magnetic field produced by said stack member to move said oscillating means axially such that at least one of said base end and said free end strikes the casing creating noise and vibration of the casing.