Movable magnet transmitter for inducing electrical current in an implanted coil
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
- (a) a support;
(b) a magnetic field generator that is mounted to the support; and
(c) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to an element of the magnetic field generator to cause said element of the magnetic field generator to reciprocate, in a reciprocal motion, said reciprocal motion of said element of the magnetic field generator producing a varying magnetic field that is adapted to induce an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An external power head is energized by a motor causing movement of an element that produces a varying magnetic field, thereby inducing power in an implanted receiver coil within a patient'"'"'s body. The external power head includes either one or more moving permanent magnets, or one or more moving elements that vary the magnetic flux coupled to the implanted receiver coil. As a result of the varying magnetic field experienced by the implanted receiver coil, an electric current flows from the implanted receiver coil to energize an implanted medical device.
228 Citations
46 Claims
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1. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a support; (b) a magnetic field generator that is mounted to the support; and (c) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to an element of the magnetic field generator to cause said element of the magnetic field generator to reciprocate, in a reciprocal motion, said reciprocal motion of said element of the magnetic field generator producing a varying magnetic field that is adapted to induce an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a support; (b) a prime mover; and (c) a magnetic field generator that is mounted to the support, said magnetic field generator comprising a driven permanent magnet that is moved by the prime mover, and a follower permanent magnet that is magnetically coupled to the driven permanent magnet and is moved by the motion of the driven permanent magnet, a motion of said driven and follower magnet being adapted to induce an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a support; (b) a magnetic field generator that is mounted to the support, comprising of a plurality of permanent magnets and a flux shunt member, wherein the plurality of permanent magnets are fixed relative to the support; and (c) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to said flux shunt member, said flux shunt member being thereby caused by the prime mover to intermittently pass adjacent pole faces of the plurality of permanent magnets so as to provide a magnetic flux shunt path between the pole faces of the plurality of magnets, to produce a varying magnetic field that is adapted to induce an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a support; (b) a toroidal shaped housing; (c) a magnetic field generator that is mounted to the support, said magnetic field generator further comprising a plurality of magnets and a ring that is connected to the plurality of magnets; and (d) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to said ring, causing said ring to rotate around a central axis of the housing so that the plurality of permanent magnets move around the central axis, said housing being adapted to fit around an extremity of the patient in which the implanted receiver coil is disposed, so that the movement of the plurality of permanent magnets past the implanted receiver coil induces the electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a support; (b) a magnetic field generator that is mounted to the support, comprising a magnet; (c) a plurality of turns of a conductor wound around the magnet of the magnetic field generator, said plurality of turns of the conductor being adapted to connect to a source of an electrical current adjustable to control a magnitude of the magnetic field produced by the magnetic field generator, said electrical current flowing through the turns of the conductor producing a magnetic field that either opposes or aids the magnetic field produced by the magnetic field generator; and (d) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to an element of said magnetic field generator to cause said element to move, movement of said element producing a varying magnetic field that is adapted to induce an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34)
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32. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a support; (b) a magnetic field generator that is mounted to the support, comprising a plurality of permanent magnets that are radially movable about an axis of a shaft so that a radial separation between the plurality of permanent magnets is variable, and a force applying member that applies a force to said plurality of permanent magnets to control the radial separation between the plurality of permanent magnets, said separation reducing a startup torque required when beginning to rotate the shaft, and controlling a magnitude of the magnetic flux coupled to the implanted receiver coil; and (c) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to said shaft to cause a rotation of the shaft, the rotation of said shaft producing a varying magnetic field that is adapted to induce an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil.
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35. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a magnetic field generator including a structure with cavities supporting at least one pair of magnets in spaced-apart array; and (b) a prime mover drivingly coupled to said magnetic field generator, causing said magnetic field generator to rotate, said rotation producing a varying magnetic field that is adapted to induce an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An external transmitter adapted for magnetically exciting an implanted receiver coil, causing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil without transmitting appreciable torque to the implanted receiver coil, comprising:
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(a) a support having a base adapted to be disposed adjacent to a dermal layer below which is disposed the implanted receiver coil; (b) a magnetic field generator comprising a magnet spaced apart from said base; (c) a prime mover that is drivingly coupled to said magnet of the magnetic field generator to cause said magnet to move, said movement producing a varying magnetic field; and (d) a flux linkage member disposed between the magnet and the base of the structure, and thus adapted to couple a magnetic flux from said magnet into the implanted receiver coil, allowing said magnet to be spaced apart from the base and the implanted receiver coil, thus minimizing any torque applied to the implanted coil receiver by motion of the magnet, said varying magnetic field inducing an electrical current to flow in the implanted receiver coil. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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Specification