Magnetic annunciator

• US 6,178,079 B1
• Filed: 05/16/1996
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Renger, Herman Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Stephen W.
• Application Number:
  US08/648,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 361/118, 361/115, 323/282, 307/80, 335/222
• US Class Current: 361/118
• 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

Abstract

An annunciator for an organ stimulating system implantable in the body of a person comprises a hollow canister having a cylindrical internal cavity, first and second electrically conductive coils encircling the canister lying in transverse, preferably perpendicular, planes which intersect along the longitudinal axis of the internal cavity, and a cylindrical permanent magnetic roller having an outer peripheral surface engageable with an inner peripheral surface of the canister and being freely rotatable within the canister. The roller is magnetized at right angles to the roller axis producing a permanent magnetic field and signal generators, either AC or DC, sequentially energize the electrically conductive coils to produce a rotating magnetic field interacting with the permanent magnetic field of the roller and causing the roller to roll about the inner peripheral surface of the canister. The permanent magnetic roller, by its movement, produces vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system. Specifically, the rolling motion of the roller results in a movement of its center of gravity in a vibration producing orbit. The orbital frequency, Ω, of the center of gravity of the roller is b ω·d/(D−d), where ω=rate of rotation of said roller, d=diameter of said roller, and D=inner diameter of the cavity of said canister. In another embodiment, the roller may be replaced by a ball and the internal cavity may be spherical or ellipsoidal.

Claims

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

a canister mounted on the casing of the organ stimulating system, said canister having a cylindrical internal cavity with a longitudinal axis, an inner peripheral surface, an inside diameter, and opposed inner terminal surfaces;

a first electrically conductive coil encircling said canister and lying in a first plane;

a second electrically conductive coil encircling said canister and lying in a second plane transverse to the plane of said first conductive coil and intersecting said first electrically conductive coil along the longitudinal axis of the internal cavity of said canister;

a cylindrical permanent magnetic roller rotatable about a longitudinally extending roller axis having an outer peripheral surface engageable with said inner peripheral surface of said canister and being freely rotatable within the internal cavity thereof, said permanent magnetic roller being magnetized at right angles to the roller axis producing a permanent magnetic field; and

means for sequentially energizing said first and second coils to produce a rotating magnetic field interacting with said permanent magnetic field of said magnetic roller to thereby cause said magnetic roller to roll about the internal cavity of said canister engaged with said inner peripheral surface, said permanent magnetic roller, by its movement, producing vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system.

2. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the vibrations imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system exhibit a frequency exceeding both the rate of rotation of said magnetic roller about said roller axis and the rate of the sequential energization of said first and second coils.

3. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second conductive coil lies in a plane perpendicular to that of said first conductive coil.

4. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1:

wherein said permanent magnetic roller has a center of gravity;

wherein the rolling motion of said permanent magnetic roller about the internal cavity of said canister on said inner peripheral surface results in a movement of said center of gravity in an orbit which produces the vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system; and

wherein the orbital frequency, Ω

, of said center of gravity of said permanent magnetic roller is ω

·

d/(D−

d);

where ω

=rate of rotation of said roller;

where d=diameter of said roller; and

where D=inner diameter of the cavity of said canister.

5. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said energizing means includes:

a source of electrical current;

a first signal generator for applying a periodic current to said first electrically conductive coil; and

a second signal generator for applying a periodic current to said second electrically conductive coil.

6. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, wherein at least one of said outer peripheral surface of said permanent magnetic roller and said inner peripheral surface of said canister is roughened for optimum traction of said permanent magnetic roller on said inner peripheral surface.

7. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, including a plurality of non-magnetic mini-balls within the internal cavity of said canister and interposed between said permanent magnetic roller and said inner terminal surfaces for minimizing friction therebetween.

8. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 1, including wherein at least one of said outer peripheral surface of said permanent magnetic roller and said inner peripheral surface of said canister is ridged for producing vibrations as said permanent magnetic roller rolls along said inner peripheral surface.

9. A method of alerting a patient having an implanted organ stimulating system upon the occurrence of a predetermined event relating to the system comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting on the casing of the organ stimulating system a canister having a cylindrical internal cavity with a longitudinal axis, an inner peripheral surface, and opposed inner terminal surfaces;

(b) providing a magnetic cylindrical roller having a longitudinally extending roller axis and an outer peripheral surface in engagement with the inner peripheral surface of the canister and being freely rotatable within the internal cavity thereof, the magnetic roller being magnetized at right angles to the roller axis producing a permanent magnetic field;

(c) cyclically energizing a first electrically conductive coil encircling the canister and lying in a first plane to create a first electrical field;

(d) cyclically energizing a second electrically conductive coil encircling the canister and lying in a second plane transverse to the plane of the first conductive coil to create a second electrical field;

(e) consecutively performing steps (c) and (d) to cause an interaction between each of the first and second electrical fields and the magnetic field thereby imparting rolling movement to said magnetic roller along the inner peripheral surface within the internal cavity and producing vibrations; and

(f) imparting the vibrations produced in step (e) to the casing of the organ stimulating system.

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

a canister mounted on the casing for the organ stimulating system, said canister having a spherical shaped internal cavity with an inner peripheral surface;

a first electrically conductive coil encircling said canister and lying in a first plane;

a second electrically conductive coil encircling said canister and lying in a second plane transverse to the plane of said first conductive coil;

said first and second electrically conductive coils intersecting at the center of the spherical shaped internal cavity of the canister;

a permanent magnetic ball having a diameter and an outer peripheral surface engageable with said inner peripheral surface of said canister and being freely rotatable within the internal cavity thereof, said permanent magnetic ball being magnetized along said diameter of said permanent magnetic ball and producing a magnetic field; and

means for sequentially energizing said first and second coils to produce a rotating magnetic field interacting with said permanent magnetic field of said magnetic ball to thereby cause said magnetic ball to roll about the internal cavity of said canister engaged with said inner peripheral surface, said permanent magnetic ball, by its movement, producing vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system.

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

a canister mounted on the casing of the organ stimulating system, said canister having an elongated internal cavity with a longitudinally extending major axis and a laterally extending minor axis, an inner peripheral surface, and opposed inner terminal surfaces;

a first electrically conductive coil encircling said canister and lying in a first plane;

a second electrically conductive coil encircling said canister and lying in a second plane transverse to the plane of said first conductive coil and intersecting said first electrically conductive coil, in one instance, along the longitudinal axis of the internal cavity of said canister and, in another instance, along the lateral axis of the internal cavity of said canister;

a permanent magnetic ball rotatable about a longitudinally extending roller axis having an outer peripheral surface engageable with said inner peripheral surface of said canister and being freely rotatable within the internal cavity thereof, said permanent magnetic ball being magnetized along a diameter of said ball producing a permanent magnetic field; and

means for sequentially energizing said first and second coils to produce a rotating magnetic field interacting with said permanent magnetic field of said magnetic roller to thereby cause said magnetic roller to roll about the internal cavity of said canister engaged with said inner peripheral surface, said permanent magnetic roller, by its movement, producing vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system.

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

a cylindrical permanent magnetic roller rotatable about a longitudinally extending roller axis having an outer peripheral surface and being magnetized at right angles to the roller axis producing a permanent magnetic field;

a first electrically conductive coil encircling said permanent magnetic roller and lying in a first plane;

a second electrically conductive coil encircling said permanent magnetic roller and lying in a second plane transverse to the plane of said first conductive coil;

said first and second electrically conductive coils being mounted on the casing for the organ stimulating system and together defining a generally cylindrical internal cavity with a longitudinal axis, an inner peripheral surface, and opposed inner terminal surfaces, said first and second electrically conductive coils intersecting along the longitudinal axis of the internal cavity thereof;

said permanent magnetic roller being engageable with said inner peripheral surface and being freely rotatable within the internal cavity thereof;

means for sequentially energizing said first and second coils to produce a rotating magnetic field interacting with said permanent magnetic field of said magnetic roller to thereby cause said magnetic roller to roll about the internal cavity engaged with said inner peripheral surface, said permanent magnetic roller, by its movement, producing vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system.

13. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the vibrations imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system exhibit a frequency exceeding both the rate of rotation of said magnetic roller about said roller axis and the rate of the sequential energization of said first and second coils.

14. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 12, including a plastic sheath encapsulating said first and second electrically conductive coils.

15. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 14, including an iron housing surrounding said plastic sheath.

16. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 12, wherein said second conductive coil lies in a plane perpendicular to that of said first conductive coil.

17. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 12:

wherein said permanent magnetic roller has a center of gravity;

wherein the rolling motion of said permanent magnetic roller about the internal cavity of said canister on said inner peripheral surface results in a movement of said center of gravity in an orbit which produces the vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system; and

wherein the orbital frequency, Ω

, of said center of gravity of said permanent magnetic roller is ω

·

d/(D−

d),

where ω

=rate of rotation of said roller;

where d=diameter of said roller; and

where D=inner diameter of the cavity of said canister.

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

a plurality of electromagnets so arranged as to together define an internal cavity having a longitudinal axis and an inner peripheral surface;

a rotor member of magnetically soft material located in the internal cavity and having an outer peripheral surface engageable with said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity; and

means for sequentially energizing said plurality of electromagnets to attract said rotor member and force said rotor member to roll about the internal cavity engaged with said inner peripheral surface, said rotor member, by its movement, producing vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system;

wherein said energizing means includes;

a source of electrical current; and

a plurality of signal generators, each of said signal generators being associated with a different one of said electromagnets for applying a periodic current to an associated one of said electromagnets.

19. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 18:

wherein said rotor member has a center of gravity;

wherein the rolling motion of said rotor member about the internal cavity on said inner peripheral surface results in a movement of said center of gravity in an orbit which produces the vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system; and

wherein the orbital frequency, Ω

, of said center of gravity of said permanent magnetic rotor member is ω

·

d/(D−

d);

where ω

=rate of rotation of said rotor member;

where d=diameter of said rotor member; and

where D=inner diameter of the internal cavity.

20. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 18, wherein each of said electromagnets includes a core member and an electrically conductive coil encircling said core member.

21. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 18, wherein at least one of said outer peripheral surface of said rotor member and said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity is ridged for producing vibrations as said rotor member rolls along said inner peripheral surface.

22. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 18:

wherein said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity is cylindrical; and

wherein said rotor member is cylindrical and is rotatable about a longitudinally extending rotor axis.

23. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 18:

wherein said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity is spherical or ellipsoidal; and

wherein said rotor member is a sphere having an outer peripheral surface engageable with said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity and is freely rotatable within the internal cavity thereof.

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

a canister mounted on the casing of the organ stimulating system, said canister having a cylindrical internal cavity with a longitudinal axis and an inner peripheral surface;

a plurality of electromagnets attached to said canister at a plurality of circumferentially spaced locations;

a rotor member of magnetically soft material located in the internal cavity and having an outer peripheral surface engageable with said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity; and

means for sequentially energizing said plurality of electromagnets to attract said rotor member and force said rotor member to roll about the internal cavity engaged with said inner peripheral surface, said rotor member, by its movement, producing vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system.

25. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 24:

wherein said rotor member has a center of gravity;

wherein the rolling motion of said rotor member about the internal cavity on said inner peripheral surface results in a movement of said center of gravity in an orbit which produces the vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system; and

wherein the orbital frequency, Ω

, of said center of gravity of said permanent magnetic rotor member is ω

·

d/(D−

d);

where ω

=rate of rotation of said rotor member;

where d=diameter of said rotor member; and

where D=inner diameter of the cavity of said canister.

26. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 24, wherein said energizing means includes:

a source of electrical current; and

a plurality of signal generators, each of said signal generators being associated with a different one of said electromagnets for applying a periodic current to an associated one of said electromagnets.

27. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 24, wherein at least one of said outer peripheral surface of said rotor member and said inner peripheral surface of the cavity is roughened for optimum traction of said rotor member on said inner peripheral surface.

28. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 24:

wherein said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity is cylindrical; and

wherein said rotor member is cylindrical and is rotatable about a longitudinally extending rotor axis.

29. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 24:

wherein said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity is spherical or ellipsoidal; and

wherein said rotor member is a sphere having a diameter and an outer peripheral surface engageable with said inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity and is freely rotatable within the internal cavity thereof.

30. The annunciator for an organ stimulating system, as set forth in claim 24, wherein each of said electromagnets includes a core member mounted on said canister and an electrically conductive coil encircling said core member.

31. A method of alerting a patient having an implanted organ stimulating system upon the occurrence of a predetermined event relating to the system comprising the steps of:

(a) mounting on the casing of the organ stimulating system a plurality of electromagnets so arranged as to together define an internal cavity having a longitudinal axis and an inner peripheral surface;

(b) providing a rotor member of magnetically soft material located in the internal cavity and having an outer peripheral surface in engagement with the inner peripheral surface of the internal cavity and being freely rotatable within the internal cavity; and

(c) sequentially energizing the plurality of electromagnets to attract the rotor member and force the rotor member to roll about the internal cavity engaged with the inner peripheral surface, thereby producing vibrations which are imparted to the casing of the organ stimulating system.