Self contained transportable power source maintenance and charge

• US 6,181,105 B1
• Filed: 07/09/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exonix Corporation
• Original Assignee: Exonix Corporation
• Inventors: Cutolo, Vincent, Jimenez, Oscar, Echarri, Roberto, Echarri, Guillermo, Barreras, Francisco Jose Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US09/414,476
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 320/112, 320/113, 320/114, 320/115
• US Class Current: 320/115
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2001/37294 Means for testing medical devices within the package prior to implantation
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The power source maintenance and charge system comprises: charge maintenance circuitry for maintaining a desired charge on or for charging, a special power source of a packaged device; control circuity for actuating and de-actuating the charge maintenance circuitry; and coupling circuitry for coupling the charge maintenance circuitry to the power source including a polymer insulated flat ribbon cable that passes through one of a sterile or non-sterile sealed plastic package containing the device to connect an auxiliary power source of the charge maintenance circuitry to the special power source of the device.

Claims

1. A power source maintenance and charge system and package comprising:

a plastic blister package including a base or tray, and an enclosure or blister cover fixed on said base or tray;

charge maintenance circuitry mounted on said base or tray outside of said enclosure or cover for maintaining a desired charge on, and for charging, a special power source of an implantable medical device in said package;

control means mounted on said base or tray outside of said enclosure or cover for actuating and de-actuating said charge maintenance circuitry; and

coupling means for coupling said charge maintenance circuitry to the special power source including a polymer insulated flat ribbon cable that passes into said enclosure or cover through a wall of said enclosure or between said wall and said base or tray of said plastic package containing the device to connect an auxiliary power source, mounted on said base or tray outside of said enclosure or cover and coupled to said charge maintenance circuitry, to the special power source of the device.

2. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein the special power source is a lithium ion battery.

3. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said charge maintenance circuitry is integrated into a battery connector which is connected to said auxiliary power source.

4. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said control means for actuating and de-actuating said circuitry includes magnetic switching means for allowing maintenance or charge modes to be switched ON or OFF using a remote magnet to maintain or charge the special power source in the implantable medical device contained within said blister package.

5. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said control means for actuating and de-actuating said circuitry includes an electro-mechanical switch of the control means and said package includes a preformed deflectable dome covering said electro-mechanical switch, said circuitry being activated by pressing or deflecting said preformed dome.

6. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein the polymer insulation of said ribbon cable is heat fused between said blister package tray and said blister cover containing the device to create a sealed conductive feedthrough of said ribbon cable that passes into said blister package.

7. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 6 wherein said flat polymer insulated ribbon cable with metallic conductors therein is folded over an edge of said tray to form an edge connector where said cable exits said blister package encasing the device.

8. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 7 wherein said charge maintenance circuitry is connected to said edge connector for coupling said auxiliary power source to the special power source.

9. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said charge maintenance circuitry is mounted within the implantable medical device and said auxiliary power source located outside said enclosure is connected by said circuitry to the special power source in the device.

10. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 9 wherein the polymer insulation of said ribbon cable being heat fused between said blister package tray and said blister cover which form a sealed blister package containing the device to create a sealed conductive feedthrough ribbon cable that passes into said sealed blister package to a battery snap connector of said coupling means to couple said auxiliary power source located on said tray outside of said blister package with a battery snap connector of said coupling means located in an extended flap area outside of a sterile blister seal of said blister package to said ribbon cable thereby to couple said auxiliary power source to the special power source in the device in said blister package.

11. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said charge maintenance circuitry is constructed and arranged to operate, when actuated, in a charge maintenance mode for maintaining a charge on the special power source and a charging mode for charging the special power source to just below a maximum charge value for the special power source.

12. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said coupling means include stimulation electrodes of the implantable medical device and two switches.

13. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said coupling means include stimulation electrodes of the implantable medical device and two diodes.

14. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said coupling means include recharging coil lines between said charge maintenance circuitry and the special power source.

15. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said coupling means include first and second wire conductors directly connected to the special power source.

16. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said package is a sterile package.

17. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 1 wherein said package includes an inner blister cover sealed to said tray over said implantable medical device and within said first named outer blister cover of said package and said flat ribbon cable extends into the space inside said inner blister cover.

18. A power source maintenance and charge system and package comprising:

a sealed plastic blister package including a tray and a blister cover;

charge maintenance circuitry mounted on said tray outside of said blister cover for maintaining a desired charge on, and for charging, a special power source of a packaged implantable medical device contained in said sealed plastic blister package;

control means mounted on said tray outside of said blister cover for actuating and de-actuating said charge maintenance circuitry;

coupling means for coupling said circuitry to the special power source including a cable that passes through an opening in said sealed plastic blister package containing the device to connect an auxiliary power source, mounted on said tray outside of said blister cover and coupled to said charge maintenance circuitry, to the special power source of the device; and

means for sealing the opening.

19. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 18 wherein said blister cover has a protrusion and the sealed opening is at an outer end of the protrusion.

20. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 19 wherein said protrusion has an adhesive sealant therein for sealing the opening.

21. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 19 wherein the protrusion is heat sealed at an outer end portion thereof to said cable for sealing the opening.

22. The power source maintenance and charge system of claim 18 wherein said package is a sterile package.

23. The power source maintenance and charge system and package of claim 18 wherein said package includes an inner blister cover sealed to said tray over said implantable medical device and within said first named outer blister cover of said package and said flat ribbon cable extends into the space inside said inner blister cover.