Methods and apparatus for providing a sufficiently stable power to a load in an energy transfer system

• US 7,062,331 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2002
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abiomed, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abiomed, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Keville, Stephen J., Zarinetchi, Farhad
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US10/136,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20020128690A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 607/33, 607/61, 607/2, 607/31, 607/32, 607/60
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8243 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/165 implantable in, on, or around the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/178 drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/196 replacing the entire heart, e.g. total artificial hearts [TAH]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/216 including a rotating member acting on the blood, e.g. impeller
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/873 specially adapted for wireless or transcutaneous energy transfer [TET], e.g. inductive charging
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/00 Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 323/911 Medical electronics

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing a sufficiently stable power to a load in an energy transfer system that transfers energy from one side of a physical boundary to another side of he boundary. In one example, a power supply and a primary winding are located on a first side of a physical boundary (e.g., external to a body), and a secondary winding and the load are located on a second side of the physical boundary (e.g., internal to the body). A primary voltage across the primary winding is regulated so as to provide a sufficiently stable output power to the load notwithstanding changes in the load and/or changes in a relative position of the primary winding and the secondary winding. One aspect of the invention relates to energy transfer methods and apparatus for use in connection with the human body. In particular, one example of the invention includes a transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) system for transferring power from a power supply external to the body to a device implanted in the body.

Claims

1. A first side energy transfer system for transferring power from a power supply having a primary winding located on a first side of a physical boundary to a variable load having a secondary winding located on a second side of the physical boundary over a power channel created between the primary and secondary windings, the first side energy transfer system comprising:

a primary winding electrically coupled to the power supply to generate a magnetic field based on input power provided by the power supply, the magnetic field permeating the physical boundary for magnetically coupling a secondary winding to the primary winding to form a power channel to provide power to a variable load;

an excitation control circuit coupled to the primary winding to detect on the primary winding an indication of at least one of changes in a variable load and changes in the relative position of the primary winding and a secondary winding; and

a primary control circuit electrically coupled to the primary winding and to the excitation control circuit to regulate a primary voltage across the primary winding based on the detected indication for providing a sufficiently stable output power to the variable load notwithstanding at least one of changes in a load and changes in a relative position of the primary winding and a secondary winding;

wherein the excitation control circuit includes a rectifier coupled to the primary winding and a comparator coupled to the rectifier that compares a voltage in the primary windimg to a threshold voltage, wherein the rectifier at least partially rectifies the primary voltage for comparison with the threshold voltage by the comparator.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the excitation control circuit includes a variable threshold circuit coupled to the primary winding; and

the comparator is coupled to the variable threshold circuit;

wherein the variable threshold circuit provides the threshold voltage as a short-term average of the primary voltage for comparison with the primary voltage by the comparator.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the excitation control circuit includes a bias circuit to offset one of the threshold voltage and the primary voltage to the comparator, thereby providing the comparator with noise immunity at substantially equal values of comparison.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the excitation control circuit includes;

a rectifier coupled to the primary winding; and

a variable threshold circuit coupled to the rectifier; and

the comparator is coupled to the rectifier and the variable threshold circuit;

wherein the rectifier at least partially rectifies the primary voltage, the variable threshold circuit provides the threshold voltage as a short-term average of the at least partially rectified primary voltage, and the comparator compares the at least partially rectified primary voltage to the threshold voltage of the variable threshold circuit.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the excitation control circuit includes a bias circuit to offset one of the threshold voltage and the primary voltage to the comparator, thereby providing the comparator with noise immunity at substantially equal values of comparison.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the primary control circuit includes a reference control circuit that generates a varying reference voltage based on the detected indication; and

the primary control circuit regulates the primary voltage based on a comparison of the primary voltage to the varying reference voltage.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the reference control circuit includes:

a timer circuit coupled to the detector circuit; and

an output circuit coupled to the timer circuit;

wherein the timer circuit controls the output circuit to output the varying reference voltage based on the detector circuit.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the timer circuit controls the output circuit such that the output circuit outputs the varying reference voltage as an essentially triangular waveform.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the timer circuit controls the output circuit such that the output circuit outputs the varying reference voltage as an essentially saw-tooth waveform.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the varying reference voltage has a frequency in a range of from approximately 5 Hz to approximately 40 Hz.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the primary control circuit includes:

at least one capacitor coupled to the primary winding to form a primary resonant circuit with the primary winding; and

an excitation circuit coupled to at least the power supply and the primary resonant circuit to provide an input power to the primary resonant circuit;

wherein the excitation control circuit is coupled to the excitation circuit and the reference control circuit to control the excitation circuit so as to regulate the primary voltage based on a comparison of the primary voltage to the varying reference voltage.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the excitation circuit outputs a plurality of pulses to the primary resonant circuit to provide the input power to the primary resonant circuit; and

the excitation control circuit controls a width of the pulses output by the excitation circuit based on a comparison of the primary voltage to the varying reference voltage.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the detected indication indicates when a load voltage across a variable load exceeds a predetermined threshold load voltage.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the primary control circuit regulates the primary voltage such that a load voltage approximates the predetermined threshold load voltage notwithstanding at least one of the changes in a variable load and changes in the relative position of the primary winding and a secondary winding.

15. In an energy transfer system for transferring power from a power supply located on a first side of a physical boundary to a variable load located on a second side of the physical boundary, the system having a primary winding on the first side for generating a magnetic field based on input power provided by the power supply, the magnetic field permeating the physical boundary for magnetically coupling the primary winding to a secondary winding on the second side, thereby forming a power channel between the windings through which at least a portion of the magnetic field is received by the secondary winding to provide power to the variable load based on the received magnetic field, the energy transfer system further including a secondary control circuit electrically coupled to the secondary winding to provide a detectable indication on the power channel providing information that indicates a characteristic of the variable load, a system for the first side comprising:

a primary winding electrically coupled to the power supply;

a detector circuit coupled to the primary winding to detect the detectable indication on the power channel; and

a primary control circuit electrically coupled to the primary winding to regulate a primary voltage across the primary winding based on the detected indication for providing a sufficiently stable output power to the variable load notwithstanding at least one of changes in the load and changes in a relative position of the primary winding and the secondary winding.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the detectable indication includes at least one surge in the primary voltage; and

the detector circuit includes a surge detector.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the surge detector includes a comparator that compares the primary voltage to a threshold voltage.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the surge detector includes a rectifier coupled to the primary winding; and

the comparator is coupled to the rectifier;

wherein the rectifier at least partially rectifies the primary voltage for comparison with the threshold voltage by the comparator.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the surge detector includes a variable threshold circuit coupled to the primary winding; and

the comparator is coupled to the variable threshold circuit;

wherein the variable threshold circuit provides the threshold voltage as a short-term average of the primary voltage for comparison with the primary voltage by the comparator.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the surge detector includes;

a rectifier coupled to the primary winding; and

a variable threshold circuit coupled to the rectifier; and

the comparator is coupled to the rectifier and the variable threshold circuit;

wherein the rectifier at least partially rectifies the primary voltage, the variable threshold circuit provides the threshold voltage as a short-term average of the at least partially rectified primary voltage, and the comparator compares the at least partially rectified primary voltage to the threshold voltage of the variable threshold circuit.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the surge detector includes a bias circuit to offset one of the threshold voltage and the primary voltage to the comparator, thereby providing the comparator with noise immunity at substantially equal values of comparison.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the surge detector includes a bias circuit to offset one of the threshold voltage and the primary voltage to the comparator, thereby providing the comparator with noise immunity at substantially equal values of comparison.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the primary control circuit includes a reference control circuit that generates a varying reference voltage based on the detectable indication; and

the primary control circuit regulates the primary voltage based on a comparison of the primary voltage to the varying reference voltage.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the reference control circuit includes:

a timer circuit coupled to the detector circuit; and

an output circuit coupled to the timer circuit,

wherein the timer circuit controls the output circuit to output the varying reference voltage based on the detector circuit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the timer circuit controls the output circuit such that the output circuit outputs the varying reference voltage as an essentially triangular waveform.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the timer circuit controls the output circuit such that the output circuit outputs the varying reference voltage as an essentially saw-tooth waveform.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the varying reference voltage has a frequency in a range of from approximately 5 Hz to approximately 40 Hz.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the primary control circuit includes:

at least one capacitor coupled to the primary winding to form a primary resonant circuit with the primary winding;

an excitation circuit coupled to at least the power supply and the primary resonant circuit to provide an input power to the primary resonant circuit; and

an excitation control circuit coupled to the excitation circuit and the reference control circuit to control the excitation circuit so as to regulate the primary voltage based on a comparison of the primary voltage to the varying reference voltage.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein:

the excitation circuit outputs a plurality of pulses to the primary resonant circuit to provide the input power to the primary resonant circuit; and

the excitation control circuit controls a width of the pulses output by the excitation circuit based on a comparison of the primary voltage to the varying reference voltage.

30. The system of claim 15, wherein the detectable indication indicates when a load voltage across the variable load exceeds a predetermined threshold load voltage.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the primary control circuit regulates the primary voltage such that the load voltage approximates the predetermined threshold load voltage notwithstanding at least one of the changes in the variable load and changes in the relative position of the primary winding and the secondary winding.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the primary control circuit increases the primary voltage if the detector circuit does not detect the detectable indication and decreases the primary voltage if the detector circuit detects the detectable indication.

33. In an energy transfer system for transferring power from a power supply located on a first side of a physical boundary to a variable load located on a second side of the physical boundary, the energy transfer system having a primary winding electrically coupled to the power supply, to generate a magnetic field based on input power provided by the power supply, the magnetic field permeating the physical boundary for magnetically coupling a secondary winding to the primary winding, thereby forming a power channel between the windings through which at least a portion of the magnetic field is received by the secondary winding and used to provide power to the variable load based on the received magnetic field, the energy transfer system further including a secondary control circuit electrically coupled to the secondary winding to provide a detectable indication on the power channel providing information that indicates a characteristic of the variable load, a method of providing power to the variable load, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting on the first side of the physical boundary a detectable indication from the power channel indicative of at least one of changes in the variable load and changes in the relative position of the primary winding and the secondary winding; and

regulating the magnetic field generated by the primary winding based on the detecting so as to provide sufficiently stable power to the variable load notwithstanding at least one of changes in the variable load and changes in the relative position of the primary winding and the secondary winding.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the detecting is of a signal in the primary winding.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the detecting is of a primary voltage across the primary winding.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the detecting is of a primary amplitude of the primary voltage.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the detecting is of at least one surge in a signal of the primary winding.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the detecting includes detecting a peak of the surge in the signal of the primary winding.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the detecting includes comparing a threshold voltage to a primary voltage across the primary winding.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the detecting includes:

any of filtering and at least partially rectifying the primary voltage; and

comparing the threshold voltage to the any of filtered and at least partially rectified primary voltage.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the detecting includes:

providing the threshold voltage as a short-term average of the primary voltage; and

comparing the primary voltage to the provided threshold voltage.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the detecting includes:

any of filtering and at least partially rectifying the primary voltage;

providing the threshold voltage as a short-term average of the any of filtered and at least partially rectified primary voltage; and

comparing the provided threshold voltage to the any of filtered and at least partially rectified primary voltage.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the detecting includes:

offsetting one of the provided threshold voltage and the any of filtered and at least partially rectified primary voltage; and

providing the comparing with noise immunity at substantially equal values of comparison by making the comparison subsequent to the offsetting.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the detecting includes:

offsetting one of the provided threshold voltage and the any of filtered and at least partially rectified primary voltage; and

providing the comparing with noise immunity at substantially equal values of comparison by making the comparison subsequent to the offsetting.

45. The method of claim 33, wherein the regulating the magnetic field generated by the primary winding is via regulating a primary voltage across the primary winding.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the regulating includes:

one of increasing and decreasing the primary voltage if the detecting does not detect a detectable indication; and

the other of increasing and decreasing the primary voltage if the detecting does detect a detectable indication.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the regulating further includes:

generating a varying reference voltage based on the detecting; and

regulating the primary voltage based on a comparison of the primary voltage to the varying reference voltage.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the varying reference voltage is generated as an essentially triangular waveform.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the varying reference voltage is generated as an essentially saw-tooth waveform.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein the varying reference voltage is generated to have a frequency in the range of from approximately 5 Hz to approximately 40 Hz.

51. The method of claim 47, wherein the energy system further includes at least one capacitor coupled to the primary winding to form a primary resonant circuit, and wherein the step of regulating includes controlling a width of pulses input to the primary resonant circuit so as to control an input power to the primary resonant circuit based on at least the varying reference voltage.