Full-body charger for battery-powered patient implantable device
First Claim
1. A full-body charger suitable for providing an alternating magnetic field to one or more electrically-powered devices adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a patient'"'"'s body wherein each electrically-powered device is powered by a rechargeable battery mounted within each electrically-powered device and each electrically-powered device includes circuitry for storing a unique identification address for each electrically-powered device, wherein each rechargeable battery is chargeable in response to said alternating magnetic field and each electrically-powered device includes circuitry for minimizing its response to said alternating magnetic field when the status of its rechargeable battery is fully charged and generating a fully-charged battery status signal in response thereto and wirelessly transmitting said status signal according to its unique identification address in response to a wirelessly received control signal, said charger comprising:
- a support structure adapted to support a patient'"'"'s body;
one or more coils configured for mounting within said support structure, proximate to one or more of the electrically-powered devices, for emitting a magnetic field substantially encompassing one or more of the electrically-powered implanted devices when one or more of the implanted devices are proximate to said support structure;
a controller for periodically providing an AC signal to energize at least one of said coils; and
whereinsaid controller additionally includes communication circuitry for automatically periodically wirelessly providing a control signal to each electrically-powered device to selectively interrogate the status of the rechargeable battery mounted within and for wirelessly receiving a signal corresponding to the fully-charged battery status of the rechargeable battery in response thereto according to the unique identification address of each electrically-powered device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A full-body charger for charging one or more battery-powered devices wherein such devices are configured for implanting beneath a patient'"'"'s skin for the purpose of tissue, e.g., nerve or muscle, stimulation and/or parameter monitoring and/or data communication. Devices in accordance with the invention include a support structure, typically chair-shaped or bed-shaped, capable of supporting a patient'"'"'s body while providing a magnetic field to one or more of the implanted devices using one or more coils mounted within for providing power to the implanted devices. Consequently, in a preferred embodiment, a single, generally sequential, charging cycle can charge all of the implanted devices and thus minimize the charge time requirements for a patient and accordingly improve the patient'"'"'s life style.
154 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A full-body charger suitable for providing an alternating magnetic field to one or more electrically-powered devices adapted to be implanted beneath the skin of a patient'"'"'s body wherein each electrically-powered device is powered by a rechargeable battery mounted within each electrically-powered device and each electrically-powered device includes circuitry for storing a unique identification address for each electrically-powered device, wherein each rechargeable battery is chargeable in response to said alternating magnetic field and each electrically-powered device includes circuitry for minimizing its response to said alternating magnetic field when the status of its rechargeable battery is fully charged and generating a fully-charged battery status signal in response thereto and wirelessly transmitting said status signal according to its unique identification address in response to a wirelessly received control signal, said charger comprising:
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a support structure adapted to support a patient'"'"'s body; one or more coils configured for mounting within said support structure, proximate to one or more of the electrically-powered devices, for emitting a magnetic field substantially encompassing one or more of the electrically-powered implanted devices when one or more of the implanted devices are proximate to said support structure; a controller for periodically providing an AC signal to energize at least one of said coils; and
whereinsaid controller additionally includes communication circuitry for automatically periodically wirelessly providing a control signal to each electrically-powered device to selectively interrogate the status of the rechargeable battery mounted within and for wirelessly receiving a signal corresponding to the fully-charged battery status of the rechargeable battery in response thereto according to the unique identification address of each electrically-powered device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method suitable for charging rechargeable batteries mounted within one or more electrically-powered devices implanted beneath the skin of a patient'"'"'s body via an alternating magnetic field and wherein each electrically-powered implanted device includes circuitry for minimizing its response to said alternating magnetic field when the status of its rechargeable battery is fully charged and generating a fully-charged battery status signal in response thereto, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning a patient, having one or more electrically-powered implanted devices, on a support structure proximate to at least one coil capable of being energized to emit an alternating magnetic field encompassing the one or more of the electrically-powered implanted devices; energizing said at least one coil with an AC signal for a first time period to emit a magnetic field wherein the electrically-powered implanted devices are configured to charge their rechargeable batteries in response to said emitted magnetic field; wirelessly emitting a control signal to the electrically-powered implanted devices during a second time period to selectively interrogate the status of the rechargeable battery mounted within one of the electrically-powered implanted devices according to a unique address for each of the electrically-powered implanted devices; wirelessly receiving a fully-charged battery status signal from said selectively interrogated implanted device corresponding to its rechargeable battery during a third time period; and automatically repeating said energizing, emitting and receiving steps according to said fully-charged battery status signal received from each of said selectively interrogated implanted devices. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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14. A method suitable for charging rechargeable batteries mounted within one or more electrically-powered devices implanted beneath the skin of a patient'"'"'s body in response to an alternating magnetic field when said patient'"'"'s body is positioned on a support structure which includes a plurality of coils, each being capable of being energized to emit an alternating magnetic field encompassing the one or more of the electrically-powered implanted devices and wherein each electrically-powered device includes circuitry for minimizing its response to said alternating magnetic field when the status of its rechargeable battery is fully charged and generating a fully-charged battery status signal in response thereto, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) energizing a selected one of said coils with an AC signal for a first time period for providing charging power to the respective rechargeable battery of the electrically-powered implanted devices within an operational range; (b) wirelessly emitting a control signal to the electrically-powered implanted devices during a second time period to selectively interrogate the fully-charged battery status of the rechargeable batteries mounted within the electrically-powered implanted devices located within said selected coil'"'"'s operational range according to a unique address of each of the electrically-powered implanted devices; (c) wirelessly receiving a fully-charged battery status signal from each of the electrically-powered implanted devices within said selected coil'"'"'s operational range corresponding to the fully-charged battery status of its rechargeable battery during discrete portions of a third time period; and (d) automatically repeating said energizing, emitting and receiving steps according to said battery status signals received from each of the electrically-powered implanted devices until all of the electrically-powered implanted devices located within said selected coil'"'"'s operational range indicate that their respective batteries are fully charged. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A method suitable for charging rechargeable batteries mounted within one or more electrically-powered devices implanted beneath the skin of a patient'"'"'s body in response to an alternating magnetic field when the patient'"'"'s body is positioned on a support structure which includes a plurality of coils, each coil being capable of being energized to emit an alternating magnetic field encompassing one or more of the electrically-powered implanted devices and wherein each electrically-powered device includes circuitry for minimizing its response to said alternating magnetic field when the status of its rechargeable battery is fully-charged and generating a fully-charged battery status signal in response thereto, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) energizing a selected one of said coils with an AC signal for a first time period for providing charging power to the respective rechargeable battery of the electrically-powered implanted devices within an operational range; (b) wirelessly emitting a control signal to the electrically-powered devices during a second time period to selectively interrogate the fully-charged battery status of the rechargeable batteries mounted within the electrically-powered implanted devices located within said selected coil'"'"'s operational range according to a unique address of each of the electrically-powered implanted devices; (c) wirelessly receiving a fully-charged battery status signal from each of the electrically-powered implanted devices within said selected coil'"'"'s operational range corresponding to the fully-charged battery status of its rechargeable battery during discrete portions of a third time period; and (d) automatically repeating steps (a)–
(c) for a different selected one of said coils. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification