Apparatus, system, and method for transcutaneously transferring energy

• US 7,780,613 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Sherman, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown; Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US11/172,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20070004994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,881 Days
• Field of Search: 601/3, 601/50, 601/51, 601/61, 602/23, 602/26, 602/20, 128/882
• US Class Current: 602/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30 Joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/389 Tibial components A61F2/3868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30668 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants

Abstract

An apparatus for transcutaneously transferring an amount of energy to an implantable orthopaedic device includes a primary coil. The primary coil has a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of a secondary coil, which may form part of the implantable orthopaedic device. The primary coil may have an aperture configured to receive a portion of a patient'"'"'s body or may include a substantially “C”-shaped core. A power circuit may be coupled with the primary coil to provide power to the coil. The apparatus may also include a wireless receiver, a measuring device, and/or a display.

Claims

1. A method for transcutaneously transferring an amount of energy to a secondary coil of an orthopaedic device implanted in a portion of a patient'"'"'s body, the method comprising:

receiving the portion of the patient'"'"'s body with an aperture defined by a primary coil such that the primary coil circumferentially surrounds the portion;

positioning the primary coil such that the primary coil is substantially coplanar with the orthopaedic device; and

supplying a power signal to the primary coil to cause the primary coil to generate an alternating magnetic field.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the positioning step includes positioning the primary coil such that the primary coil is spaced away from a skin surface of the portion of the patient'"'"'s body.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplying step includes supplying a power signal having a frequency matched to a resonant frequency of the primary coil.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the supplying step includes supplying a power signal having a frequency of about 9 kilohertz or less.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising tuning a resonant frequency of the primary coil to match a resonant frequency of the secondary coil.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a wireless data signal from the orthopaedic device.

7. A system, comprising

an implantable orthopaedic device comprising a secondary coil having a resonant frequency, and

an apparatus to transcutaneously transfer an amount of electrical energy to the implantable orthopaedic device, the apparatus comprising a primary coil to transfer the amount of electrical energy to the secondary coil of the implantable orthopaedic device, the primary coil having (i) an aperture configured to receive a portion of a patient'"'"'s body and (ii) a resonant frequency matched to the resonant frequency of the secondary coil of the implantable orthopaedic device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the primary coil is a toroidal primary coil.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the aperture has an inner diameter greater than about 6 inches.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the primary coil is spaced away from a skin surface of the portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the portion is received by the aperture.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is adjustable to match the resonant frequency of a different secondary coil of another implantable orthopaedic device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is less than about 9 kilohertz.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein resonant frequency of the primary coil is matched to the resonant frequency of the secondary coil using a capacitive device.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the primary coil is wound around a bobbin, the bobbin having a handle to facilitate positioning of the primary coil by a caregiver.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the implantable orthopaedic device includes an electrical circuit configured to receive power from the secondary coil.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the electrical circuit includes a transmitter configured to transmit sensory data in response to a power signal received from the secondary coil.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein

the apparatus further comprises a power circuit configured to supply a power signal to the primary coil to cause the primary coil to generate an alternating magnetic field, and

the power circuit includes a measuring device and a display, the measuring device configured to measure an amount of power used by the primary coil and display the amount of power to a user of the apparatus via the display.