Power supply for an electronic device

• US 8,030,798 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Seligman, Peter Misha
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman; Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Amrany; Adi
• Application Number:
  US12/649,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20100219793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• Field of Search: 307/44, 307/50, 307/71, 307/80, 307 85- 86, 307/48, 307/64, 307/66
• US Class Current: 307/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A power supply for a medical device having one or more power consuming components. The power supply system comprises first and second battery cells electrically connected in series to supply a first level of power to the components, and at least one additional battery cell. The power supply also comprises a control system configured to electrically connect the at least one additional battery in parallel with one or both of the first or second batteries upon a detection of a power demand at the components that is greater than said first level.

Claims

1. A power supply system for a medical device comprising one or more power consuming components having a varying power demand, the system comprising:

first and second battery cells electrically connected in series to supply power to the components;

at least one additional battery cell; and

a control system configured to electrically connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with one of the first and second battery cells in response to a detection that the power demand of the components has increased.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a switch arrangement operable by the control system to electrically connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with one of the first and second battery cells.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said switch arrangement comprises one or more analog changeover switches.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with whichever one of the first and second battery cells has a voltage below a threshold voltage.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the control system comprises:

a low power comparator configured to compare each the voltages of the first and second battery cells to a reference voltage to determine whether one of the first and second battery cells has a voltage below the threshold voltage.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with whichever one of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the control system comprises:

a low power comparator configured to compare the voltages of the first and second battery cells to one another to determine which of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is configured to alternate which of the first and second battery cells is connected in parallel with the at least one additional battery cell.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second battery cells comprises a rechargeable battery cell, and wherein the system further comprises:

a charging circuit configured to recharge the at least one rechargeable battery cell when the voltage of the rechargeable cell is below a predetermined voltage level.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more of said battery cells comprise a zinc air cell.

11. A power management system for a medical device comprising one or more power consuming components having a varying power demand, first and second battery cells electrically connected in series to supply power to the components, and at least an additional battery cell, the management system comprising:

a control system configured to electrically connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with one of the first and second battery cells in response to a detection that the power demand of the components has increased.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a switch arrangement operable by the control system to electrically connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with one of the first and second battery cells.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said switch arrangement comprises one or more analog changeover switch.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with whichever one of the first and second battery cells has a voltage below a threshold voltage.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the control system comprises:

a low power comparator configured to compare each the voltages of the first and second battery cells to a reference voltage to determine whether one of the first and second battery cells has a voltage below the threshold voltage.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with whichever one of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control system comprises:

a low power comparator configured to compare the voltages of the first and second battery cells to one another to determine which of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control system is configured to alternate which of the first and second battery cells is connected in parallel with the at least one additional battery cell.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first and second battery cells comprises a rechargeable battery cell, and wherein the system further comprises:

a charging circuit configured to recharge the at least one rechargeable battery cell when the voltage of the rechargeable cell is below a predetermined voltage level.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein one or more of said battery cells comprise a zinc air cell.

21. A method for supplying power to components of a medical device with a power supply comprising first, second and third battery cells, the components having a varying power demand, the method comprising:

electrically connecting the first and second battery cells in series to supply power to the components;

determining that the power demanded by one or more of the components has increased; and

electrically connecting the third battery cell in parallel with one of the first or second battery cells in response to the determination.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

determining which of the first and second cells has a lower voltage; and

electrically connecting the third battery cell in parallel with whichever of the first and second battery cells has the lower voltage.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining which of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage comprises:

comparing the voltages of the first and second battery cells to one another.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein determining which of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage comprises:

comparing the voltages of each of the first and second battery cells to a reference voltage.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one of the battery cells comprises a rechargeable battery, and wherein the method further comprises:

recharging the at least one rechargeable battery cell.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein method further comprises:

alternating which of the first and second battery cells is connected in parallel with the at least one additional battery cell.

27. A medical device comprising:

one or more power consuming components having a variable power demand;

first and second battery cells electrically connected in series to supply power to the components;

at least one additional battery cell;

a control system configured to electrically connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with at least one of the first and second battery cells in response to a detection that the power demand of the components has increased.

28. The device of claim 27, further comprising:

a switch arrangement operable by the control system to electrically connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with one of the first and second battery cells.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein said switch arrangement comprises one or more analog changeover switches.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein the control system is configured to connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with whichever one of the first and second battery cells has a voltage below a threshold voltage.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein the control system comprises:

a low power comparator configured to compare each the voltages of the first and second battery cells to a reference voltage to determine whether one of the first and second battery cells has a voltage below the threshold voltage.

32. The device of claim 27, wherein the control system is configured to connect the at least one additional battery cell in parallel with whichever one of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the control system comprises:

a low power comparator configured to compare the voltages of the first and second battery cells to one another to determine which of the first and second battery cells has a lower voltage.

34. The device of claim 27, wherein the control system is configured to alternate which of the first and second battery cells is connected in parallel with the at least one additional battery cell.

35. The device of claim 27, wherein at least one of the first and second battery cells comprises a rechargeable battery cell, and wherein the system further comprises:

a charging circuit configured to recharge the at least one rechargeable battery cell when the voltage of the rechargeable cell is below a predetermined voltage level.

36. The device of claim 27, wherein one or more of said battery cells comprise a zinc air cell.