Apparatus, system, and method for transcutaneously transferring energy

• US 8,092,412 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• 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 T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US12/788,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20100234923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 601/3, 601/50, 601/51, 601/61, 602/23, 602/26, 128/882, 607/61
• US Class Current: 602/23
• 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. An apparatus for transcutaneously transferring an amount of energy to an implantable orthopaedic device, the apparatus comprising a cylindrical bobbin and a primary coil wound around the cylindrical bobbin, the cylindrical bobbin having an aperture configured to receive a portion of a patient'"'"'s body, wherein the primary coil has a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of a secondary coil spaced apart from the apparatus and adapted to be coupled to the implantable orthopaedic device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary coil is a toroidal primary coil.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aperture has an inner diameter greater than about 6 inches.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the inner diameter is about 8.5 inches.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bobbin and the primary coil are spaced apart from a skin surface of the portion of the patient'"'"'s body while the portion is received by the aperture.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the primary coil includes a number of turns formed from Litz wire.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the Litz wire has a strand count of about 50 strands or greater.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the Litz wire has a strand count of about 100 strands or greater.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is adjustable to match the resonant frequency of a different secondary coil of the implantable orthopaedic device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is less than about 9 kilohertz.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is about 5 kilohertz.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein resonant frequency of the primary coil is matched to the resonant frequency of the secondary coil using a capacitive device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bobbin has a handle to facilitate positioning of the primary coil by a caregiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power circuit configured to supply a power signal to the primary coil to cause the primary coil to generate an alternating magnetic field.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the power circuit includes a wireless receiver configured to receive data signals from the implantable orthopaedic device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein 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.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the power circuit includes a direct current power source configured to produce a direct current power signal and a converter configured to convert the direct current power signal to an alternating current power signal.

18. An apparatus for transcutaneously transferring an amount of energy to an implantable orthopaedic device, the apparatus comprising (i) a bobbin having a coil track and an aperture configured to receive a portion of a patient'"'"'s body, and (ii) a primary coil having a pre-determined number of individual turns of wire positioned in the coil track and wound around the bobbin, wherein the primary coil has a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of a secondary coil spaced apart from the apparatus and adapted to be coupled to the implantable orthopaedic device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the bobbin is formed from a plastic material.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the coil track has a track height of about 1.5 inches.