Chair pad charging and communication system for a battery-powered microstimulator

• US 8,185,212 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Carbunaru, Rafael, Ozawa, Robert D., McGiboney, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAHELIN, MICHAEL WILLIAM
• Application Number:
  US12/849,473
• Publication Number:
  US 20100298910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 607/61
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45147 Copper (Cu) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48465 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area being a wedge bond, i.e. ball-to-wedge, regular stitch
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00011 Not relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1461 : MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 : in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 : off-chip wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 : The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 : using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 : using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 : using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 : for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/02 : Amplitude-modulated carrier systems, e.g. using on-off keying; Single sideband or vestigial sideband modulation H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/10 : Frequency-modulated carrier systems, i.e. using frequency-shift keying H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 : Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 : by winding or coiling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 : by assembling coil and core
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49128 : Assembling formed circuit to base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 : Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49155 : Manufacturing circuit on or in base
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49169 : Assembling electrical component directly to terminal or elongated conductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 : Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49945 : by driven force fit
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49968 : Metal fusion joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12264 : having outward flange, gripping means or interlocking feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12271 : having discrete fastener, marginal fastening, taper, or end structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12347 : Plural layers discontinuously bonded [e.g., spot-weld, mechanical fastener, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12375 : having member which crosses the plane of another member [e.g., T or X cross section, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12396 : Discontinuous surface component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12535 : with additional, spatially distinct nonmetal component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12806 : Refractory [Group IVB, VB, or VIB] metal-base component

Abstract

A system and method are provided for both recharging and communicating with a stimulator having a rechargeable battery, which stimulator is implanted deeply in the body, in particular where the stimulator is a microstimulator, the system includes a base station and an external device, for instance a chair pad. The chair pad may contain an antenna/charging coil and a booster coil. The antenna/charging coil can be used for charging the rechargeable battery and also for communicating with the stimulator using frequency shift keying and on-off keying. The booster coil can be used to recharge a battery depleted to zero volts. The base station connected to the chair pad may be used to power the antenna/charging coil and the booster coil.

Claims

1. A method for recharging and communicating with an implantable medical device having a rechargeable battery, wherein the implantable medical device is initially in a depletion mode in which the rechargeable battery cannot be recharged, comprising:

temporarily driving a booster coil to produce a first magnetic field;

receiving the first magnetic field at the implantable medical device, wherein the first magnetic field sets the implantable medical device from the depletion mode to a charging mode; and

thereafter driving a charging coil to produce a second magnetic field that inductively charges the rechargeable battery in accordance with the regular charging mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using the charging coil to also communicate with the implantable medical device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging coil communicates with the implantable medical device using FSK telemetry.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging coil communicates with the implantable medical device using on-off keying (OOK).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring a current to determine power consumption in the charging coil.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging coil and to the booster coil are coupled to a printed circuit board.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sensing temperature via circuitry on the printed circuit board for sensing temperature.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising automatically shutting off the charging coil when the sensed temperature exceeds a predetermined level.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically shutting off the charging coil when power consumption through the charging coil exceeds a predetermined level.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically shutting off the booster coil when power consumption through the booster coil exceeds a predetermined level.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the booster coil has a plurality of turns of wire in a plurality of layers wrapped around a coil spool.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging coil and the booster coil are contained in a housing.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a chair pad.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein a base station is coupled to the housing.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the housing is comprised of a compliant material.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein an exterior slipcover surrounds the housing.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a coil assembly contains the booster coil and the charging coil.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the booster coil and charging coil are wound over a spool coil.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is initially in the depletion mode because the rechargeable battery is depleted to zero Volts.