Systems configured to power at least one device disposed in a living subject, and related apparatuses and methods

• US 8,295,941 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2009
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gearbox LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Rivet, Dennis J., Wood, Lowell L. Jr., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram, Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US12/378,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 607/33, 607/60, 607/61
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/30 using light, e.g. lasers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/807 Optical power feeding, i.e. transmitting power using an optical signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein are directed to systems configured to power at least one device disposed in a living subject, apparatuses configured to be disposed in a living subject and export power stored in an energy-storage device, and related methods of powering at least one device disposed in the living subject.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more optical power signals, that are transmitted transdermally into a living subject, with an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject;

converting the one or more optical power signals into electrical energy using the optical-electrical converter within the living subject; and

within the living subject, selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals having a frequency selected to limit interference with other biomedical devices disposed in the living subject in response to receiving one or more conditioning signals from at least one device disposed within the living subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving one or more optical power signals, that are transmitted transdermally into a living subject, with an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject includes receiving the one or more optical power signals with one or more photodiodes.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals includes converting at least a portion of the electrical energy from an AC waveform to a DC waveform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals includes converting at least a portion of the electrical energy from a DC waveform to an AC waveform.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals includes converting at least a portion of the electrical energy from a first DC waveform to a second DC waveform.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals includes converting at least a portion of the electrical energy from a first AC waveform to a second AC waveform.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the one or more conditioning signals, which includes one or more optical conditioning signals, that are transmitted transdermally into the living subject;

converting the one or more optical conditioning signals into one or more electrical conditioning signals using an optical-electrical signal converter; and

wherein selectively conditioning the at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals occurs in response to receiving the one or more electrical conditioning signals.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the optical-electrical signal converter and the optical-electrical converter are the same device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising powering the at least one device disposed within the living subject using the one or more electrical power signals.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one device includes at least one of a drug delivery device, a micro-electro-mechanical device, a bone extension device, a biosensor, a heart pacemaker, a heart stimulator, or a neurostimulator.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising powering the at least one device disposed within the living subject using the one or more electrical power signals.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing at least a portion of the electrical energy with an energy-storage device.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more optical power signals, that are transmitted transdermally into a living subject, with an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject;

receiving one or more optical conditioning signals that are transmitted transdermally into the living subject;

converting the one or more optical power signals into electrical energy using the optical-electrical converter;

converting the one or more optical conditioning signals into one or more electrical conditioning signals using the optical-electrical signal converter; and

selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals in response to receiving the one or more electrical conditioning signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the optical-electrical signal converter and the optical-electrical converter are the same device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising powering at least one device disposed within the living subject using the one or more electrical power signals.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one device includes at least one of a drug delivery device, a micro-electro-mechanical device, a bone extension device, a biosensor, a heart pacemaker, a heart stimulator, or a neurostimulator.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more optical power signals, that are transmitted transdermally into a living subject, with an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject;

receiving one or more conditioning signals;

converting the one or more optical power signals into electrical energy using the optical-electrical converter; and

selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals in response to receiving the one or more conditioning signals.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising powering at least one device disposed within the living subject using the one or more electrical power signals.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one device includes at least one of a drug delivery device, a micro-electro-mechanical device, a bone extension device, a biosensor, a heart pacemaker, a heart stimulator, or a neurostimulator.

20. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more optical power signals, that are transmitted transdermally into a living subject, with an optical-electrical converter disposed within the living subject;

converting the one or more optical power signals into electrical energy using the optical-electrical converter; and

selectively conditioning at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals by selectively conditioning the at least a portion of the electrical energy into one or more electrical power signals in response to receiving one or more conditioning signals from at least one device disposed within the living subject.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising powering at least one device disposed within the living subject using the one or more electrical power signals.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one device includes at least one of a drug delivery device, a micro-electro-mechanical device, a bone extension device, a biosensor, a heart pacemaker, a heart stimulator, or a neurostimulator.