Wireless communication with a medical implant

• US 8,718,787 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microchips Biotech, Inc. (Keratin Biosciences, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MicroCHIPS Inc.
• Inventors: Utsi, Vincent, Norris, Mark, Richerd, Jean-Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US13/610,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20130002496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2241 used in or for vehicle tyres
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/30 Combinations of separate antenna units operating in different wavebands and connected to a common feeder system
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 5/40 Imbricated or interleaved structures; Combined or electromagnetically coupled arrangements, e.g. comprising two or more non-connected fed radiating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0414 in a stacked or folded configuration

Abstract

An apparatus for providing transdermal wireless communication includes medical implant circuitry; a transceiver coupled to the medical implant circuitry; a first metal surface having an end portion and a base portion; a second metal surface parallel to the first metal surface and connected to the first metal surface by a conductor, the second metal surface being separated from the first metal surface by a dielectric layer; a first radiating element tuned to a first frequency and disposed within the dielectric layer between the first metal surface and second metal surface; and a feed structure in electrical communication with the transceiver and the first radiating strip. The first radiating element has a first reactive portion at a first end thereof, a second reactive portion at a second end thereof, and a first radiating strip extending between the first reactive portion and the second reactive portion.

Claims

1. A method for providing transdermal communication, the method comprising:

causing a current on an antenna implanted inside a patient, the antenna supporting an electromagnetic field having a near-field component and a far-field component;

shielding the near-field component with a grounding structure, thereby trapping energy contained in the near-field component and reducing the extent to which the energy in the near-field component interacts with the patient; and

allowing, the propagation of the far-field component through the skin of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein shielding the near-field component comprises placing a conductive plane between a reactive portion of the antenna and the skin.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein shielding the near-field component comprises placing a conductive plane over a first end of the antenna and a second end of the antenna.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the antenna to be a radiating strip.