High power ultrasound wireless transcutaneous energy transfer (US-TET) source

• US 8,974,366 B1
• Filed: 09/02/2014
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piezo Energy Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Piezo Energy Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Radziemski, Leon J., Singh Makin, Inder Raj
• Primary Examiner(s): Bockelman, Mark W
• Application Number:
  US14/475,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20150080639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 189 Days
• Field of Search: 607/33, 607/61, 600 16- 17
• US Class Current: 600/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8237 Charging means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/178 drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/585 User interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/875 specially adapted for optimising alignment of external and implantable coils
• 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 50/15 using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

A bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly is provided. The assembly includes an acoustic energy transmitter and an acoustic energy receiver. The acoustic energy receiver also functions as an energy converter for converting acoustic energy to electrical energy. An electrical energy storage device is connected to the energy converter, and is contained within a bio-compatible implant for implantation into tissue. The acoustic energy transmitter is separate from the implant, and comprises a substantially 2-dimensional array of transmitters. The acoustic energy converter may also provide conditioned power directly to a load, connected to said energy converter.

Claims

1. A bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly, for implantation into tissue comprising:

i. an acoustic energy transmitter and an acoustic energy receiver, said acoustic energy receiver also functioning as an energy converter for converting acoustic energy to electrical energy at a rate of at least 5 Watts;

ii. an electrical energy storage device electrically connected to said energy converter, wherein said acoustic energy receiver-converter is contained within the device for implantation in said tissue;

iii. an acoustic energy transmitter external to the body and separate from said implant, and wherein the transmitter comprises at least one transducer comprising a 2-dimensional array of elements arranged in a substantially regular 2-dimensional geometric shape on a support; and

iv. a cooling system including a circulating coolant and heat exchanger for removing heat from the energy transmitter, tissue, and implant at a rate of at least 3 Watts;

wherein said transmitter operates at a frequency in the range of 0.75 to 1.5 MHz.

2. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 1, wherein said substantially regular 2-dimensional geometric shape is selected from the group consisting of a circle, a rectangle, a square, a pentagon, a hexagon and an octagon.

3. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 1, further including a wireless feedback loop between said implant and transmitter used to optimize or stabilize the output power, with an algorithm using successively smaller scanning steps for monitoring one or more parameters related to an output power of the receiver.

4. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 3, further including sensor transmitters and receivers on the acoustic energy transmitter, connected in said feedback loop.

5. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 4, wherein said sensor transmitters and receivers comprise ultrasonic elements.

6. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 3, wherein the 2-dimensional array performs lateral alignment by electronically determining the minimum number of elements to be powered resulting in maximum power delivery to the energy converter within the receiver.

7. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 3, wherein the 2-dimensional array performs angular alignment by electronically scanning the ultrasound beam over the face of the receiver determining the beam angle at which the power delivery is maximized to the energy converter in the receiver.

8. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 3, wherein the 2-dimensional array relaxes the criteria on angular alignment by substituting the width of an array element for the width of the entire array, thus relaxing the criteria for angular alignment.

9. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 1, wherein the transmitter operates at a frequency of 0.9 to 1.1 MHz.

10. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 1, further including a heat-pipe device for cooling the energy transmitter, the tissue and the implant.

11. A bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly for implantation into tissue comprising:

i. an acoustic energy transmitter and an acoustic energy receiver, said acoustic energy receiver also functioning as an energy converter for converting acoustic energy to electrical energy at a rate of at least 5 Watts;

ii. an electrical energy storage device electrically connected to said energy converter, wherein said acoustic energy receiver-converter is contained within the device for implantation in said tissue;

iii. an acoustic energy transmitter external to the body and separate from said implant, and wherein the transmitter comprises at least one transducer comprising a 2-dimensional array of elements arranged in a substantially regular 2-dimensional geometric shape on a support;

iv. a cooling system including a circulating coolant and heat exchanger for removing heat from the energy transmitter, tissue, and implant at a rate of at least 3 Watts;

wherein said transmitter operates at a frequency in the range of 0.75 to 1.5 MHz, and

v. a device for providing conditioned power directly to a load, connected to said energy converter, wherein said acoustic energy receiver-converter is contained within a biocompatible implant for implantation in said tissue, wherein said acoustic energy transmitter is separate from said implant.

12. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 11, wherein said substantially regular 2-dimensional geometric shape is selected from the group consisting of a circle, a rectangle, a square, a pentagon, a hexagon and an octagon.

13. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 11, further including a wireless feedback loop between said implant and transmitter used to optimize or stabilize the output power, with an algorithm using successively smaller scanning steps for monitoring one or more parameters related to an output power of the receiver.

14. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 13, further including sensor transmitters and receivers on the acoustic energy transmitter, connected in said feedback loop.

15. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 14, wherein said sensor transmitters and receivers comprise ultrasonic elements.

16. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 13, wherein the 2-dimensional array performs lateral alignment by electronically determining the minimum number of elements to be powered resulting in maximum power delivery to the energy converter within the receiver.

17. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 13, wherein the 2-dimensional array performs angular alignment by electronically scanning the ultrasound beam over the face of the receiver determining the beam angle at which the power delivery is maximized to the energy converter in the receiver.

18. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 13, wherein the 2-dimensional array relaxes the criteria on angular alignment by substituting the width of an array element for the width of the entire array, thus relaxing the criteria for angular alignment.

19. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 11, wherein the transmitter operates at a frequency of 0.9 to 1.1 MHz.

20. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly of claim 11, further including a heat-pipe device for cooling the energy transmitter, the tissue and the implant.