Safe energy transfer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A safety apparatus for providing backup power to a wirelessly-powered implantable medical device, the safety apparatus comprising:
- an implantable female unit comprising one or more receiving ports, the implantable female unit being disposable beneath the epidermis of a subject and electrically couplable to and separate from a wirelessly-powered implantable medical device; and
an external system comprising an external male unit coupled to an external power source, the male unit comprising one or more prongs configured to puncture and be inserted through the epidermis of the subject and received by the one or more receiving ports of the implantable female unit,wherein the external system is configured to determine failure of wireless transfer of power to the medical device and, upon the determination of failure, insertion of the one or more prongs of the external male unit through the subject'"'"'s epidermis and into the one or more ports of the implanted female unit provides a wired connection between the external power source and the medical device, thereby providing external backup power to the medical device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to safety precautions and mechanisms, particularly in connection with a wireless energy transfer system which involves the use of a transmitter (or transceiver) external to a patient'"'"'s body and also a receiver implanted within a part of the patient'"'"'s body.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A safety apparatus for providing backup power to a wirelessly-powered implantable medical device, the safety apparatus comprising:
-
an implantable female unit comprising one or more receiving ports, the implantable female unit being disposable beneath the epidermis of a subject and electrically couplable to and separate from a wirelessly-powered implantable medical device; and an external system comprising an external male unit coupled to an external power source, the male unit comprising one or more prongs configured to puncture and be inserted through the epidermis of the subject and received by the one or more receiving ports of the implantable female unit, wherein the external system is configured to determine failure of wireless transfer of power to the medical device and, upon the determination of failure, insertion of the one or more prongs of the external male unit through the subject'"'"'s epidermis and into the one or more ports of the implanted female unit provides a wired connection between the external power source and the medical device, thereby providing external backup power to the medical device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A system for providing backup power to a wirelessly-powered implantable medical device, the system comprising:
-
a wirelessly-powered implantable medical device having an implantable receiver electrically coupled thereto and configured to wirelessly receive power transmitted from an external transceiver coupled to an external power source, thereby providing wireless transfer of power to the medical device; and a safety mechanism for providing backup power to the medical device upon failure of wireless transfer of power to the medical device, the safety mechanism comprising; an implantable female unit comprising one or more receiving ports, the implantable female unit being disposable beneath the epidermis of a subject and electrically coupled to and separate from the wirelessly-powered implantable medical device when the implantable medical device is implanted within the body of the subject; and an external system comprising an external male unit coupled to the external power source, the male unit comprising one or more prongs configured to puncture and be inserted through the epidermis of the subject and received by the one or more receiving ports of the implantable female unit, wherein the external system is configured to determine failure of wireless transfer of power to the medical device and, upon the determination of failure, insertion of the one or more prongs of the external male unit through the subject'"'"'s epidermis and into the one or more ports of the implanted female unit provides a wired connection between the external power source and the medical device, thereby providing external backup power to the medical device. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method for providing backup power to a wirelessly-powered implanted medical device within a subject, the method comprising:
-
providing a wirelessly-powered medical device implanted within a subject; providing a safety mechanism for providing external backup power to the medical device upon failure of wireless transfer of power thereto, the safety mechanism comprising a female unit comprising one or more receiving ports and being disposed beneath the epidermis of the subject and being electrically coupled to the medical device and an external system comprising an external male unit coupled to an external power source, the male unit comprising one or more prongs; determining, with the external system, whether wireless transfer of power to the medical device fails; puncturing the subject'"'"'s epidermis with the one or more prongs of the external male unit and inserting the one or more prongs through the subject'"'"'s epidermis and into the one or more receiving ports of the female unit when failure of wireless transfer of power is determined by the external system, thereby electrically coupling the male and female units to one another and establishing a wired connection between the external power source and the medical device; and providing external backup power to the medical device via the wired connection. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
Specification