Miniaturized electronic device ingestible by a subject or implantable inside a body of the subject

• US 9,161,693 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2010
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Original Assignee: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated (State University System of Florida)
• Inventors: Rizwan, Bashirullah
• Primary Examiner(s): KUHLMAN, CATHERINE BURK
• Application Number:
  US13/257,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20120008714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,042 Days
• Field of Search: 3405731-5737, 607/32, 607/35, 128/899
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry

Abstract

A miniaturized in-body electronic device is provided. One or more antennas (e.g., 32) may be galvanically coupled to receive an alternating current (AC) signal through the body of a subject where the in-body electronic device is located. Power extraction circuitry (e.g., 36) is configured to extract electrical power from the AC signal received by the antenna. The extracted electrical power is used for electrically powering one or more components of the electronic device. A transmitter (e.g., 48) is coupled to receive power from the power extraction circuitry. A controller (e.g., 46) is coupled to the transmitter. The controller is configured to activate the transmitter to generate a sequence of intermittent transmission bursts for transmitting an uplink signal. A transmission burst may have a higher instantaneous power level than an instantaneous power level of the AC signal received by the antenna.

Claims

1. A miniaturized in-body electronic device comprising:

at least one dipole antenna configured to receive an AC signal sent via galvanic coupling through a body of a subject when the in-body electronic device is located therein, and also configured as oxidizing and reduction electrodes of an electrochemical battery when the in-body electronic device is exposed to internal gastric acid;

power extraction circuitry configured to extract electrical power from the at least one dipole antenna, the extracted electrical power being accumulated over a charging cycle;

a transmitter coupled to receive power from the power extraction circuitry; and

a controller coupled to the transmitter, wherein the controller is configured to activate the transmitter to generate a sequence of intermittent transmission bursts for transmitting an uplink signal.

2. The in-body electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power extraction circuitry comprises an AC-to-DC converter and an energy storage device coupled to receive a DC signal from the AC-to-DC converter.

3. The in-body electronic device of claim 2, wherein the power extraction circuitry further comprises a power level detector coupled to the energy storage device, the power level detector coupled to provide a signal to the controller indicative of an electrical charge status of the energy storage device.

4. The in-body electronic device of claim 3, wherein the transmission burst occurs during a period of time when the charge status of the energy storage device meets or exceeds a charge threshold value.

5. The in-body electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power extraction circuitry is configured to power the transmitter from an AC power input without an AC to DC converter.

6. The in-body electronic device of claim 5, wherein a periodicity of the sequence of intermittent transmission bursts is determined by the frequency of the AC signal sent via galvanic coupling.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a transmission of the uplink signal occurs contemporaneously with a reception of the AC signal sent via galvanic coupling.

8. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein a transmission of the uplink signal is temporally spaced relative to a time of reception of the AC signal sent via galvanic coupling.

9. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising at least a second antenna coupled to the transmitter to transmit the uplink signal.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the uplink signal comprises a frequency higher than that of a downlink signal in response to receipt of which the controller is configured to direct transmission of the uplink signal.

11. The in-body electronic device of claim 1, wherein said device comprises a semiconductor chip and said at least one dipole antenna is embedded in the chip.

12. The in-body electronic device of claim 1, wherein the power level of the burst is higher than power instantaneously available from said at least one dipole antenna.