Transfer assembly

• US 9,427,509 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Fã¼R Luft- Und Raumfahrt E.V.
• Original Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Fã¼R Luft- Und Raumfahrt E.V.
• Inventors: Vodermayer, Bernhard, Schmid, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Porter, Jr., Allen
• Application Number:
  US11/879,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,333 Days
• Field of Search: 607 29- 33, 607/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3507 with implanted devices, e.g. external control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8243 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/122 Implantable pumps or pumping devices, i.e. the blood being pumped inside the patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/20 Type thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/875 specially adapted for optimising alignment of external and implantable coils
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00019 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00022 using wireless data transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• 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

Abstract

A transfer assembly comprising an intracorporeal transfer coil of an implant, and an extracorporeal transfer coil of an extracorporeal supply unit. The transfer coil of the implant has permanently associated therewith a transmitting element. The transfer coil of the supply unit has permanently associated therewith at least one receiving element. Further, the supply unit comprises an evaluation module connected with the receiving element and issuing a locating signal depending on an offset and/or a direction of offset of the transmitting element relative to the receiving element.

Claims

1. A transfer assembly comprising:

an intracorporeal transfer coil of an implant and an extracorporeal transfer coil of an extracorporeal supply device,

wherein said intracorporeal transfer coil is a single locating transmitter;

a receiver of said extracorporeal supply device comprising a plurality of receiving elements; and

an evaluation module associated with said extracorporeal supply device and connected with said receiver, said evaluation module issuing, depending on an angle of offset between said intracorporeal transfer coil and said plurality of receiving elements, a locating signal indicating the angle of offset, wherein said evaluation module determines said angle of offset based on an induced current and/or induced voltage measured by each of said plurality of receiving elements.

2. The transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of receiving elements comprises magnetic field receiving elements.

3. The transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the receiving elements are configured as Hall sensors.

4. The transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the receiving elements are configured as coils.

5. The transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein the locating transmitter is configured as an optical transmitting element, and the receiver comprises optical receiving elements.

6. The transfer assembly according to claim 5, wherein the optical transmitting element is an infrared transmitting element.

7. The transfer assembly according to claim 1, wherein said locating signal indicating the angle of offset is based on a rotatory position of said extracorporeal transfer coil.

8. A transfer assembly comprising:

an implant having an intracorporeal transfer coil and an optical transmitting element arranged in a center of said intracorporeal transfer coil;

an extracorporeal supply device having an extracorporeal transfer coil, said extracorporeal transfer coil having a plurality of optical receiving elements; and

an evaluation module associated with said extracorporeal supply device and connected with said plurality of optical receiving elements, said evaluation module issuing, depending on an angle of offset between said optical transmitter element and said plurality of optical receiving elements, a locating signal indicating the angle of offset.

9. The transfer assembly according to claim 8, wherein the optical transmitter element is an infrared transmitting element.

10. A transfer assembly comprising:

an implant having an intracorporeal transfer coil, said intracorporeal transfer coil having an optical transmitter element;

an extracorporeal supply device having an extracorporeal transfer coil, said extracorporeal transfer coil having a plurality of optical receiving elements; and

an evaluation module associated with said extracorporeal supply device and connected with said plurality of optical receiving elements, said evaluation module issuing, depending on a direction of offset between said optical transmitter element and said plurality of optical receiving elements, a locating signal indicating the direction of offset, wherein the optical transmitter element comprises a plurality of optical transmitter elements whose transmitted signals differ from each other.

11. A transfer assembly comprising:

an implant having an intracorporeal transfer coil, said intracorporeal transfer coil having an optical transmitter element;

an extracorporeal supply device having an extracorporeal transfer coil, said extracorporeal transfer coil having a plurality of optical receiving elements; and

an evaluation module associated with said extracorporeal supply device and connected with said plurality of optical receiving elements, said evaluation module issuing, depending on a direction of offset between said optical transmitter element and said plurality of optical receiving elements, a locating signal indicating the direction of offset, wherein said locating signal indicating the direction of offset is based on a rotatory position of said extracorporeal transfer coil.

12. A transfer assembly comprising:

an intracorporeal transfer coil of an implant and an extracorporeal transfer coil of an extracorporeal supply device;

a transmitter associated with said intracorporeal transfer coil;

a plurality of receiving elements defining said extracorporeal transfer coil; and

an evaluation module associated with said extracorporeal supply device and connected with said plurality of receiving elements, said evaluation module issuing, depending on an angle of offset between said transmitter and said plurality of receiving elements, a locating signal indicating the angle of offset, wherein said evaluation module determines said angle of offset based on an induced current and/or induced voltage measured by each of said plurality of receiving elements.

13. The transfer assembly according to claim 12, wherein said locating signal is based on a rotatory position of said extracorporeal transfer coil.

14. The transfer assembly according to claim 12, wherein said transmitter comprises a single transmitter.

15. A transfer assembly comprising:

an implant having a single intracorporeal transfer coil transmitting a signal;

an extracorporeal supply device having an extracorporeal transfer coil with a plurality of receiving elements arranged around a circumference for receiving said signal, said circumference of plurality of receiving elements being smaller than said single intracorporeal transfer coil and/or said extracorporeal transfer coil;

an evaluation module connected with said plurality of receiving elements, said evaluation module determining, based on said signal received at each of said plurality of receiving elements, an angle of offset between said single intracorporeal transfer coil and said plurality of receiving elements, wherein said evaluation module determines said angle of offset based on an induced current and/or induced voltage measured by each of said plurality of receiving elements; and

a display unit in communication with said evaluation module so as to display a locating signal that is based on said angle of offset.