Autonomous intracorporeal capsule with frequency conversion energy harvesting
First Claim
1. An autonomous intracorporeal capsule, comprising:
- a body containing therein electronic circuits and an energy harvester module for supplying power to the electronic circuits;
the energy harvester module comprising a transducer adapted to convert an external physical stress applied to the body of the capsule into electrical energy, wherein the external physical stress results from pressure variations in the environment surrounding the capsule and/or from movements of a wall to which the capsule is anchored;
wherein the energy harvester module further comprises;
a primary oscillating structure being adapted to be moved alternately in one direction and in a second direction at a first frequency;
a secondary oscillating structure coupled to a secondary deformable elastic element and adapted to vibrate at a resonant frequency greater than the first frequency; and
an electrostatic structure comprising a first capacitor electrode coupled to the primary oscillating structure, and a second capacitor electrode coupled to the secondary oscillating structure;
wherein the first and the second electrode are configured to interact so that, under the effect of a movement of the primary oscillating structure into an action area, the first and second electrode operate together, without coming into physical contact, under the effect of an electrostatic attraction force interaction thereby moving the secondary oscillating structure away from its stable equilibrium position causing tensioning of the secondary deformable elastic element, wherein the first electrode comprises a first set of fingers of a first comb structure and the second electrode comprises a second set of fingers of a second comb structure, and wherein the first and second electrode operate together under the effect of the electrostatic attraction force interaction to oscillate between a first configuration in which the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers move toward and are recessed into one another and a second configuration in which the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers retract away from one another;
the secondary oscillating structure being thus driven to a limit at which a tension force exerted by the secondary deformable elastic element caused by the tensioning exceeds the electrostatic attraction force of the electrodes, such that the secondary oscillating structure is released by relaxation effect to vibrate at the resonant frequency; and
wherein the transducer is coupled to the secondary oscillating structure, to convert vibration movements thereof at the resonant frequency into electrical energy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The energy harvester module of the capsule comprises: a primary oscillating structure subjected to an external low-frequency stress; a secondary oscillating structure comprising an elastic element and able to vibrate in high-frequency resonance; and an electrostatic structure with a first electrode coupled to the primary structure and a second electrode coupled to the secondary structure. The electrodes exert a mutual attraction between them driving the secondary structure away from its stable equilibrium position with tensioning of the elastic element, up to a limit beyond which the secondary structure is released by relaxation effect to vibrate at a resonance frequency. A transducer coupled to the secondary structure converts these high frequency vibration movements into electrical energy.
79 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An autonomous intracorporeal capsule, comprising:
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a body containing therein electronic circuits and an energy harvester module for supplying power to the electronic circuits; the energy harvester module comprising a transducer adapted to convert an external physical stress applied to the body of the capsule into electrical energy, wherein the external physical stress results from pressure variations in the environment surrounding the capsule and/or from movements of a wall to which the capsule is anchored; wherein the energy harvester module further comprises; a primary oscillating structure being adapted to be moved alternately in one direction and in a second direction at a first frequency; a secondary oscillating structure coupled to a secondary deformable elastic element and adapted to vibrate at a resonant frequency greater than the first frequency; and an electrostatic structure comprising a first capacitor electrode coupled to the primary oscillating structure, and a second capacitor electrode coupled to the secondary oscillating structure; wherein the first and the second electrode are configured to interact so that, under the effect of a movement of the primary oscillating structure into an action area, the first and second electrode operate together, without coming into physical contact, under the effect of an electrostatic attraction force interaction thereby moving the secondary oscillating structure away from its stable equilibrium position causing tensioning of the secondary deformable elastic element, wherein the first electrode comprises a first set of fingers of a first comb structure and the second electrode comprises a second set of fingers of a second comb structure, and wherein the first and second electrode operate together under the effect of the electrostatic attraction force interaction to oscillate between a first configuration in which the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers move toward and are recessed into one another and a second configuration in which the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers retract away from one another; the secondary oscillating structure being thus driven to a limit at which a tension force exerted by the secondary deformable elastic element caused by the tensioning exceeds the electrostatic attraction force of the electrodes, such that the secondary oscillating structure is released by relaxation effect to vibrate at the resonant frequency; and wherein the transducer is coupled to the secondary oscillating structure, to convert vibration movements thereof at the resonant frequency into electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An energy harvester module, comprising:
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a primary oscillating structure subjected to an external physical stress, the primary oscillating structure being adapted to be moved alternately in one direction and in a second direction; a secondary oscillating structure not subjected to the external physical stress, the secondary oscillating structure comprising a secondary deformable elastic element and adapted to vibrate at a resonant frequency; and an electrostatic structure comprising a first capacitor electrode coupled to the primary oscillating structure and a second capacitor electrode coupled to the secondary oscillating structure; wherein the first and the second electrode are configured to interact so that, under the effect of the external physical stress applied to the primary oscillating structure, the first and second electrode operate together, without coming into physical contact, under the effect of an electrostatic attraction force interaction thereby moving the secondary oscillating structure away from its stable equilibrium position causing tensioning of the secondary deformable elastic element, wherein the first electrode comprises a first set of fingers of a first comb structure and the second electrode comprises a second set of fingers of a second comb structure, and wherein the first and second electrode operate together under the effect of the electrostatic attraction force interaction to oscillate between a first configuration in which the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers move toward and are recessed into one another and a second configuration in which the first set of fingers and the second set of fingers retract away from one another; the secondary oscillating structure being thus driven to a limit at which a tension force exerted by the elastic deformable element caused by the tensioning exceeds the electrostatic attraction force of the electrodes, such that the secondary oscillating structure is released by relaxation effect to vibrate at the resonant frequency; and wherein a transducer is coupled to the secondary oscillating structure, to convert vibration movements thereof at the resonant frequency into electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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Specification