External resonance matching between an implanted device and an external device

• US 9,526,906 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nyxoah SA
• Original Assignee: Nyxoah SA
• Inventors: Mashiach, Adi
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bays, Pamela M
• Application Number:
  US13/952,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20140031903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 607/32, 607/33, 607/42, 607/60, 607/61
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/0482 Needle or suture guides guides for drills, pins or wire A61B17/17; for puncturing needles A61B17/3403
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0526 Head electrodes A61N1/0551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3606 adapted for a particular treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3611 Respiration control stimulating respiratory organs A61N1/3601
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36117 for treating hypertension
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36189 using modulation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49018 with other electrical component

Abstract

Some embodiments of the disclosure may include a device for wirelessly powering an implant unit in a body of a subject from a location outside of the body of the subject, wherein the implant unit includes a secondary antenna for wirelessly receiving energy. The device may include a primary antenna configured to be located external to the body of the subject, a circuit electrically connected to the primary antenna, and at least one processor electrically connected to the primary antenna and the circuit. The at least one processor may determine a resonant frequency mismatch between a first resonant frequency associated with the primary antenna and a second resonant frequency associated with the secondary antenna associated with the implant unit; and apply an adjustment to at least one component of the circuit to cause a change in the first resonant frequency associated with the primary antenna and a reduction in the resonant frequency mismatch.

Claims

1. A device for treating sleep apnea from a location external to a body of a subject by wirelessly powering an implant in the body of the subject, and wherein the implant includes a secondary antenna for wirelessly receiving energy, the device comprising:

a housing configured to be located external to the body of the subject at a location between a neck and chin of the subject, the housing including therein;

a primary antenna configured to transmit a modulation signal to the secondary antenna, wherein the modulation signal causes stimulation of a nerve of the subject to treat sleep apnea;

a circuit electrically connected to the primary antenna; and

at least one processor electrically connected to the primary antenna and the circuit, the at least one processor configured to;

determine a resonant frequency mismatch between a first resonant frequency associated with the primary antenna and the circuit and a second resonant frequency associated with the secondary antenna associated with the implant, when the implant is implanted in the body of the subject; and

apply an adjustment to at least one component of the circuit to cause a change in the first resonant frequency associated with the primary antenna and the circuit and a reduction in the resonant frequency mismatch, wherein the adjustment is automatically determined by the at least one processor based on feedback from the secondary antenna associated with the implant.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the change in the first resonant frequency associated with the primary antenna and the circuit causes the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency to substantially match.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the resonant frequency mismatch after the implant unit is implanted.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment applied to the at least one component causes a difference between the first resonant frequency and the second resonant frequency to be no more than 30% of the first resonant frequency.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustment applied to the at least one component enables at least 50% energy transfer efficiency between the device and the implant unit.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the resonant frequency mismatch by varying the first resonant frequency and determining a transmission efficiency at a plurality of different resonant frequencies.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one component of the circuit includes at least one capacitor configured to be selectively included and selectively excluded from the circuit, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to adjust the first resonant frequency by selectively including and excluding the at least one capacitor from the circuit.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the circuit includes at least one switch associated with respective ones of the at least one capacitor, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to selectively include and exclude the at least one capacitor from the circuit by opening and closing the at least one switch.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one capacitor includes a plurality of capacitors enabling a plurality of potential resonant frequency values for the first resonant frequency, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select a value for the first resonant frequency from among the plurality of potential resonant frequency values and selectively include or exclude capacitors from to circuit capacitors from among the plurality of capacitors to set the first resonant frequency to the selected value.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one component of the circuit includes a plurality of capacitors each offering at least one capacitance value.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to apply the adjustment by selecting for inclusion in the circuit a combination of capacitors from among the plurality of capacitors.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to select for inclusion in the circuit a combination of capacitors from the plurality of capacitors to provide a first resonant frequency that provides an energy transfer efficiency above a predetermined threshold.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to periodically determine a current level of the resonant frequency mismatch between the primary antenna and the secondary antenna.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine the current level of resonant frequency mismatch after an energy transfer efficiency between the device and the implant unit falls below a predetermined threshold.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the feedback from the secondary antenna associated with the implant at the primary antenna in response to the modulation signal transmitted by the primary antenna.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the feedback from the secondary antenna associated with the implant at the primary antenna in response to a sub-modulation signal transmitted by the primary antenna.

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause transmission of the modulation signal by the primary antenna based on feedback from the secondary antenna that is indicative of a degree of coupling between the primary antenna and the secondary antenna.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing is configured to be affixed to the body of the subject at the location between the neck and chin of the subject during stimulation of the nerve of the subject to treat sleep apnea.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the housing further includes therein a power source electrically connected to the at least one processor.