Removable heat management for recharge coils

• US 9,560,787 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2014
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Kallmyer, Todd A., Kast, John E., Olson, David P., Roles, Randy S., Gaddam, Venkat R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Application Number:
  US14/542,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20150073509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 622/593, 625/30, 607/61, 607/108, 361/689, 320/108, 296/021
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36142 for improving safety
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37514 Brain implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20 Modifications to facilitate cooling, ventilating, or heating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

Devices, systems, and techniques for managing heat generated in coils for wireless energy transmission are disclosed. Inductive coupling between two coils (e.g., a primary coil and a secondary coil) may be used to recharge the power source of an implantable medical device. A phase change material may be thermally coupled to the primary coil to absorb heat generated during the inductive coupling and reduce temperature increases of the primary coil. In one example, the phase change material may be configured to absorb heat from an energy transfer coil. A housing may be configured to contain the phase change material and a coupling mechanism may be configured to removably attach the housing to the energy transfer coil.

Claims

1. A heat sink device comprising:

a material configured to absorb heat from an external energy transfer coil that transfers energy to a rechargeable power source of an implantable medical device via an implantable energy transfer coil of the implantable medical device;

a first housing configured to house the material and mate with a second housing that houses the external energy transfer coil; and

a coupling mechanism configured to removably attach the first housing of the heat sink device to the second housing of the external energy transfer coil.

2. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to retain at least a portion of the first housing in direct contact with a surface of the second housing.

3. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism is configured to retain at least a portion of the first housing in thermal communication with a surface of the second housing.

4. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the first housing is constructed of a thermally conductive material that transfers heat from the second housing to a heat sink material encased by the first housing.

5. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the first housing comprises one or more channels configured to promote flexibility of the first housing and contain the material housed by the first housing.

6. The heat sink device of claim 1, further comprising one or more flexible tubes configured to contain the material at predetermined locations within the first housing, wherein the material is disposed within the one or more flexible tubes, and wherein at least one of the one or more flexible tubes or the first housing is constructed of a thermally conductive elastomer.

7. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the first housing is constructed to have a first shape selected to mate with a second shape of the second housing to increase a contact area between the first housing and the second housing.

8. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the first housing is configured to conform to at least one of the second housing or a non-planar skin surface of a patient.

9. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a threaded structure configured to mate to a threaded surface of the second housing.

10. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises at least one retaining member that extends away from the first housing and is shaped to retain the second housing between the at least one retaining member and the first housing.

11. The heat sink device of claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises an elastic sheath configured to retain the first housing in thermal communication with the second housing.

12. A system comprising:

a first housing comprising an external energy transfer coil configured to transfer energy to a rechargeable power source of an implantable medical device via an implantable energy transfer coil of the implantable medical device; and

a heat sink device configured to absorb heat from the external energy transfer coil, the heat sink comprising a second housing configured to removably attach to the first housing.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the heat sink device comprises a coupling mechanism configured to removably attach the second housing to the first housing.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a threaded coupling mechanism, the first housing comprising a threaded surface and the second housing comprising a threaded structure configured to mate to the threaded surface of the first housing.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the second housing is in thermal communication with the first housing when the second housing is in contact with a surface of the first housing.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising a thermally conductive material configured to be disposed between the first housing and the second housing, wherein the thermally conductive material is deformable to at least one of a first surface of the first housing or a second surface of the second housing.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising an implantable medical device comprising the rechargeable power source and the implantable energy transfer coil, wherein the implantable energy transfer coil is configured to transcutaneously receive power from the external energy transfer coil.

18. A method comprising:

removably attaching a first housing of a heat sink device to a second housing that houses an external energy transfer coil configured to transfer energy to a rechargeable power source of an implantable medical device via an implantable energy transfer coil of the implantable medical device, wherein a material housed by the first housing of heat sink device is configured to absorb heat from the external energy transfer coil.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein removably attaching the first housing to the second housing comprises rotating a threaded structure of the first housing against a threaded surface of the second housing until the first housing is in thermal communication with the second housing.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein removably attaching the first housing to the second housing comprises radially bending at least one retaining member of the first housing and disposing at least a portion of the second housing between the at least one retaining member and the first housing.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein removably attaching the first housing to the second housing comprises retaining the first housing and the second housing within an elastic sheath such that the first housing is in thermal communication with the second housing.