Circuit, system and method for far-field radiative powering of an implantable medical device

• US 9,675,809 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2013
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: Chow, Eric Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shiao, David
• Application Number:
  US13/901,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20130253612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves

Abstract

An isolated circuit including a RF input configured to receive a far field radiative powering signal and a rectified voltage output configured to provide a rectified voltage based on the received far field radiative powering signal. The isolated circuit also includes a first power assembly comprising a first impedance coupled to the RF input where the first impedance is provided, at least in part, by activating a first switch in response to the rectified voltage satisfying a first voltage threshold. The isolated circuit also includes a second power assembly comprising a second impedance coupled to the RF input where the second impedance is provided, at least in part, by activating the first switch and a second switch in response to the rectified voltage satisfying the first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, respectively.

Claims

1. An isolated circuit comprising:

a RF input configured to receive a far field radiative powering signal;

a matching network configured to provide a matched impedance voltage of the RF input to other components of the isolated circuit;

a voltage rectifier configured to provide a rectified voltage based on the received far field radiative powering signal;

a first switching network comprising;

a first power assembly comprising a first impedance coupled between the RF input and the matching network, the first impedance provided, at least in part, by activating a first switch in response to the rectified voltage satisfying a first voltage threshold; and

a second power assembly comprising a second impedance coupled between the RF input and the matching network, the second impedance provided, at least in part, by activating the first switch and a second switch in response to the rectified voltage satisfying the first voltage threshold and a second voltage threshold, respectively; and

a second switching network comprising;

a third power assembly comprising a third impedance coupled between the matching network and the voltage rectifier, the third impedance provided, at least in part, by activating a third switch in response to the rectified voltage satisfying a third voltage threshold; and

a fourth power assembly comprising a fourth impedance coupled between the matching network and the voltage rectifier, the fourth impedance provided, at least in part, by activating the third switch and a fourth switch in response to the rectified voltage satisfying the third voltage threshold and a fourth voltage threshold, respectively.

2. The isolated circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a first threshold detector coupled to the second switch, the first threshold detector configured to receive the rectified voltage and to activate the second switch when the rectified voltage increases to the second voltage threshold.

3. The isolated circuit of claim 2, wherein the first switch is a first transistor and the second switch is a second transistor.

4. The isolated circuit of claim 3, wherein the first threshold detector is a first voltage divider configured to divide the rectified voltage and to provide a first divided rectified voltage to the second transistor.

5. The isolated circuit of claim 4, wherein the first divided rectified voltage activates the second transistor when the rectified voltage is at, or above, the second voltage threshold.

6. The isolated circuit of claim 5, further comprising:

a fifth power assembly comprising a fifth impedance coupled between the RF input and the matching network, the fifth impedance provided, at least in part, by activating the first switch, the second switch, and a fifth switch in response to the rectified voltage satisfying the first voltage threshold, the second voltage threshold, and a fifth threshold, respectively; and

a second threshold detector coupled to the fifth switch, the second threshold detector configured to receive the rectified voltage and to activate the fifth switch when the rectified voltage increases to the fifth voltage threshold.

7. The isolated circuit of claim 6, wherein the fifth switch is a third transistor, wherein the second threshold detector is a second voltage divider configured to divide the rectified voltage and to provide a second divided rectified voltage to the third transistor.

8. The isolated circuit of claim 7, wherein the second divided rectified voltage activates the third transistor when the rectified voltage is at, or above, the fifth voltage threshold.

9. The isolated circuit of claim 8, wherein the first voltage divider comprises at least a first diode-connected transistor and a second diode-connected transistor, the first diode-connected transistor coupled to the rectified voltage output, the first diode connected transistor also coupled to the second transistor and the second diode connected transistor;

and

wherein the second voltage divider comprises at least a third diode-connected transistor and a fourth diode-connected transistor, the third diode-connected transistor coupled to the rectified voltage output, the third diode-connected transistor also coupled to the third transistor and the fourth diode-connected transistor.

10. The isolated circuit of claim 9, wherein at least one dimension of the first diode-connected transistor is greater than that of the third diode-connected transistor.

11. The isolated circuit of claim 3, wherein rectified voltage is provided to the first transistor and activates the first transistor at the first voltage threshold.

12. The isolated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first impedance and the second impedance comprise a resistor, a capacitor, an inductor, a diode, a transistor, or a combination thereof.

13. An implantable medical device, comprising:

an antenna;

a matching network coupled to the antenna, the antenna and the matching network together configured to receive a far field radiative powering signal, the matching network configured to provide a matching impedance of the antenna to other components of the implantable medical device;

a voltage rectifier coupled to the matching network, the voltage rectifier configured to rectify the received far field radiative powering signal and to output a rectified voltage based on the received far field radiative powering signal;

a first impedance feedback circuit configured to adjust the matching impedance of the matching network comprising;

a first switch coupled between the antenna and the matching network and a second switch coupled between the antenna and the matching network, the first switch configured to couple a first impedance between the antenna and the matching network when the first switch is activated in response to the rectified voltage satisfying a first voltage threshold, the second switch configured to couple a second impedance between the antenna and the matching network when the second switch is activated in response to the rectified voltage satisfying a second voltage threshold; and

a second impedance feedback circuit comprising;

a third switch coupled between the matching network and the voltage rectifier and a fourth switch coupled between the matching network and the voltage rectifier, the third switch configured to couple a third impedance between the matching network and the voltage rectifier when the third switch is activated in response to the rectified voltage satisfying a third voltage threshold, the fourth switch configured to couple a fourth impedance between the matching network and the voltage rectifier when the fourth switch is activated in response to the rectified voltage satisfying a fourth voltage threshold.

14. The implantable medical device of claim 13, wherein the first impedance feedback circuit further comprises a first threshold detector coupled to the second switch, the first threshold detector configured to receive the rectified voltage and to activate the second switch when the rectified voltage increases to the second voltage threshold.

15. The implantable medical device of claim 14, wherein the first switch is a first transistor and the second switch is a second transistor.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the first threshold detector is a first voltage divider configured to divide the rectified voltage and to provide a first divided rectified voltage to the second transistor, wherein the first divided rectified voltage activates the second transistor when the rectified voltage is at, or above, the second voltage threshold.

17. An antenna assembly, comprising:

a receiving element configured to receive a far field powering signal;

a load coupled to the receiving element, the load having a load impedance that varies non-linearly with variations in the far field powering signal, the load comprising;

a matching network coupled to the receiving element;

a voltage rectifier coupled to the matching network, the voltage rectifier configured to output a rectified voltage based on the received far field radiative powering signal;

a first impedance feedback circuit coupled between the matching network and the voltage rectifier, the first impedance feedback circuit configured to activate a first switch when the rectified voltage reaches a first rectified voltage threshold and to activate a second switch when the rectified voltage reaches a second rectified voltage threshold, the first switch configured to couple a first impedance to the load to adjust the load impedance when the first switch is activated, the second switch is configured to couple a second impedance to the load to adjust the load impedance when the second switch is activated; and

a second impedance feedback circuit coupled between the receiving element and the matching network, the second impedance feedback circuit configured to activate a third switch when the rectified voltage reaches a third rectified voltage threshold and to activate a fourth switch when the rectified voltage reaches a fourth rectified voltage threshold, the third switch configured to couple a third impedance to the load to adjust the load impedance when the third switch is activated, the fourth switch is configured to couple a fourth impedance to the load to adjust the load impedance when the fourth switch is activated.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 17, wherein the first switch is a first transistor and the second switch is a second transistor, the impedance feedback circuit further comprising a first voltage divider configured to divide the rectified voltage and to provide a first divided rectified voltage to the second transistor, wherein the first divided rectified voltage activates the second transistor when the rectified voltage is at, or above, the second voltage threshold.

19. The antenna assembly of claim 18, wherein rectified voltage is provided to the first transistor and activates the first transistor at the first voltage threshold.