Multi-element coupler for generation of electromagnetic energy

• US 9,744,369 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2016
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University)
• Inventors: Poon, Ada Shuk Yan, Yeh, Alexander Jueshyan, Tanabe, Yuji, Ho, John, Kim, Sanghoek
• Primary Examiner(s): CAREY, MICHAEL JAMES
• Application Number:
  US15/196,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20160339256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 426 Days
• Field of Search: 607 60, 607 61, 607 65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14503 invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter or needle or using implanted sensors A61B5/1459, A61B5/1464, A61B5/1473, A61B5/1482, A61B5/14865 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/008 Apparatus for applying pressure or blows almost perpendicular to the body or limb axis, e.g. chiropractic devices for repositioning vertebrae, correcting deformation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1207 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/004 With mechanical drive, e.g. spring mechanism or vibrating unit being hit for starting vibration and then applied to the body of a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8206 battery-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 : Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 : Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 : of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 : Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 : Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 : with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3629 : in combination with non-electric therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/365 : controlled by a physiological parameter, e.g. heart potential evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 : Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 : Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 : Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 : from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 : Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 : Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 : Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0407 : Substantially flat resonant element parallel to ground plane, e.g. patch antenna dipole H01Q9/285; monopole H01Q9/40
• 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 50/20 : using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/23 : characterised by the type of transmitting antennas, e.g. directional array antennas or Yagi antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 : Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

Implantable devices and/or sensors can be wirelessly powered by controlling and propagating electromagnetic waves in a patient'"'"'s tissue. Such implantable devices/sensors can be implanted at target locations in a patient, to stimulate areas such as the heart, brain, spinal cord, or muscle tissue, and/or to sense biological, physiological, chemical attributes of the blood, tissue, and other patient parameters. The propagating electromagnetic waves can be generated with sub-wavelength structures configured to manipulate evanescent fields outside of tissue to generate the propagating waves inside the tissue. Methods of use are also described.

Claims

1. A method for wirelessly providing a power signal from a mid-field coupler device to an implanted device, the method comprising:

providing an excitation signal to at least one sub-wavelength structure in a mid-field coupler device and, in response, transmitting a wireless power signal using the at least one sub-wavelength structure to manipulate evanescent fields outside of a patient'"'"'s body and thereby generate electromagnetic waves propagating inside the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the wireless power signal is in the range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz;

receiving at least a portion of the wireless power signal transmitted by the mid-field coupler device at an implanted device; and

in response to receiving the portion of the wireless power signal, at least one of;

applying an electrostimulation therapy to the patient using the implanted device and a portion of the received wireless power signal, and

sensing a patient parameter using a sensor coupled to the implanted device and powered by the received wireless power signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a transmitter circuit coupled to the implanted device, communicating device information and/or patient parameter information from the implanted device to the mid-field coupler device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating device information from the implanted device to the mid-field coupler device includes communicating information about a power status of the implanted device.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising using the implanted device, measuring a power level of the received wireless power signal, and wherein the communicating information about the implanted device to the mid-field coupler device includes communicating information about the measured power level.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising receiving, at the mid-field coupler, the information about the measured power level and, in response, updating a characteristic of the transmitted wireless power signal using the at least one sub-wavelength structure to focus the electromagnetic waves propagating inside the patient'"'"'s body toward the implanted device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the updating the characteristic of the transmitted wireless power signal includes changing an amplitude and/or phase characteristic of the excitation signal provided to the at least one sub-wavelength structure.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the communicating device information and/or patient parameter information from the implanted device to the mid-field coupler device includes using a modulator circuit in the implanted device to generate a pulsed radio frequency (RF) signal that encodes the information.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the sensing the patient parameter using a sensor coupled to the implanted device includes sensing the patient parameter using at least one of a thermal sensor, a chemical sensor, a pressure sensor, and oxygen sensor, a PH sensor, a flow sensor, an electrical sensor, a strain sensor, a magnetic sensor, and an imaging sensor, and

wherein the communicating the patient parameter information from the implanted device to the mid-field coupler device includes communicating information from the sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing the excitation signal to the at least one sub-wavelength structure includes providing different respective excitation signals to each of multiple sub-wavelength structures and, in response, transmitting the wireless power signal using the multiple sub-wavelength structures together to manipulate the evanescent fields outside of the patient'"'"'s body and thereby generate the electromagnetic waves propagating inside the patient'"'"'s body.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising changing an amplitude and/or phase characteristic of at least one of the different respective excitation signals to change a direction of the electromagnetic waves propagating inside the patient'"'"'s body.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the changing the amplitude and/or phase characteristic of the at least one of the different respective excitation signals includes based on feedback information received from the implanted device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a data signal from the mid-field coupler device to the implanted device using the transmitted wireless power signal.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the wireless power signal includes transmitting the wireless power signal to a designated one of multiple different implanted devices, each of the multiple different implanted devices being individually addressable by the mid-field coupler device.

14. A method comprising:

using a mid-field transmitter device, transmitting a focused wireless power signal to a first target device implanted in a patient'"'"'s body using electromagnetic waves propagating inside of the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the wireless power signal is in the range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz, the transmitting including;

providing a first excitation signal to a first sub-wavelength structure to manipulate an evanescent field outside of the patient'"'"'s body and thereby generate electromagnetic waves propagating inside of the patient'"'"'s body, the first excitation signal having a first amplitude characteristic, a first phase characteristic, and a first frequency characteristic; and

concurrently providing a second excitation signal to a second sub-wavelength structure to manipulate the evanescent field outside of the patient'"'"'s body, the second excitation signal having a second amplitude characteristic, a second phase characteristic, and a second frequency characteristic.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting a focus direction of the wireless power signal by changing one or more of the second amplitude characteristic, the second phase characteristic, or the second frequency characteristic of the second excitation signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising adjusting the focus direction of the wireless power signal in response to feedback information received from the first target device.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting a magnitude of the wireless power signal by changing one or more of the second phase characteristic or the second frequency characteristic of the second excitation signal.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving at least a portion of the focused wireless power signal at the first target device implanted in a patient'"'"'s body and, in response, delivering a neural electrostimulation therapy to the patient body using a portion of the received power signal.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising transmitting the focused wireless power signal to the first target device for a first duration;

following the first duration, updating one or more characteristics of the second excitation signal and, using the updated one or more characteristics of the second excitation signal, transmitting the focused wireless power signal to a different second target device implanted in the patient'"'"'s body.

20. A method comprising:

using a mid-field transmitter device, transmitting a focused wireless power signal to one or more target devices implanted in a patient'"'"'s body using electromagnetic waves propagating inside of the patient'"'"'s body, the transmitting including providing multiple excitation signals to multiple respective sub-wavelength structures to manipulate an evanescent field outside of the patient'"'"'s body and thereby generate focused electromagnetic waves propagating inside of the patient'"'"'s body, wherein the wireless power signal is in the range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz; and

receiving the focused wireless power signal at the one or more target devices and, in response, providing a neural stimulation therapy to the patient and/or sensing a patient parameter using a portion of the received wireless power signal.