RF coupled, implantable medical device with rechargeable back-up power source
First Claim
1. An RF coupled implantable medical system comprising:
- a transmitting unit;
a receiving unit including an implantable, electrically operated, medical device, RF energy receiving means, RF signal transmitting means and a rechargeable battery;
said transmitting unit including a power source, RF energy transmitting means, RF signal receiving means and first control means coupled to said RF energy transmitting means and to said RF signal receiving means for controlling the amount of RF energy transmitted to said receiving unit thereby to conserve on the amount of power obtained from said power source;
and,second control means coupled to said RF energy receiving means, to said rechargeable battery, to said RF signal transmitting means and to said implantable medical device, for adjusting the charging current flowing into said rechargeable battery, as a function of (a) the charge level of said rechargeable battery, (b) selected charging rate, and (c) selected power supply for the implantable medical device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The implantable, electrically operated medical device system comprises an implanted radio frequency (RF) receiving unit (receiver) incorporating a back-up rechargeable power supply and an implanted, electrically operated device, and an external RF transmitting unit (transmitter). RF energy is transmitted by the transmitter and is coupled into the receiver which is used to power the implanted medical device and/or recharge the back-up power supply. The back-up power supply within the receiver has enough capacity to be able to, by itself, power the implanted device coupled to the receiver for at least 24 hours during continual delivery of medical therapy. The receiver is surgically implanted within the patient and the transmitter is worn externally by the patient. The transmitter can be powered by either a rechargeable or non-rechargeable battery. In a first mode of operation, the transmitter will supply power, via RF coupled energy, to operate the receiver and simultaneously recharge the back-up power supply. In a second mode of operation, the receiver can, automatically or upon external command from the transmitter, acquire its supply of power exclusively from the back-up power supply. Yet, in a third mode of operation, the receiver can, automatically or upon command from the transmitter, alternatively acquire its supply of power from either, RF energy coupled into the receiver or the internal back-up power supply.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. An RF coupled implantable medical system comprising:
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a transmitting unit; a receiving unit including an implantable, electrically operated, medical device, RF energy receiving means, RF signal transmitting means and a rechargeable battery; said transmitting unit including a power source, RF energy transmitting means, RF signal receiving means and first control means coupled to said RF energy transmitting means and to said RF signal receiving means for controlling the amount of RF energy transmitted to said receiving unit thereby to conserve on the amount of power obtained from said power source;
and,second control means coupled to said RF energy receiving means, to said rechargeable battery, to said RF signal transmitting means and to said implantable medical device, for adjusting the charging current flowing into said rechargeable battery, as a function of (a) the charge level of said rechargeable battery, (b) selected charging rate, and (c) selected power supply for the implantable medical device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An RF coupled implantable medical system comprising:
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a transmitting unit; a receiving unit including an implantable, electrically operated, medical device; said transmitting unit including RF energy transmitting means, RF signal receiving means and first control means coupled to said RF energy transmitting means and to said RF signal receiving means for controlling the amount of RF energy transmitted to said receiving unit; said receiving unit including RF energy receiving means, RF signal transmitting means, a rechargeable power supply coupled to said RF energy receiving means and second control means for adjusting the charging current flowing into said rechargeable battery coupled to said rechargeable power supply means, to said RF energy receiving means, to said RF signal transmitting means and to said implanted medical device, and mode selection means for setting said receiving unit to operate in one of the following modes;
(1) “
RF only”
, (2) “
battery only”
or (3) “
combination of both”
. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An RF coupled implantable medical system comprising:
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a transmitting unit; a receiving unit including an implantable, electrically operated, medical device; said transmitting unit including RF energy transmitting means, RF signal receiving means and first control means coupled to said RF energy transmitting means and to said RF signal receiving means for controlling the amount of RF energy transmitted to said receiving unit; said receiving unit including RF energy receiving means, RF signal transmitting means, a rechargeable power supply coupled to said RF energy receiving means and second control means for adjusting the charging current flowing into said rechargeable battery coupled to said rechargeable power supply means, the current to said RF energy receiving means, the current to said RF signal transmitting means and to output signals from an output of said implanted medical device;
and,said receiving unit comprising means for measuring the charge level of said rechargeable battery power supply and, upon sensing a fully charged battery power supply, automatically up-linking a coded signal which commands said transmitting unit to “
stop”
stop transmitting RF energy; and
,mode selection means for controlling the supply of power in one of several modes of operation selected from one of;
a) simultaneously operate the implanted medical device and recharge the rechargeable power supply from the transmitted RF energy, b) operate the implanted medical device exclusively exclusively from the rechargeable power supply, or c) operate the implanted medical device from the transmitted RF energy.
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29. An RF coupled implantable medical system comprising:
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a transmitting unit; a receiving unit including an implantable, electrically operated, medical device, RF energy receiving means, and a rechargeable power supply; said transmitting unit including a power source and an RF energy transmitting means; said receiving unit including control means coupled to said rechargeable power supply and to said implantable medical device for adjusting the charging current flowing into said rechargeable power supply; and
,mode selection means for controlling the supply of power in one of several modes of operation selected from one of;
a) simultaneously operate the implanted medical device and recharge the rechargeable power supply from the transmitted RF energy, b) operate the implanted medical device exclusively from the rechargeable power supply, or c) operate the implanted medical device from the transmitted RF energy. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. An RF coupled implantable medical system comprising:
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a transmitting unit; a receiving unit including an implantable, electrically operated, medical device, RF energy receiving means, and a rechargeable power supply; said transmitting unit including a power source, RF energy transmitting means, and transmitting control means coupled to said RF energy transmitting means for controlling the amount of RF energy transmitted to said receiving unit thereby to conserve on the amount of power obtained from said power source; said receiving unit including second control means coupled to said rechargeable power supply and to said implantable medical device for adjusting the charging current flowing into said rechargeable power supply; and
,mode selection means for controlling the supply of power in one of several modes of operation selected from one of;
a) simultaneously operate the implanted medical device and recharge the rechargeable power supply from the transmitted RF energy, b) operate the implanted medical device exclusively from the rechargeable power supply, or c) operate the implanted medical device from the transmitted RF energy. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification