Antenna for implant and associated apparatus and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An antenna for an implant device for implant in a human or animal body, the antenna comprising:
- a magnetic field radiator portion; and
an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion at a predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion;
wherein said predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion is predetermined to be a location that results in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that a far field radiation efficiency of the antenna is maximized.
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Abstract
An antenna for a medical implant device has a magnetic field radiator portion and an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion. The magnetic and electric field radiators are arranged to result in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of a human or animal body such that the lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for the transverse electric leaky wave or transverse magnetic leaky wave, whereby to optimize at least one of the efficiency of the antenna and the far field gain of the antenna.
13 Citations
27 Claims
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1. An antenna for an implant device for implant in a human or animal body, the antenna comprising:
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a magnetic field radiator portion; and an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion at a predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion; wherein said predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion is predetermined to be a location that results in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that a far field radiation efficiency of the antenna is maximized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method of designing an antenna for an implant device for implant in a human or animal body, the method comprising:
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setting a design goal for an antenna design, wherein the design goal corresponds to a radiation efficiency of the antenna or a far field gain of the antenna; generating an initial design, for use as a current design of said antenna, targeted at achieving said design goal, said current design of said antenna comprising a magnetic field radiator portion and an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion at a current location on the magnetic field radiator portion; generating a body model for modeling lossy body tissue of said human or animal body; simulating performance of said antenna formed in accordance with said current design, and located within a body corresponding to said body model; comparing simulated performance of said antenna with said design goal to determine if said current design meets said design goal; modifying said current design, by modifying said current location where the electric field radiator portion is coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion when the current design does not meet said design goal, and repeating said simulating and said comparing for said current design so modified; and confirming said current design as the basis for fabrication of said antenna when the current design meets said design goal; wherein said confirming confirms said current design as the basis for fabrication that is configured to result in said antenna generating, when in operation and located in said human or animal body, at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that at least one of the radiation efficiency of the antenna or the far field gain of the antenna is maximized. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A method of transmitting a radio signal from an implant device, the method comprising:
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locating said implant device in a human or animal body; generating, at a transmitter of said implant device, said radio signal; generating, at an antenna of said transmitter, at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave, corresponding to said radio signal, in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body; and using said lossy body tissue as an effective waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave, such that at least one of radiation efficiency of the antenna or far field gain of the antenna is maximized.
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23. An antenna for an implant device for implant in a human or animal body, the antenna comprising:
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a magnetic field radiator portion; an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion at a predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion; and a circuit board comprising circuitry for controlling operation of said implant device; wherein said predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion is predetermined to be a location that results in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that at least one of a radiation efficiency of the antenna or far field gain of the antenna is maximized; and wherein the magnetic field radiator portion comprises a loop, formed by a first conducting member, having a first end and a second end, and having a feed pin at the first end and a ground point at the second end, and said ground point is a pin connected to a ground potential on said circuit board.
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24. An antenna for an implant device for implant in a human or animal body, the antenna comprising:
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a magnetic field radiator portion; and an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion at a predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion; wherein said predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion is predetermined to be a location that results in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that at least one of a radiation efficiency of the antenna or far field gain of the antenna is maximized; wherein the magnetic field radiator portion comprises a loop, formed by a first conducting member having a first end and a second end, and having a feed pin at the first end and a ground point at the second end, and the electric field radiator portion is formed by a second conducting member that is connected to the first conducting member at said predetermined location; wherein the magnetic loop comprises a capacitive gap configured to reduce a resonant frequency of the loop, and the antenna is configured to operate with a radio chipset, wherein a third conducting member extends close to the capacitive gap; and
wherein the third conducting member has a length configured such that an input impedance of said loop matches an impedance of the radio chipset.
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25. An antenna for an implant device for implant in a human or animal body, the antenna comprising:
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a magnetic field radiator portion; an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion at a predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion; and a housing for housing the magnetic field radiator portion and the electric field radiator portion; wherein said predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion is predetermined to be a location that results in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that at least one of a radiation efficiency of the antenna or far field gain of the antenna is maximized; and wherein the magnetic field radiator portion comprises a loop, formed by a first conducting member having a first end and a second end, and having a feed pin at the first end and a ground point at the second end, and said ground point is a pin connected to a ground potential on said housing.
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26. An implant device comprising a transmitter provided with an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises a magnetic field radiator portion, and an electric field radiator portion coupled to the magnetic field radiator portion at a predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion;
- wherein said predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion is predetermined to be a location that results in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that at least one of a radiation efficiency of the antenna or far field gain of the antenna is maximized;
wherein the magnetic field radiator portion comprises a loop, formed by a first conducting member having a first end and a second end, and having a feed pin at the first end and a ground point at the second end; and
wherein one end of the feed pin is connected to the antenna in a header of the implant device and another end of the feed pin is connected to a matching circuit for matching an impedance of the antenna to a transmitter output. - View Dependent Claims (27)
- wherein said predetermined location on the magnetic field radiator portion is predetermined to be a location that results in generation, by the antenna, of at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave in lossy body tissue of said human or animal body such that said lossy body tissue acts as a waveguide for said at least one of a transverse electric leaky wave and a transverse magnetic leaky wave and such that at least one of a radiation efficiency of the antenna or far field gain of the antenna is maximized;
Specification