Sensor system

• US 10,729,564 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ripple, LLC
• Original Assignee: Ripple, LLC
• Inventors: McDonnall, Daniel Allen, Hiatt, Scott Darold, Crofts, Brian Scott, Smith, Christopher Farand, Wilder, Andrew Miller
• Primary Examiner(s): Ganesan, Suba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Aren
• Application Number:
  US15/870,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20190216619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 623 25, 623 27, 623 47, 623 53, 608 33
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0017 transmitting optical signals transmission by light H04B10/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4851 Prosthesis assessment or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/705 Electromagnetic data transfer for implantable prostheses A61F2250/0002

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for sensor systems. In one embodiment, a system may include an implantable component and an external component. The implantable component may comprise a housing and an electrode array configured to receive a plurality of biopotential signals. The housing may comprise a wireless power receiver and a wireless data transmitter to transmit representations of the biopotential signals. The external component may comprise a wireless data receiver configured to receive the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals and a wireless power transmitter configured to provide power to the internal component. A shielding component may separate the wireless power transmitter from the wireless data receiver. An interface may be configured to communicate with a prosthesis and configured to cause the prosthesis to implement a voluntary motion based on the plurality of digital presentations of the biopotential signals.

Claims

1. A sensor system, comprising:

an implantable component, comprising;

an electrode array disposed on a plurality of leads, each lead comprising a plurality of electrodes coupled to the implantable component and configured to receive a plurality of biopotential signals;

a housing, comprising;

a wireless power receiver configured to wirelessly receive electrical power;

an analog to digital converter configured to generate a plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals;

a wireless data transmitter configured to transmit the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals; and

an external component, comprising;

a wireless data receiver configured to receive the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals;

a wireless power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit electrical power to the implantable component;

a shielding component configured to shield the wireless data receiver from the wireless power transmitter; and

an interface configured to communicate with a prosthesis and configured to cause the prosthesis to implement a voluntary motion based on the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals;

wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing leads comprises a flexible lead that may be independently positioned within a muscle group with respect to at least one other of the plurality of leads.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless data transmitter comprises an infrared transmitter and the wireless data receiver comprises an infrared receiver.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmitter and the wireless power receiver are configured to transfer power using inductive coupling.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the shielding component comprises a recess configured to receive the wireless power transmitter.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the shielding component comprises an aperture and the wireless data receiver is disposed in the aperture.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the shielding component comprises a ferrous material.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the external component is configured to receive power from the prosthesis.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of biopotential signals comprise a representation of a difference between a reference electrode in the electrode array and any other electrode in the electrode array.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein two of the plurality of biopotential signals from two electrodes in the electrode array are combined to generate a virtual pair.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is hermetically sealed.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a plurality of anchor points configured to anchor the housing to adjacent tissue.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of biopotential signals comprise myoelectric signals.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the shield is designed to shape the electromagnetic field of the power transmitter for better coupling and alignment tolerance between the external transceiver and the implantable component.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein a tuning element is accessible to a user to optimize the power transfer between the external transceiver and the implantable component.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second electromagnetic shield disposed over the receiver to shield the receiver from noise from the power transmitter.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless power transmitter comprises a tunable element configured to adjust a power transfer efficiency.

17. A sensor system, comprising:

an implantable component, comprising;

an electrode array coupled to the implantable component and configured to receive a plurality of biopotential signals;

a housing, comprising;

a wireless power receiver configured to wirelessly receive electrical power;

an analog to digital converter configured to generate a plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals; and

a wireless data transmitter configured to transmit the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals; and

an external component, comprising;

a wireless data receiver configured to receive the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals;

a lens disposed between the wireless data receiver and the wireless data transmitter and configured to focus a signal transmitted by the wireless data transmitter on the wireless data receiver;

a power source comprising a wireless power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit electrical power to the implantable component;

a shielding component configured to shield the wireless data receiver from the wireless power transmitter; and

an interface configured to communicate with a prosthesis and configured to cause the prosthesis to implement a voluntary motion based on the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals.

18. A sensor system, comprising:

an implantable component, comprising;

an electrode array disposed on a plurality of leads, each lead comprising a plurality of electrodes coupled to the implantable component and configured to receive a plurality of biopotential signals, at least one of the plurality of leads comprising an anchor configured to oppose motion in the direction of a housing;

the housing, comprising;

a wireless power receiver configured to wirelessly receive electrical power;

an analog to digital converter configured to generate a plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals; and

a wireless data transmitter configured to transmit the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals; and

an external component, comprising;

a wireless data receiver configured to receive the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals;

a wireless power transmitter configured to wirelessly transmit electrical power to the implantable component;

a shielding component configured to shield the wireless data receiver from the wireless power transmitter; and

an interface configured to communicate with a prosthesis and configured to cause the prosthesis to implement a voluntary motion based on the plurality of digital representations of the biopotential signals,

wherein at least one of the plurality of sensing leads comprises a flexible lead that may be independently positioned within a muscle group with respect to at least one other of the plurality of leads.