Methods and apparatus for power conversion and data transmission in implantable sensors, stimulators, and actuators

• US 10,828,502 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2018
• Issued: 11/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Inventors: Poon, Ada Shuk Yan, Yeh, Alexander J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wells, Kenneth B
• Application Number:
  US16/013,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20180296849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

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. In some embodiments, the implantable devices can include power management schemes that have one or more AC-DC conversion chains arranged and configured to rectify the induced alternating current or voltage into one or more energy domains. Methods of use are also described.

Claims

1. A wireless power system, comprising:

an external power transmitting module configured to manipulate evanescent fields outside of tissue to control propagating fields inside the tissue generating a spatially focusing and adaptive steering field inside the tissue; and

an implantable module configured to receive wireless power from the external power transmitting module via the spatially focusing and adaptive steering field, the implantable module including;

a coupler configured to induce an alternating current or voltage in the presence of electromagnetic fields or oscillating sound pressure waves;

a first AC-DC conversion chain configured to rectify the induced alternating current or voltage into a first DC current or voltage in a first energy domain;

a first DC load coupled to the first AC-DC conversion chain;

a second AC-DC conversion chain arranged in parallel with the first AC-DC conversion chain and configured to rectify the induced alternating current or voltage into a second DC current or voltage in a second energy domain; and

a second DC load coupled to the second AC-DC conversion chain.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises a rectifier stage.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises two or more rectifier stages.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises a rectifier stage in series with a DC-DC conversion circuit.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises two or more rectifier stages in series with a DC-DC conversion circuit.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises a rectifier stage in parallel with a capacitor and a DC-DC conversion circuit, with a battery connected to an output of the DC-DC conversion circuit.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises two or more rectifier stages in parallel with a capacitor and a DC-DC conversion circuit, with a battery connected to an output of the DC-DC conversion circuit.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises a rectifier stage in series with a DC-DC conversion circuit and a battery.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises two or more rectifier stages in series with a DC-DC conversion circuit and a battery.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises a rectifier stage in series with a DC-DC conversion circuit, a battery, and a second DC-DC conversion circuit.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the first or second AC-DC conversion chain comprises two or more rectifier stages in series with a DC-DC conversion circuit, a battery, and a second DC-DC conversion circuit.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first DC current or voltage in the first energy domain is optimized for the first DC load.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the second DC current or voltage in the first energy domain is optimized for the second DC load.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first energy domain comprises a low-voltage domain.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the first DC load comprises sensor circuitry, digital logic, a data transceiver, an analog oscillator, or an analog clock.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the second energy domain comprises a high-voltage domain.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the second DC load comprises a battery, a stimulator, or an actuator.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the external power transmitting module includes one or more sub-wavelength structures configured to manipulate the evanescent fields outside the tissue to generate the spatially focusing and adaptive steering field inside the tissue.