Non-intrusion type charging system for artificial organ, capacitor and power supplying device used in the system

• US 20050165461A1
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Limited Company TM
• Original Assignee: Limited Company TM
• Inventors: Takeda, Harumi, Hirakawa, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,000,800 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

According a charging system of this invention, an AC required for charging of an electric double layer capacitor of a storage device in the body may be transmitted from a feeding device outside the body through power receiving and power transmitting coils. The electric double layer capacitor may be charged in a contactless mode, without incising the body of the artificial organ user, while the storage device remains embedded in the body. The electric double layer capacitor may be charged reliably by avoiding a shortage of charging since the charge status of the electric double layer capacitor of the storage device is known during a charging operation.

Claims

1. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ characterized by comprising:

(A) a storage device embedded as a whole in a body along with the artificial organ, and including power receiving coil means acting as a secondary side coil in a pair of coil means for transferring power, rectifying means for rectifying and outputting an AC received by the power receiving coil means, storage means for storing output from the rectifying means as electric power for driving the artificial organ, charge status detecting means for detect a charge status of the storage means, and charge status transmitting means for transmitting outside the body the charge status detected by the charge status detecting means; and

(B) a feeding device provided separately from the storage device and disposed as a whole outside the body, and including power transmitting coil means acting as a primary side coil in said pair of coil means, AC output means for outputting the AC to the power transmitting coil means, charge status receiving means for receiving the charge status transmitted outside the body from said charge status transmitting means, and charge status informing means for informing the charge status received by the charge status receiving means.

2. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the storage device and the feeding device includes amount of coil displacement detecting means for detecting an amount of coil displacement as an extent of a displacement occurring between the power receiving coil means and the power transmitting coil means, and the feeding device includes amount of coil displacement informing means for informing the amount of coil displacement detected by the amount of coil displacement detecting means.

3. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the amount of coil displacement detecting means of said storage device includes a smoothing circuit for smoothing a voltage at opposite ends of said power receiving coil detecting means, and a secondary side control circuit for determining the amount of coil displacement based on a smoothed voltage value.

4. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the amount of coil displacement detecting means of said feeding device includes a smoothing circuit for smoothing a voltage at opposite ends of said power transmitting coil detecting means, and a primary side control circuit for determining the amount of coil displacement based on a smoothed voltage value.

5. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 2, wherein:

the amount of coil displacement detecting means is disposed in the storage device, the amount of coil displacement detected being transmitted outside the body along with the charge status by said charge status transmitting means.

6. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 5, comprising:

display means for displaying the amount of coil displacement and the charge status transmitted outside the body by said charge status transmitting means.

7. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the storage device and the feeding device includes direction of coil displacement detecting means for detecting a direction of coil displacement as an extent of a displacement occurring between the power receiving coil means and the power transmitting coil means, and the feeding device includes direction of coil displacement informing means for informing the direction of coil displacement detected by the direction of coil displacement detecting means.

8. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the direction of coil displacement detecting means of said storage device includes a plurality of direction detecting coils arranged at predetermined intervals around said power receiving coil means, and a secondary side control circuit for determining the direction of coil displacement based on voltages values detected from the plurality of direction detecting coils.

9. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the direction of coil displacement detecting means of said storage device includes a plurality of direction detecting coils arranged at predetermined intervals around said power receiving coil means, and a primary side control circuit for determining the direction of coil displacement based on voltages values detected from the plurality of direction detecting coils.

10. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the direction of coil displacement detecting means of said storage device includes a plurality of divided power receiving coil means arranged annularly, and a secondary side control circuit for determining the direction of coil displacement based on voltages values detected from the respective power receiving coil means.

11. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the direction of coil displacement detecting means of said storage device includes a plurality of divided power receiving coil means arranged annularly, and a primary side control circuit for determining the direction of coil displacement based on voltages values detected from the respective power receiving coil means.

12. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 7, wherein:

the direction of coil displacement detecting means is disposed in the storage device, the direction of coil displacement detected being transmitted outside the body along with the charge status by said charge status transmitting means.

13. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 12, comprising:

display means for displaying the direction of coil displacement and the charge status transmitted outside the body by said charge status transmitting means.

14. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the charge status transmitting means of the storage device is arranged to transmit a result of detection of the charge status outside the body through power receiving coil means power transmitting coil means acting as the pair of coil means for transferring power.

15. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the storage means of said storage device is a rechargeable battery.

16. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the storage means of said storage device is an electric double layer capacitor.

17. A storage device for use with a contactless charging system for an artificial organ characterized in that:

the storage device is the storage device set forth in claim 1.

18. A feeding device for use with a contactless charging system for an artificial organ characterized in that:

the feeding device is the feeding device set forth in claim 1.

19. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ characterized by comprising:

(A) a storage device embedded as a whole in a body along with the artificial organ, and including power receiving coil means acting as a secondary side coil in a pair of coil means for transferring power, rectifying means for rectifying and outputting an AC received by the power receiving coil means, storage means for storing output from the rectifying means as electric power for driving the artificial organ, charge status detecting means for detect a charge status of the storage means, and charge status transmitting means for transmitting outside the body the charge status detected by the charge status detecting means; and

(B) a feeding device provided separately from the storage device and disposed as a whole outside the body, and including power transmitting coil means acting as a primary side coil in said pair of coil means, AC output means for outputting the AC to the power transmitting coil means, charge status receiving means for receiving the charge status transmitted outside the body from said charge status transmitting means, and charge status informing means for informing the charge status received by the charge status receiving means;

wherein the power receiving coil means included in said storage device is more than one, detecting means being provided for detecting, based on outputs from these plurality of power receiving coil means, an amount of coil displacement as an extent of a displacement occurring between these power receiving coil means and said power transmitting coil means, and a direction of displacement from the amount of coil displacement;

said charge status transmitting means further transmits outside the body said amount of coil displacement detected by said detecting means and the direction of displacement from the amount of coil displacement; and

said feeding device further includes informing means for informing at least one of the charge status of the said storage device, a state of coil displacement and the directions of coil displacement.

20. A contactless charging system for an artificial organ as defined in claim 19, characterized in that:

the power transmitting coil means comprise four transmitting coil means arranged adjacent one another in a plane.