Systems And Methods For Using A Butterfly Coil To Communicate With Or Transfer Power To An Implantable Medical Device

• US 20080027513A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 01/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Carbunaru, Rafael
• Application Number:
  US11/630,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027513A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Systems for communicating with or transferring power to an implantable medical device include a primary coil configured to emit a magnetic field and a secondary coil in the implantable medical device configured to receive the magnetic field. The primary coil includes at least one butterfly coil. Methods of communicating with or transferring power to an implantable medical device include emitting a magnetic field with a primary coil and receiving the magnetic field with a secondary coil. The primary coil includes at least one butterfly coil.

Claims

1. A system for communicating with or transferring power to an implantable medical device, said system comprising:

a primary coil configured to emit a magnetic field, said primary coil comprising a first butterfly coil; and

a secondary coil in said implantable medical device configured to receive said magnetic field.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said first butterfly coil comprises:

a first wing having one or more turns of wire; and

a second wing having one or more turns of wire;

wherein said first and second wings are coplanar and are separated by a separation distance.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said first and second wings have a shape comprising at least one or more of a circle, a half-circle, a rectangle, a partial ellipse, and a letter “

D”

.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said one or more turns of wire in said first and second wings are positioned in a single plane.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said turns of wire in said first and second wings are stacked one on top of another.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said first and second wings are constructed with a single continuous wire.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein said first and second wings are constructed using separate wires.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said primary coil further comprises a second butterfly coil orthogonal to said first butterfly coil, wherein said first and second butterfly coils are located in a common plane.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said butterfly coil comprises at least one or more of an air core, a ferrite core, a portion of a toroid core, and a curved material.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said secondary coil comprises a second butterfly coil.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said secondary coil is configured to emit a second magnetic field and said primary coil is configured to receive said second magnetic field.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said primary coil is configured emit a magnetic field having a component parallel to said skin;

wherein said parallel component of said magnetic field is received by said secondary coil when said secondary coil is oriented within a patient such that a central axis of said secondary coil is substantially parallel to the skin of said patient.

13. A device configured to communicate with or transfer power to an implantable medical device, said device comprising:

a primary coil configured to emit a magnetic field carrying communication data or power for said implantable medical device;

wherein said primary coil comprises a first butterfly coil.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said first butterfly coil comprises:

a first wing having one or more turns of wire; and

a second wing having one or more turns of wire;

wherein said first and second wings are coplanar and are separated by a separation distance.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein said first and second wings have a shape comprising at least one or more of a circle, a half-circle, a rectangle, a partial ellipse, and a letter “

D”

.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein said one or more turns of wire in said first and second wings are positioned in a single plane.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein said turns of wire in said first and second wings are stacked one on top of another.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein said first and second wings are constructed with a single continuous of wire.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein said first and second wings are constructed using separate wires.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein said primary coil further comprises a second butterfly coil orthogonal to said first butterfly coil, wherein said first and second butterfly coils are located in a common plane.

21. The device of claim 13, wherein said butterfly coil comprises at least one or more of an air core, a ferrite core, a portion of a toroid core, and a curved material.

22. The device of claim 13, wherein said implantable medical comprises a secondary coil oriented such that a central axis of said secondary coil is substantially parallel to the skin of a patient.

23. An implantable medical device configured to communicate with or receive power from an external device, said implantable medical device comprising:

a secondary coil configured to emit or receive a magnetic field carrying communication data or power for said implantable medical device;

wherein said secondary coil comprises a first butterfly coil.

24. The medical device of claim 23, wherein said first butterfly coil comprises:

a first wing having one or more turns of wire; and

a second wing having one or more turns of wire;

wherein said first and second wings are coplanar and are separated by a separation distance.

25. The medical device of claim 24, wherein said first and second wings have a shape comprising at least one or more of a circle, a half-circle, a rectangle, a partial ellipse, and a letter “

D”

.

26. The medical device of claim 24, wherein said one or more turns of wire in said first and second wings are positioned in a single plane.

27. The medical device of claim 24, wherein said turns of wire in said first and second wings are stacked one on top of another.

28. The medical device of claim 24, wherein said first and second wings are constructed with a single continuous wire.

29. The medical device of claim 24, wherein said first and second wings are constructed using separate wires.

30. The medical device of claim 23, wherein said secondary coil further comprises a second butterfly coil orthogonal to said first butterfly coil, wherein said first and second butterfly coils are located in a common plane.

31. The medical device of claim 23, wherein said butterfly coil comprises at least one or more of an air core, a ferrite core, a portion of a toroid core, and a curved material.

32. A method of communicating with or transferring power to an implantable medical device, said method comprising:

emitting a magnetic field with a primary coil, said primary coil comprising a first butterfly coil; and

receiving said magnetic field with a secondary coil in said implantable medical device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said first butterfly coil comprises:

a first wing having one or more turns of wire; and

a second wing having one or more turns of wire;

wherein said first and second wings are coplanar and are separated by a separation distance.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising modifying at least one or more of said turns of wire in said first and second wings, said separation distance, a shape of said first and second wings, and a size of said first and second wings to optimize coupling between said primary and secondary coils.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising positioning said one or more turns of wire in said first and second wings in a single plane.

36. The method of claim 33, further comprising stacking said turns of wire in said first and second wings one on top of another.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising using a single continuous wire to construct said first and second wings.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising using separate wires to construct said first and second wings.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein said primary coil further comprises a second butterfly coil orthogonal to said first butterfly coil, wherein said first and second butterfly coils are located in a same plane.