System for powering medical implants

• US 20090210035A1
• Filed: 02/20/2008
• Published: 08/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daniel Gelbart
• Original Assignee: Daniel Gelbart
• Inventors: Gelbart, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/071,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20090210035A1
• 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

Abstract

A medical implant is powered by inductive coupling to a transmitter utilizing a large number of frequencies in order to minimize the amount of electromagnetic interference at any single frequency. The frequencies are generated by a resonant circuit rapidly tunable by changing the inductance.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting power to a medical implant, said system using a plurality of frequencies to transmit said power.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein said frequencies are transmitted by a single resonant circuit, said circuit made to resonate at multiple frequencies.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said frequencies are transmitted by multiple resonant circuits.

2. A system for transmitting power to a medical implant, said system using a sweeping frequency to transmit said power.

3. A system for transmitting power to a medical implant over multiple frequencies, said system using an electronically tunable resonant circuit to transmit said power.

6. A system as in claim 3 wherein said resonant circuit is tuned by electronically changing the inductance of an inductor.

7. A system as in claim 3 wherein said resonant circuit is tuned by electronically changing the inductance of an inductor, said inductance is changed by changing the degree of magnetic saturation of a magnetic material forming part of said inductor.

8. A system as in claim 3 wherein said resonant circuit is tuned by electronically changing the capacitance of a capacitor by electronically switching capacitors into the resonant circuit.

9. A system as in claim 3 wherein said resonant circuit is tuned continuously.

10. A system as in claim 3 wherein said resonant circuit is tuned in discrete steps.

11. A system as in claim 3 wherein said resonant circuit is tuned in a sinusoidal manner at a frequency approximately equal to the center frequency of the resonant circuit divided by the Q of the resonant circuit.