DEVICES, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS FOR HARVESTING ENERGY IN THE BODY
First Claim
1. An implantable power generator for converting mechanical energy from a patient to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
- a compressible element adapted and configured to be placed between two adjacent tissue layers of the patient and to be compressed by a force applied from the two adjacent tissue layers to the compressible element; and
a transducer, coupled to the compressible element, that converts mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In some embodiments, the power generator for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy is described may include a compressible element adapted and configured to be placed in an environment having a variable compressive force such as varying ambient pressures. The compressible element may be compressed by a force applied by the variable pressure to the compressible element. The power generator may further include a transducer that may be coupled to the compressible element and that may convert mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy. In some embodiments, the power generator may be adapted to be an implantable power generator for converting mechanical energy from a patient to electrical energy, such that the compressible element adapted and configured to be placed between two adjacent tissue layers of the patient and to be compressed by a force applied from the two adjacent tissue layers to the compressible element.
182 Citations
198 Claims
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1. An implantable power generator for converting mechanical energy from a patient to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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a compressible element adapted and configured to be placed between two adjacent tissue layers of the patient and to be compressed by a force applied from the two adjacent tissue layers to the compressible element; and a transducer, coupled to the compressible element, that converts mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An implantable power generator for converting mechanical energy from within a muscle of a patient to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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a compressible element adapted and configured to be placed between two adjacent muscle layers of the muscle and to be compressed by a pressure generated by the muscle contracting; and a transducer, coupled to the compressible element, that converts mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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52. An implantable power generator for converting mechanical energy from a muscle within a patient to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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a compressible element adapted and configured to be placed between a muscle layer and an adjacent firm tissue layer of the patient and to be compressed by a pressure generated by the muscle contracting adjacent to the firm tissue layer; and a transducer, coupled to the compressible element, that converts mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (53)
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54. A power generator for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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a housing that defines a chamber; a phase changing dielectric fluid contained within the chamber of the housing; a moveable surface, coupled to the housing, that defines the volume of the phase changing dielectric fluid, wherein as the moveable surface moves from a first position toward a second position, the volume of the phase changing dielectric fluid is changed, such that the phase changing dielectric fluid transitions at least in part between a first phase with a first dielectric constant and a second phase with a second dielectric constant; and a capacitor within the chamber of the housing, the capacitor comprising a first plate and a second plate that define a space between them that contains a portion of the phase changing dielectric fluid, wherein the plates have a first voltage across them when the dielectric fluid is in the first phase and have a second voltage across them when the dielectric fluid is in the second phase. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A power generator for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy, the generator comprising:
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a housing that defines a chamber and comprises a movable surface; a dielectric fluid contained within the chamber of the housing; a capacitor within the chamber of the housing, the capacitor comprising; a first and second plate, and an insulator coupled to the first plate and disposed between the first plate and the second plate, wherein at least one plate is coupled to a movable surface of the housing, wherein the plates have a first voltage across them when a first amount of the dielectric fluid is between the insulator and the second plate, and have a second voltage across them when a second amount of the dielectric fluid is between the insulator and the second plate; wherein the movable surface moves from a first position toward a second position and displaces the dielectric fluid such that the first amount of the dielectric fluid is greater than the second amount of the dielectric fluid. - View Dependent Claims (76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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98. A method for generating power by converting mechanical energy from a patient to electrical energy, the method comprising:
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positioning a compressible element of an implantable power generator in an anatomical site within the patient, the anatomical site defined by a first tissue layer and a second, opposite tissue layer; receiving a pressure applied by the two adjacent tissue layers with the compressible element thereby compressing the compressible element; and converting mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111)
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112. A system for powering a medical device, the system comprising:
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an implantable power generator for converting mechanical energy from a patient to electrical energy, the generator comprising; a compressible element adapted and configured to be placed between two adjacent tissue layers of the patient and to be compressed by a force applied from the two adjacent tissue layers to the compressible element, and a transducer, coupled to the compressible element, that converts mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy; a storage device that collects electrical energy from the transducer; a medical device coupled to the storage device that receives electrical energy from the storage device. - View Dependent Claims (113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144)
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145. A system for powering a medical device, the system comprising:
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an implantable power generator for converting mechanical energy from a patient to electrical energy, the generator comprising; a compressible element adapted and configured to be placed between two adjacent tissue layers of the patient and to be compressed by a force applied from the two adjacent tissue layers to the compressible element, and a transducer, coupled to the compressible element, that converts mechanical energy from the compression of the compressible element to electrical energy; a storage device that collects electrical energy from the transducer; an auxiliary power supply; a medical device coupled to at least one of the storage device and the auxiliary power supply that receives electrical energy from at least one of the storage device and the auxiliary power supply. - View Dependent Claims (146, 147, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183, 184, 185, 186)
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187. A method for generating power, the method comprising:
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positioning a capacitor in a phase changing dielectric fluid contained within a chamber, the capacitor comprising a first plate and a second plate that define a space between them that contains a portion of the phase changing dielectric fluid; applying a first voltage to at least one of the plates of the capacitor; changing the phase of the phase changing dielectric fluid such that it transitions at least in part between a first phase with a first dielectric constant and a second phase with a second dielectric constant; collecting a second voltage from at least one of the plates of the capacitor, wherein the plates of the capacitor have the second voltage across them when the dielectric fluid is in the second phase. - View Dependent Claims (188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 195, 196, 197, 198)
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Specification