MOLDABLE CHARGER WITH CURABLE MATERIAL FOR CHARGING AN IMPLANTABLE PULSE GENERATOR

• US 20100331918A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: DiGiore, Andrew, Schleicher, Brett, Baldwin, Greg
• Application Number:
  US12/495,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20100331918A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Electrical energy is transcutaneously transmitted from an external charger to an implanted medical device. The external charger includes a charging head comprising a flexible material that is selectively shaped to conform to the surface of a patient to enhance charge efficiency and patient comfort. The flexible material is curable to become inflexible and embody a fixed shape and may comprise, for example, a thermoplastic for being re-shaped and re-cured multiple times, or a thermoset plastic that maintains a permanent shape and cannot be re-cured to form another shape. The charging head may also include one or more sensors for determining the shape of a charging coil in the charging head, which cause the charge of the coil to be adjusted based on the coil shape.

Claims

1. An external charger for an implantable medical device, comprising:

a charging head comprising a flexible material and configured for being selectively shaped to conform to the surface of a patient, wherein the flexible material is curable to become inflexible and embody a fixed shape; and

an alternating current (AC) charging coil housed in the charging head and configured for transcutaneously transmitting electrical energy to the implanted medical device.

2. The external charger of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises a thermoplastic that is configured for being re-shaped and re-cured multiple times.

3. The external charger of claim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises a thermoset plastic that is configured to be cured once, after which the thermoset plastic maintains a permanent shape and cannot be re-cured to form another shape.

4. The external charger of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor configured for sensing a change in a shape of the coil.

5. The external charger of claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor comprises a strain gauge.

6. The external charger of claim 4, further comprising a processor configured to adjust the charging frequency of the coil in response to receiving signals from the at least one sensor regarding changes in the shape of the coil.

7. The external charger of claim 1, wherein the external charger further comprises a misalignment indicator for providing a signal to indicate the external charger is aligned with the implantable medical device.

8. A method of charging an implantable medical device, comprising:

placing the external charger of claim 1 on a surface of a patient in the general vicinity of the implantable device;

shaping the external charger to conform to the surface of the patient;

curing the flexible material in the shape conforming to the surface of the patient;

replacing the external charger on the patient; and

transcutaneously transmitting energy from the coil to the implantable medical device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising adjusting the charging frequency of the coil based on the shape of the coil.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein adjusting the charging frequency of the coil further comprises using at least one sensor to sense changes in the shape of the coil.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising communicating changes in the shape of the coil sensed by the at least one sensor to a processor that communicates with the coil to adjust the charging frequency of the coil.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

removing the external charger from the patient;

re-shaping the external charger;

re-curing the external charger; and

replacing the external charger on the patient.

13. A method of shaping the charging head of claim 1, comprising:

shaping the flexible material to conform to a patient; and

curing the flexible material to cause the flexible material to become inflexible and embody a fixed shape.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein curing the flexible material comprises heating the flexible material.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein curing the flexible material comprises cooling the flexible material.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising re-shaping the flexible material and re-curing the flexible material to cause the flexible material to become inflexible.