SYSTEM FOR SUPPLYING ENERGY

• US 20110278948A1
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kirk Promotion Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Milux Holding SA
• Inventors: Forsell, Peter
• Application Number:
  US13/130,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20110278948A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/104
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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

A coil arrangement supplies energy or control signals to, or provides information from, a medical device implanted in a human or animal patient. The coil arrangement includes an external coil that is larger than an implanted coil so as to reduce the risk of damage to circuitry in an energy transmitter attached to the external coil that results from a low impedance at the external coil when a switch in an over-voltage protection circuit is opened to protect circuitry in a medical device attached to the implanted coil from being damaged by a too high voltage induced across the implanted coil.

Claims

1. A system for supplying energy to a medical device implanted in a mammal patient, the system comprising:

a first coil that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, receives wireless energy for supplying energy or control signals to the medical device, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, a second coil external to the patient'"'"'s body that transmits the wireless energy to the first coil, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, the second coil being connected to an external control unit that generates energy to produce the wireless energy transmitted by the second coil, the first and second coils being coupled to transfer alternating energy signals into and out of the patient'"'"'s body, an over-voltage protection circuit switch connected between the first coil and the medical device, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, that opens to isolate the medical device from the first coil when a voltage of a predetermined level is induced across the first coil to thereby protect circuitry in the medical device from being damaged by the predetermined voltage level, the second coil being larger than the first coil so as to reduce a risk of damage to circuitry in the external control unit resulting from a low impedance appearing at the coil load in the external control unit when the switch is opened to protect circuitry in the medical device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second coil is at least ten percent larger than the first coil to reduce the low impedance risk of damage to the circuitry in the external control unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second coil is between ten and one hundred percent larger than the first coil to reduce the low impedance risk of damage to the circuitry in the external control unit.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second coil is between ten and fifty percent larger than the first coil to reduce the low impedance risk of damage to the circuitry in the external control unit.

5. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an internal control unit that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, is connected to the first coil so as to receive energy or control signals from the first coil or to provide information signals to the first coil for transmission to the second coil.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the external control unit that is located outside of the patient'"'"'s body and connected to the second coil generates energy or control signals for transmission to the first coil or receives information signals transmitted from the first coil.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the alternating signal generated by the external control unit is an alternating current that flows through the second coil, and wherein the wireless energy received by the first coil is an alternating magnetic field, which is created by the alternating current flowing in the second coil, and which induces an alternating voltage in the first coil.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the alternating voltage induced in the first coil causes an electric charge to flow in the first coil to a load circuit connected to the first coil, so as to transfer energy from the second coil through the first coil to the load circuit connected in the first coil.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the load circuit is comprised of the implanted medical device and the internal control unit.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the load circuit is further comprised of a power supply that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, supplies energy to the implanted medical device.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the load circuit is the implanted medical device to which the first coil directly supplies energy, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the load circuit is an internal control unit that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, supplies control signals to the implanted medical device.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the load circuit is an internal control unit that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, receives information signals from the implanted medical device.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the control signals will relate to bodily functions being monitored by the implanted medical device or bodily functions being controlled by the implanted medical device.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the information signals will relate to bodily functions being monitored by the implanted medical device or bodily functions being controlled by the implanted medical device.

16. The system according to claim 5, wherein the internal control unit is comprised of a generator for generating an alternating electromagnetic signal, a power amplifier, a modulator circuit, and a microprocessor for controlling the modulator circuit to thereby generate the information signals to be sent from the implanted medical device.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the microprocessor controls the generator and the modulator circuit to modulate signals generated by the generator to thereby send to the external control unit bodily information from the implanted medical device via the power amplifier and the second coil, which is connected to the power amplifier.

18. The system according to claim 16, wherein the internal control unit is further comprised of a demodulator circuit that is connected to the first coil and that demodulates control signals received by the first coil so as to strip out control information sent from an external control unit.

19. The system according to claim 6, wherein the external control unit is comprised of a generator for generating an alternating electromagnetic signal, a power amplifier, a modulator circuit, and a microprocessor for controlling the modulator circuit to thereby generate the control signals to be sent to the implanted medical device.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the microprocessor controls the generator and the modulator circuit to modulate signals generated by the generator to thereby send control information to the implanted medical device via the power amplifier and the second coil, which is connected to the power amplifier.

21-50. -50. (canceled)