MEDICAL DEVICE COMMUNICATION AND CHARGING ASSEMBLIES FOR USE WITH IMPLANTABLE SIGNAL GENERATORS, AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20180064945A1
• Filed: 09/15/2017
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nevro Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nevro Corporation
• Inventors: Parker, Jon, Chitre, Yougandh, Walker, Andre B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,918,866 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/05 using capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

Communication and charging assemblies for medical devices are disclosed herein. A communication and charging assembly in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a support element, with a communication antenna and a charging coil coupled to the support element. The charging coil can include wire loops having a plurality of wires and the support element can include a mounting surface shaped to match the charging coil and the communication antenna. In one embodiment, the communication and charging assembly are mounted in a header of an implantable signal generator.

Claims

1-21. -21. (canceled)

22. An implantable medical device for delivering electrical therapy signals to a patient'"'"'s spinal region to alleviate pain, comprising:

a can having a shell and a lid;

an output terminal positioned to provide electrical power to a signal delivery device;

a controller disposed within the can and coupled to the output terminal to control electrical power directed to the output terminal;

a battery disposed within the can and coupled to the controller; and

a charging and communication assembly, including;

a support element;

a charging coil carried by the support element and operably coupled to the battery; and

a communication antenna carried by the support element and operably coupled to the controller.

23. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the charging coil is coupled to the battery via at least one first individual wire and the communication antenna is coupled to the controller via at least one second individual wire.

24. The medical device of claim 23, wherein the support element is located with respect to the can at least in part by at least one of the at least one first individual wire and the at least one second individual wire.

25. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the support element comprises epoxy.

26. The medical device of claim 22, further comprising a header cap carried by the can and encompassing at least the charging and communication assembly.

27. The medical device of claim 26, further comprising a receiving element disposed in the header cap, wherein the header cap includes an epoxy volume and the receiving element is at least partially encased in the epoxy volume, the receiving element including the output terminal.

28. The medical device of claim 22, further comprising an epoxy volume, wherein the charging coil and communication antenna are at least partially encased in the epoxy volume.

29. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the support element is attached to the lid.

30. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the charging coil is arranged such that the can does not impede any electromagnetic energy transmitted by an external power source configured and arranged to induce a current in the charging coil by way of electromagnetic induction.

31. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the charging coil includes a plurality of wire loops, and wherein a first wire loop is offset from a second wire loop along both a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis.

32. The medical device of claim 22, wherein the charging coil includes a plurality of wire loops, and wherein a first wire loop is positioned in a first plane and a second wire loop is positioned in a second plane, the first plane disposed at a non-zero angle relative to the second plane.

33. An implantable signal generator, comprising:

a can having an output terminal and a battery electrically coupled to the output terminal; and

a header portion adjacent the can and including;

a communication antenna positioned in the header portion to receive external control signals; and

a charging coil positioned in the header portion and electrically coupled to the battery via at least one individual wire, wherein the charging coil is positioned to receive electromagnetic energy and direct electrical current to charge the battery.

34. The implantable signal generator of claim 33, further comprising a support element, wherein the communication antenna and the charging coil are carried by the support element.

35. The implantable signal generator of claim 34, wherein the support element is located with respect to the can at least in part by the at least one individual wire.

36. The implantable signal generator of claim 33, wherein the charging coil includes a plurality of wire loops.

37. The implantable signal generator of claim 36, wherein a first wire loop is positioned in a first plane and a second wire loop is positioned in a second plane, and wherein the second plane is different from the first plane.

38. The implantable signal generator of claim 36, wherein a first wire loop is positioned in a first plane and a second wire loop is positioned in a second plane, the first plane disposed at a non-zero angle with respect to the second plane.

39. The implantable signal generator of claim 33, wherein the header portion includes:

a plurality of receiving elements positioned to provide electrical connections; and

an epoxy volume at least partially encasing the receiving elements.

40. The implantable signal generator of claim 33, wherein the header portion includes a curved surface, and wherein the charging coil is shaped to at least partially match the curved surface.

41. The implantable signal generator of claim 33, wherein the can includes a shell and a lid, the lid having a plurality of feed-throughs, and wherein the implantable signal generator further comprises:

a controller positioned within the can and configured to direct electrical signals to the output terminal; and

a plurality of wires positioned to extend through the feed-throughs and operably couple the controller to the communication antenna and the battery to the charging coil.

42. A method for forming an implantable signal generator, the method comprising:

forming a shell;

forming a lid;

attaching the lid to the shell;

forming a charging coil;

forming a communication antenna; and

positioning the charging coil and the communication antenna in a header.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising locating the header with respect to the lid using at least a portion of the charging coil.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

positioning a battery and a controller within the shell;

electrically coupling the charging coil to the battery; and

electrically coupling the communication antenna to the controller.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising forming the header from epoxy.