Apparatus, system, and method for transcutaneously transferring energy

• US 8,187,213 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2010
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Depuy Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Sherman, Jason T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US12/788,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 601/3, 601/5, 601/51, 601/61, 602/23, 602/26, 602/20, 128/882, 607/3
• US Class Current: 602/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/30 Joints
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/389 Tibial components A61F2/3868 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/30668 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants

Abstract

An apparatus for transcutaneously transferring an amount of energy to an implantable orthopaedic device includes a primary coil. The primary coil has a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of a secondary coil, which may form part of the implantable orthopaedic device. The primary coil may have an aperture configured to receive a portion of a patient'"'"'s body or may include a substantially “C”-shaped core. A power circuit may be coupled with the primary coil to provide power to the coil. The apparatus may also include a wireless receiver, a measuring device, and/or a display.

Claims

1. A limb brace comprising:

a brace structure configured to be coupled to a limb of a patient;

a primary coil coupled to the brace structure and having a resonant frequency; and

means for matching the resonant frequency of the primary coil to a resonant frequency of a secondary coil spaced apart from the brace structure and coupled to an implantable orthopaedic device.

2. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the primary coil is configured to circumferentially surround a portion of the limb of the patient while the brace structure is coupled to the limb.

3. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the primary coil is a toroidal primary coil.

4. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the primary coil is wound around a portion of a “

C”

-shaped ferrite core.

5. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the primary coil is configured to be inductively couplable with the secondary coil while the brace structure is coupled to the limb of the patient.

6. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the primary coil is configured to be spaced away from a skin surface of the limb while the brace structure is coupled to the limb of the patient.

7. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is adjustable to match the resonant frequency of a different secondary coil of an implantable orthopaedic device.

8. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is less than about 9 kilohertz.

9. The limb brace of claim 8, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is about 5 kilohertz.

10. The limb brace of claim 1, wherein the brace structure is configured to couple to a leg of the patient.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a brace structure configured to be coupled to a limb of a patient;

a primary coil coupled to the brace structure;

an implantable orthopaedic device;

a secondary coil coupled to the implantable orthopaedic device; and

wherein the primary coil has a resonant frequency matched to a resonant frequency of the secondary coil.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the primary coil is configured to circumferentially surround a portion of the limb of the patient while the brace structure is coupled to the limb.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the primary coil is a toroidal primary coil.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the primary coil is wound around a portion of a “

C”

-shaped ferrite core.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the primary coil is configured to be inductively couplable with the secondary coil while the brace structure is coupled to the limb of the patient.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the primary coil is configured to be spaced away from a skin surface of the limb while the brace structure is coupled to the limb of the patient.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is adjustable to match the resonant frequency of a different secondary coil coupled to the implantable orthopaedic device.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is less than about 9 kilohertz.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the resonant frequency of the primary coil is about 5 kilohertz.

20. The apparatus claim 11, wherein the brace structure is configured to couple to a leg of the patient.