System for supplying energy to an implantable medical device

• US 8,862,241 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirk Promotion Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Kirk Promotion Ltd.
• Inventors: Forsell, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Niketa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flory, Christopher A
• Application Number:
  US13/130,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20110301668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• Field of Search: 607/60, 607/61, 607/32, 607/33
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• 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: H01F 38/14 Inductive couplings for wireless supply or distribution of electric power using inductive coupling H02J50/10
• 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 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge

Abstract

An implanted coil supplies energy or control signals to, or provides information from, a medical device implanted in a human or animal patient. Preferably, the coil is implanted subcutaneously in the patient at a location suitable for easy access to the coil. The implanted coil is wound from a wire that is formed into a plurality of smaller diameter coils connected in series and positioned perpendicular to the larger implanted coil. Preferably, the wire used to form the implanted coil is a helically-shaped wire that is very resilient, and, thus, capable of handling even extreme movements of a patient in whom it is implanted without the risk of breaking.

Claims

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

a receiver adapted to be implanted in a mammal patient'"'"'s body, the receiver being adapted to receive energy from an external energizer adapted to transmit wireless energy to said receiver to thereby supply the medical implant apparatus with energy, wherein the receiver comprises;

an internal first coil that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, receives wireless energy for supplying energy or control signals to the medical device apparatus, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, and

wherein the system comprises;

an external second coil external to the patient'"'"'s body that transmits the wireless energy to the first coil, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, adapted to receive an alternating current that flows there-through, 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, the external second coil windings being made of a straight wire wound around a coil center axis, the center axis being adapted to be placed perpendicular to the skin of the patient, when transmitting the wireless energy,

the internal first coil being wound from wire formed into a plurality of third coils connected to one another, with the plurality of third coils connected in parallel, and

wherein the internal first coil comprises a plurality of large windings, each comprising first coil windings and second coil windings perpendicular to each other, the first coil windings each having a diameter that is smaller than the second coil winding'"'"'s diameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the large windings of the first coil are wound from wire formed into a plurality of third coils connected to one another,

the internal first coil being wound from a helically shaped wire, the first coil windings comprising a helical winding that serves as the wire in the second larger diameter coil winding, and that is at adapted to at least one of:

have a first diameter substantially smaller than the first coil'"'"'s diameter,

be wound in a compact manner like a tube,

be used to wind the large windings of said first coil, and

cause the first coil to be flexible.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the third coils has a diameter that is substantially smaller then the first coil'"'"'s diameter, and wherein, as the wire is wound to form the first coil, the plurality of third coils is caused to be positioned substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the first coil.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal first coil is wound from a helically shaped wire that is flexible to prevent breakage of the wire.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a first 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 of claim 5 further comprising a second control unit that is located outside of the patient'"'"'s body and connected to the second coil and is adapted to that generates energy or control signals for transmission to the first coil or receives information signals transmitted from the first coil.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein an alternating signal generated by the second control unit creates the alternating current that flows through the second coil, and wherein the alternating magnetic field induces an alternating voltage in the first coil.

8. The system of 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 internal first coil, so as to transfer energy from the external second coil through the internal first coil to the load circuit connected in the internal first coil.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the load circuit is a power supply that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, supplies energy to the implanted medical device.

10. The system of 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.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the load circuit is the first control unit that, when implanted in the patient'"'"'s body, supplies control signals to the implanted medical device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control signals will relate to at least one of:

bodily functions being monitored by the implanted medical device or bodily functions being controlled by the implanted medical device, and

functional parameters of the medical device being monitored by the implanted medical device or functional parameters of the medical device being controlled by the implanted medical device.

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

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the information signals will relate to at least one of:

bodily functions being monitored by the implanted medical device or bodily functions being controlled by the implanted medical device, and

functional parameters of the medical device being monitored by the implanted medical device or functional parameters of the medical device being controlled by the implanted medical device.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the second 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.

16. The system of claim 15, 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.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein the first 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.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the microprocessor controls the generator and the modulator circuit to modulate signals generated by the generator to thereby send to an 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.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the first 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, and

the external control unit is further comprised of a demodulator circuit that is connected to the second coil and that demodulates information signals received by the second coil so as to strip out bodily information sent from the implanted medical device.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the internal first coil is adapted to be placed subcutaneously, the internal first coil having a large diameter and being adapted to be flexible enough for following the patient'"'"'s movements, due to the helical structure of the coil wire, wherein the diameter of the first coil is large enough to allow a charging coil with a large diameter to be placed in the bed of the patient, allowing recharging when the patient is asleep.

21. The system according to claim 1, further comprising two or more implantable flexible first coils to allow a charging coil with a large diameter to be placed in the bed of the patient, thereby allowing recharging when the patient is asleep in different positions in the bed, charging different implantable first coils depending on the patient'"'"'s position, wherein the two or more first coils are adapted to be placed at one or more of the following positions within the body abdominal wall outside, abdominal wall inside, pelvic area, the back, thoracic area, subcutaneously, thorax, abdomen, leg, arm, shoulder, and any other position in the body.

22. The system according to claim 1, wherein the internal first coil is adapted to be placed subcutaneously, having a large diameter and adapted to be flexible enough for following the patient'"'"'s movements, due to the helical structure of the coil wire, the diameter of the first coil being at least one of:

more than 0.5 cm, more than 1 cm, more than 2 cm, more than 5 cm, more than 10 cm,

more than 15 cm, and more than 30 cm,

or

wherein an area of the first coil is at least one of;

more than 0.5 cm², more than 2 cm², more than 10 cm², more than 100 cm², more than 300 cm²,

more than 500 cm², and more than 800 cm².