Mobile wireless power system

• US 9,496,924 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corvion Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EverHeart Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Aber, Greg S., DuPont, Christopher G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fureman, Jared
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bukhari, Aqeel
• Application Number:
  US13/842,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20130241306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• 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 50/005 Mechanical details of housing or structure aiming to accommodate the power transfer means, e.g. mechanical integration of coils, antennas or transducers into emitting or receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/266 One coil at each side, e.g. with primary and secondary coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A mobile wireless power system capable of transmitting power through the skin to energize an implanted medical device without percutaneous wires and without precise positioning includes an external mobile wireless power source and an implantable receiving assembly. The mobile wireless power source is wearable by the patient and includes an excitation coil and transmitting resonant coil which are inductively coupled to each other and are housed in a durable housing. The implantable receiving assembly includes a receiving resonant coil and a power pick-up coil which are also inductively coupled to each other. The transmitting and receiving resonant coils are constructed as to have closely matched or identical resonant frequencies so that the magnetic field produced by the transmitting resonant coil is able to cause the receiving resonant coil to resonate strongly.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in wireless energy transfer to power an implantable medical device, the apparatus comprising:

a rechargeable power source configured to transmit electromagnetic energy, the power source comprising;

a transmitting resonant coil;

a radio frequency amplifier;

a battery; and

a first housing enclosing the transmitting resonant coil, the radio frequency amplifier, and the battery; and

a receiving assembly configured to be magnetic resonance coupled to the power source, the receiving assembly comprising;

a receiving resonant coil;

a second housing and a cover, wherein the second housing and the cover each comprises a ceramic portion and a metallic ring, wherein the metallic rings are welded to each other; and

an electrical feedthru providing an electrical connection from an interior of the second housing and cover to an exterior of the second housing and cover;

wherein the second housing, the cover, and the electrical feedthru form a hermetic barrier enclosing the receiving resonant coil within the interior of the second housing and cover.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source is wearable by a patient.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency amplifier is operable at a frequency between about 30 KHz and about 15 MHz.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power source further comprises a coupling display configured to display an indicator of a coupling coefficient between the transmitting resonant coil and the receiving resonant coil.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each metallic ring is bonded to one of the ceramic portions.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical feedthru is welded to one of the metallic rings.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical feedthru is welded to both of the metallic rings.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving assembly is less than one inch thick.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the metallic rings comprise titanium.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical feedthru is connectable to an electrical lead.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving assembly further comprises a rectification circuit enclosed by the hermetic barrier.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving assembly further comprises an external capacitor enclosed by the hermetic barrier and connected to the receiving resonant coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving assembly further comprises a power pick-up coil enclosed by the hermetic barrier and configured to be inductively coupled to said receiving resonant coil.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable power source further comprises an excitation coil enclosed by the first housing and configured to be inductively coupled to said transmitting resonant coil.