Energy harvesting mechanism for medical devices

• US 9,616,242 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InCube Labs LLC. (In-Cube, Inc.)
• Inventors: Imran, Mir A.
• Primary Examiner(s): VOORHEES, CATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US14/678,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20150224325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 739 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3629 in combination with non-electric therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3785 generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide apparatus, systems and methods for harvesting energy from bio-kinetic events to power various implanted medical devices. One embodiment provides an energy harvesting mechanism for a cardiac pacemaker comprising an energy converter and a signal path component. The energy converter is positionable inside a human body and configured to generate electric power signals in response to a bio-kinetic event of the human body such as a heart beat, respiration or arterial pulse. The converter can comprise a piezoelectric material which generates electricity in response to mechanical deformation of the converter. The converter can also have a power generation characteristic that is matched to the frequency of the bio-kinetic event. For heart beat powered applications, the power generation characteristic can be matched to the physiologic range of pulse rates.

Claims

1. An energy harvesting mechanism for a cardiac pacemaker, the mechanism comprising:

a deformable energy converter positionable inside a human body to convert mechanical deformation of the energy converter by a bio-kinetic event of the human body into electric power signals, the energy converter having a stiffness which varies over a length of the energy converter so that, when the energy converter is deformed by the bio-kinetic event, the energy converter deforms at a resonant frequency within a predetermined physiological frequency range associated with the bio-kinetic event; and

a signal path component structured to enable the power signals to be carried from the energy converter to the cardiac pacemaker.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the predetermined physiological frequency range is a frequency range associated with a normal occurrence of the bio-kinetic event.

3. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the signal path component comprises a cable that provides a pace making signal to the heart.

4. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein the energy converter is positioned within the cable.

5. The mechanism of claim 4, wherein the energy converter has a form factor which does not change the form factor of the cable without the energy converter.

6. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter is positioned to deform in response to the bio-kinetic event in order to generate the electric power signals.

7. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter comprises a piezoelectric material.

8. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the bio-kinetic event is a heartbeat, a respiration or an arterial pulse.

9. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter functions as a sensor to sense a property of the heart.

10. The mechanism of claim 9, wherein the property is one of a heart rate, heart rhythm, arrhythmia, heart wall motion or heart wall motion abnormality.

11. The mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

a rechargeable power supply coupled to the signal path component to receive electrical energy generated by the energy harvesting mechanism.

12. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter generates an AC signal.

13. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein the energy converter generates sufficient power to autonomously power the pacemaker from motion of a beating heart.