Charging system incorporating independent charging and communication with multiple implanted devices

• US 9,717,917 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shiratronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Syntilla Medical LLC
• Inventors: Menezes, Francis M., Dellamano, Harry, Griffith, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): VOORHEES, CATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US14/989,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20170189699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0526 Head electrodes A61N1/0551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36075 Headache or migraine
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A system for transferring power to, and communicating with, at least one body-implantable active device includes an external power transfer system associated with an external device disposed outside of a body, operable to transfer power through a dermis layer to each body-implantable active device, and communicate data to and from each body-implantable active device, and also includes a power receiving system associated with each body-implantable active device, operable to receive power transferred from the external power transfer system, and communicate data to and from the external power transfer system. The body-implantable active device may include an implantable neurostimulation system.

Claims

1. A system for transferring power to, and communicating with, at least one body-implantable active device, said system comprising:

an external power transfer system associated with an external device disposed outside of a body, operable to transfer power through a dermis layer to each body-implantable active device, and communicate data to and from each body-implantable active device; and

a power receiving system associated with each body-implantable active device, operable to receive power transferred from the external power transfer system, and communicate data to and from the external power transfer system;

the external power transfer system including;

at least one transmit coil, each corresponding to a respective body-implantable active device;

a driver circuit operable to drive the at least one transmit coil with an AC signal;

a forward telemetry circuit operable to modulate, responsive to a forward telemetry data input signal, a corresponding data signal within the AC signal; and

a back telemetry circuit operable to generate, responsive to a data signal modulated within the AC signal, a corresponding back telemetry data output signal;

each power receiving system respectively including;

a receive coil tuned to the resonant frequency of the corresponding transmit coil;

a charge receiving circuit coupled to the receive coil, said charge receiving circuit operable in a first mode to receive power transferred from the corresponding transmit coil to the receive coil when in proximity thereto, and operable in a second mode to detune the receive coil to substantially inhibit power transfer from the corresponding transmit coil to the receive coil;

a forward telemetry circuit coupled to the receive coil, being operable to generate, responsive to a modulated data signal coupled onto the receive coil, a corresponding forward telemetry data output signal; and

a back telemetry circuit coupled to the receive coil, being operable to modulate, responsive to a back telemetry data input signal, a corresponding data signal onto the receive coil.

2. The system as in claim 1 wherein:

the external power transfer system is operable to communicate data to each power receiving system in both the first and second modes; and

each power receiving system is operable to receive data communicated from the external power transfer system in both the first and second modes.

3. The system as in claim 2 wherein:

each power receiving system is operable to communicate data to the external power transfer system in both the first and second modes; and

the external power transfer system is operable to receive data communicated from each power receiving system in both the first and second modes.

4. The system as in claim 3 wherein:

the power receiving system back telemetry circuit is further operable to de-tune the receive coil in accordance with a serial bit-stream corresponding to the back telemetry data input signal, and thereby modulate the corresponding data signal onto the receive coil; and

the corresponding data signal modulated onto the receive coil is communicated to the external power transfer system as a corresponding data signal modulated within the AC signal.

5. The system as in claim 1 wherein:

the external power transfer system includes a single transmit coil corresponding to a single body-implantable active device.

6. The system as in claim 1 wherein the driver circuit and the at least one transmit coil comprise a resonant amplifier circuit.

7. The system as in claim 1 wherein each body-implantable active device is head-locatable.

8. The system as in claim 7 wherein each body-implantable active device comprises a neurostimulation pulse generator.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein the external power transfer system is disposed within a headset, and each transmit coil is co-locatable with the respective receive coil of the associated body-implantable active device.

10. The system as in claim 1 wherein:

the external power transfer system includes a series-connected plurality of transmit coils, each corresponding to a respective body-implantable active device; and

the driver circuit is operable to drive the series-connected plurality of transmit coils with the AC signal.

11. The system as in claim 10 wherein:

each body-implantable active device comprises a respective head-locatable neurostimulation system; and

the external device disposed outside of a body comprises a headset charging and control device operable to charge and communicate with each respective head-locatable neurostimulation system.

12. The system as in claim 11 wherein each body-implantable active device further comprises:

a battery; and

a battery charging circuit coupled to the charge receiving circuit for receiving the power transferred from the external power transfer system, and providing the received power as a charging current for the battery.

13. The system as in claim 12 wherein each body-implantable active device is operable in the first mode to receive power from the external power transfer system and provide the received power as the charging current for the battery, and operable in the second mode to substantially inhibit power transfer from the external power transfer system when battery charging is complete or no longer desired.

14. A system for charging and communicating with at least two body-implanted active devices, each with a battery, said system comprising:

an external charging system disposed outside of the body for transferring charging energy to the body and facilitating transmission of data to, and reception of data from, the body-implanted active devices; and

a charge receiving system associated with each of the body-implanted active devices for receiving energy transferred from the external charging system and facilitating transmission of data to, and reception of data from, the external charging system;

the external charging system including;

a plurality of transmit coils disposed in series, each corresponding to a respective one of the body-implanted active devices;

a driver circuit operable to drive the series-connected transmit coils with an AC signal;

a data transmitter circuit operable to modulate a data signal within the AC signal; and

a data receiver circuit operable to receive a data signal modulated within the AC signal;

each of the charge receiving systems including;

a receive coil tuned to the resonant frequency of an associated one of the transmit coils for receiving energy therefrom when in proximity thereto;

a charge receiving circuit coupled to the receive coil, said charge receiving circuit operable in a first charging mode to receive energy transferred from the associated transmit coil to the receive coil, and operable in a second charging mode to detune the receive coil to inhibit transfer of energy from the associated transmit coil to the receive coil;

a data receiver circuit operable to receive data from the receive coil in both the first and second charging modes; and

a data transmitter circuit operable to transmit data to the receive coil in both the first and second charging modes;

wherein the external charging system is operable to transmit data to each of the associated charge receiving systems, and receive data from each of the associated charge receiving systems, in both the first and second charging modes.

15. The system as in claim 14 wherein each of said body-implanted active devices is head-located.

16. The system as in claim 15 wherein each of said body-implanted active devices is subcutaneous within the body.

17. The system as in claim 16 wherein each of said body-implanted active devices comprises an implanted pulse generator.

18. The system as in claim 17 wherein said external charging system is disposed within a headset, and each transmit coil is co-locatable with the respective receive coil of the associated body-implanted active device.

19. The system as in claim 18 wherein said external charging system includes but a single driver for the two or more series-connected transmit coils.

20. The system as in claim 19 wherein said driver circuit, together with the two or more series-connected transmit coils, comprises a resonant amplifier circuit.

21. The system as in claim 14 wherein:

a first one of said at least two body-implanted active devices comprises a first implanted head-located neurostimulation system;

a second one of said at least two body-implanted active devices comprises a second implanted head-located neurostimulation system; and

said external charging system comprises a headset charging and control device operable to charge and communicate with both the first and second implanted head-located neurostimulation systems.