Wireless power system

• US 9,839,732 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corvion Incorporated
• Original Assignee: EverHeart Systems Inc.
• Inventors: Armstrong, Randolph K., Aber, Greg S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kessie, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US14/537,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20150061591A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/8243 by induction
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/148 in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/178 drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/226 the blood flow through the rotating member having mainly radial components
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/232 Centrifugal pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/422 the force acting on the blood contacting member being electromagnetic, e.g. using canned motor pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/515 Regulation using real-time patient data
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/824 Hydrodynamic or fluid film bearings
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 60/873 specially adapted for wireless or transcutaneous energy transfer [TET], e.g. inductive charging
• 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 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence

Abstract

A wireless power system capable of transmitting power through the skin over distances ranging from a few inches to several feet includes an external transmitting coil assembly and a receiving coil assembly. A transmitting resonant coil and a receiving resonant coil 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 also, even when the distance between the two resonant coils greatly exceeds the largest dimension of either coil. The receiving resonant coil then creates its own local time varying magnetic field, which inductively produces a voltage to provide power to an active implantable medical device or implantable rechargeable battery.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in wireless energy transfer, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting resonant coil providing a first conductor; and

a receiving resonant coil, sized to be implantable in a human body, and providing a second conductor;

wherein a first capacitor is electrically connected to the first conductor and a second capacitor is electrically connected to the second conductor; and

wherein the first conductor and/or second conductor has a thickness T, smaller than a width W of the first conductor and/or second conductor, such that every point within the first conductor and/or second conductor resides within a skin depth at a resonant frequency of the transmitting resonant coil and/or receiving resonant coil, wherein the skin depth is defined by

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and/or second conductor is a foil or a plating.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and/or second conductor provides two conductive layers arranged on opposing faces of a coil structure formed from an electrically non-conductive material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conductor and/or second conductor provides a continuous electrically conductive layer arranged around all surfaces of a coil structure formed from an electrically non-conductive material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an enclosed area of the transmitting resonant coil is at least twice an enclosed area of the receiving resonant coil.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving resonant coil is secured in a hermetically-sealed biocompatible housing, and the receiving resonant coil is implantable into a human body.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a distance between the transmitting resonant coil and the receiving resonant coil is equal to or greater than five times a largest dimension of the receiving resonant coil.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiving resonant coil provides power to recharge an implantable battery, to operate an implantable medical device, or to simultaneously recharge an implantable battery and operate an implantable medical device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising one or more sympathetic resonant coils, wherein the sympathetic resonant coils extend a transmission range for wireless energy transfer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein one or more sympathetic resonant coils are over-coupled with the transmitting resonant coil.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the transmitting resonant coil and/or a second electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the receiving resonant coil provides a dielectric dissipation factor of 0.01 or less.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the transmitting resonant coil and/or a second electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the receiving resonant coil is solid with a polygonal cross section.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 100.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 300.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the receiving resonant coil provides a dielectric dissipation factor of 0.01 or less;

wherein the second conductor is a foil or a plating;

wherein the insulating medium is solid with a polygonal cross section; and

wherein the receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 300.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a diameter of 6 inches or greater.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 600.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first conductor has a width W of 1.0 inch or less.

19. An apparatus for use in wireless energy transfer, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting resonant coil providing a first conductor and a first electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the first conductor; and

a receiving resonant coil providing a second conductor and a second electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the second conductor;

wherein a first capacitor is electrically connected to the first conductor and a second capacitor is electrically connected to the second conductor;

wherein the first and/or second insulating medium comprises one or more dielectric materials that is solid with a polygonal cross section, the first and/or second insulating medium providing a dielectric dissipation factor of 0.01 or less;

wherein the first and/or second conductor has a thickness T of less than 0.02 inches and a width W of 0.5 inch or less; and

wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a diameter of 3 inches or less.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first and/or second conductor has an inter-turn spacing D greater than 0.003 inch.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second capacitors has a temperature coefficient of less than 3000 ppm/degree C. and a total capacitance at least one tenth of the capacitance provided by the first and/or second insulating medium.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first capacitor is electrically connected to a start and an end of the coil turns of the first conductor, the second capacitor is electrically connected to a start and an end of the coil turns of the second conductor, and each of the first and second capacitors has a dielectric dissipation factor of 0.01 or less.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the thickness T and the width W are sized such that every point within the first conductor and/or second conductor resides within a skin depth at a resonant frequency of the transmitting resonant coil and/or receiving resonant coil, wherein the skin depth is defined by

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the thickness T is smaller than the width W and wherein the first conductor and/or second conductor is a foil or a plating.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 100.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 300.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the thickness T is smaller than the width W, such that every point within the second conductor resides within a skin depth at a resonant frequency of the receiving resonant coil, wherein the skin depth is defined by

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a diameter of 6 inches or greater.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 600.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first conductor has a width W of 1.0 inch or less.

31. An apparatus for use in wireless energy transfer, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting resonant coil providing a first conductor and a first electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the first conductor;

a receiving resonant coil providing a second conductor and a second electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the second conductor; and

a biocompatible housing which houses and hermetically seals the receiving resonant coil, a rectification circuit, and DC filter components from body fluids and tissues;

wherein a first capacitor is electrically connected to the first conductor and a second capacitor is electrically connected to the second conductor;

wherein the first and/or second insulating medium comprises one or more solid dielectric materials providing a dielectric dissipation factor of 0.01 or less;

wherein the first and/or second conductor has a thickness T of less than 0.02 inches and a width W of 0.5 inch or less;

wherein the thickness T is smaller than the width W; and

wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a diameter of 3 inches or less.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the thickness T and the width W are sized such that every point within the first conductor and/or second conductor resides within a skin depth at a resonant frequency of the transmitting resonant coil and/or receiving resonant coil, wherein the skin depth is defined by

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first conductor and/or second conductor is a foil or a plating.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first and/or second insulating medium has a polygonal cross section.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 100.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 300.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the thickness T is smaller than the width W, such that every point within the second conductor resides within a skin depth at a resonant frequency of the receiving resonant coil, wherein the skin depth is defined by

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a diameter of 6 inches or greater.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 600.

40. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the first conductor has a width W of 1.0 inch or less.

41. An apparatus for use in wireless energy transfer, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitting resonant coil providing a first conductor; and

a receiving resonant coil being hermetically sealed in a biocompatible housing sized to be implantable inside a human body, wherein the receiving resonant coil comprises a second conductor;

wherein a first capacitor is electrically connected to the first conductor and a second capacitor is electrically connected to the second conductor;

wherein the first conductor and/or second conductor has a thickness T, smaller than a width W of the first conductor and/or second conductor, such that every point within the first conductor and/or second conductor resides within a skin depth at a resonant frequency of the transmitting resonant coil and/or receiving resonant coil, wherein the skin depth is defined by

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein a first electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the transmitting resonant coil and/or a second electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the receiving resonant coil provides a dielectric dissipation factor of 0.01 or less.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein a first electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the transmitting resonant coil and/or a second electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the receiving resonant coil is solid with a polygonal cross section.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 100.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the transmitting and/or receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 300.

46. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein an electrical insulating medium between coil turns of the receiving resonant coil provides a dielectric dissipation factor of 0.01 or less;

wherein the second conductor is a foil or a plating; and

wherein the receiving resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 300.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a diameter of 6 inches or greater.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the transmitting resonant coil has a quality factor Q greater than 600.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the first conductor has a width W of 1.0 inch or less.