Antenna mandrel with multiple antennas

• US 9,985,334 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Beaton, Stephen R., Ferran, Michael D., Owens, Dawn Jamisha, Pugh, Randall B., Toner, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Karacsony, Robert
• Application Number:
  US14/918,940
• Publication Number:
  US 20170115511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 35115901, 35115902, 35115903, 35115969
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/16 Intraocular lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0002 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 11/10 Electronic devices other than hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/04 Contact lenses for the eyes disinfection or sterilisation of contact lenses A61L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/049 Contact lenses having special fitting or structural features achieved by special materials or material structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• 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: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems

Abstract

Antennas and antenna mandrels or assemblies may be designed and configured to enable one of one- or two-way communication and/or power transfer with mechanical devices such as ophthalmic devices, including contact lenses. These antennas and antenna mandrels or assemblies may be utilized to transmit data from the mechanical devices to receive data from a transmitter, and/or inductively charge an electromechanical cell or the like incorporated into a mechanical device.

Claims

1. An antenna array for electrically coupling with at least one sub-millimeter-sized antenna embedded in a biomedical device, the antenna array comprising:

a base;

a first substrate supported by the base, wherein the first substrate has a first shape configured to interface with a biomedical device having one or more shapes, one of which is complimentary to the first shape; and

one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas configured to provide optimized near-field coupling between at least one of the isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas in the one or more arrays and the at least one submillimeter-sized antenna in the biomedical device, wherein at least one of the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas and the biomedical device are movable relative to each other.

2. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the biomedical device comprises an ophthalmic device.

3. The antenna array according to claim 2, wherein the ophthalmic device comprises a contact lens.

4. The antenna array according to claim 3, wherein the contact lens further comprises an optic zone, a peripheral zone surrounding the optic zone, and a skirt zone surrounding the peripheral zone.

5. The antenna array according to claim 3, wherein the contact lens comprises a soft contact lens.

6. The antenna array according to claim 2, wherein the ophthalmic device comprises an intraocular lens.

7. The antenna array according to claim 2, wherein the ophthalmic device further comprises an optic zone, and a peripheral zone surrounding the optic zone.

8. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the base is configured for mechanical movement on one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

9. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the base is configured to be electrically steerable for movement on one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

10. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the base is configured to be fixed.

11. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the base is configured to connect to a robotic vision system.

12. The antenna array according to claim 11, wherein the robotic vision system is configured to coarse-align the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas with the one or more isolated, submillimeter-sized antenna in the biomedical device.

13. The antenna array according to claim 11, wherein the robotic vision system is configured to fine-align at least one antenna in the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas with the one or more isolated, submillimeter-sized antenna in the biomedical device.

14. The antenna array according to claim 11, wherein the robotic vision system is configured to be electrically steerable for movement on one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

15. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate is configured to rotate about one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

16. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded in the first substrate.

17. The antenna array according to claim 16, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the first substrate to extend to a region corresponding to a peripheral zone.

18. The antenna array according to claim 16, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the first substrate to extend to a region corresponding to a skirt zone of an ophthalmic device.

19. The antenna array according to claim 16, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the first substrate to extend to a region corresponding to an optic zone of an ophthalmic device.

20. The antenna array according to claim 16, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the first substrate to form a substantially annular arrangement.

21. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a polymer.

22. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a polyimide film.

23. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a silicon-based substrate.

24. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises a silica-based substrate.

25. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

26. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the first substrate comprises liquid crystal polymer.

27. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the antenna array further comprises a ledger.

28. The antenna array according to claim 27, wherein the ledger further comprises one or more mechanical actuators.

29. The antenna array according to claim 28, wherein the one or more mechanical actuators are configured to rotate about one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

30. The antenna array according to claim 28, wherein the one or more mechanical actuators are configured for movement on one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

31. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the antenna array further comprises a second substrate.

32. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate is affixed to at least one of the one or more mechanical actuators.

33. The antenna array according to claim 32, wherein the one or more mechanical actuators affixed to the second substrate is configured to rotate about one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

34. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded in the second substrate.

35. The antenna array according to claim 34, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the second substrate to extend to a region corresponding to a peripheral zone.

36. The antenna array according to claim 34, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the second substrate to extend to a region corresponding to a skirt zone of an ophthalmic device.

37. The antenna array according to claim 34, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the second substrate to extend to a region corresponding to an optic zone of an ophthalmic device.

38. The antenna array according to claim 34, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are embedded on the second substrate to form a substantially annular arrangement.

39. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate is configured for movement on one or more planes in three-dimensional space.

40. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate comprises a polymer.

41. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate comprises a polyimide film.

42. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate comprises a silicon-based substrate.

43. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate comprises a silica-based substrate.

44. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate comprises polytetrafluoroethylene.

45. The antenna array according to claim 31, wherein the second substrate comprises liquid crystal polymer.

46. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the antenna array further comprises one or more tiered, furcated connection cables.

47. The antenna array according to claim 46, wherein the one or more tiered, furcated connection cables are configured to be electrically steerable.

48. The antenna array according to claim 46, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas are connected to the one or more tiered, furcated connection cables.

49. The antenna array according to claim 46, wherein the one or more tiered, furcated connection cables are enclosed in the ledger.

50. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas comprise one or more arrays of isolated, single-turn submillimeter-sized loop antennas.

51. The antenna array according to claim 50, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas comprise conductive coil wires.

52. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas comprise one or more arrays of isolated multi-turn submillimeter-sized loop antennas.

53. The antenna array according to claim 52, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated multi-turn submillimeter-sized antennas comprise conductive wire coils.

54. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas comprise one or more arrays of isolated spiral submillimeter-sized antennas.

55. The antenna array according to claim 54, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated spiral submillimeter-sized antennas comprise conductive wire coils.

56. The antenna array according to claim 1, wherein the one or more arrays of isolated, submillimeter-sized antennas further comprise one or more electrical interconnects.