| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20090276014 | EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREDICTING HEAT LOSS OF IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE DURING INDUCTIVE RECHARGING BY EXTERNAL PRIMARY COIL - External power source, system for controlling and method for predicting heat loss of implantable medical device during inductive recharging by an external primary coil. A primary coil inductively couples energy to a secondary coil when energized and placed in proximity of the secondary coil. Control circuitry, operatively coupled to said primary coil, determines the energy absorbed in said tissue based on a total applied power by said external power source, power lost in said electronic circuitry, power lost in said electronic circuitry, power lost in said primary coil and power applied to said rechargeable power source and controlling said total applied power based upon said energy absorbed in said tissue. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090276016 | CONCENTRIC PRIMARY COILS FOR INDUCTIVELY CHARGING AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE, EXTERNAL POWER SOURCE AND METHOD - An external antenna with a plurality of concentric primary coils recharges an implantable medical device with a secondary coil when the primary coils are placed in proximity of the secondary coil. Selection circuitry determines which of the plurality of concentric primary coils has the most efficient coupling with the secondary coil and drive circuitry drives the selected primary coil with an oscillating current. During a recharge session, selection circuitry periodically checks at least some of the primary coils to determine whether the primary coil with the most efficient connection has changed. An antenna housing may hold the primary coils in a rigid planar relationship with each other or the primary coils may shift with respect to each other, forming a cup-shape around a bulge in the skin created by the implantable medical device. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20100076524 | INDUCTIVELY RECHARGEABLE EXTERNAL ENERGY SOURCE, CHARGER, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A TRANSCUTANEOUS INDUCTIVE CHARGER FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - A mechanism for transferring energy from an external power source to an implantable medical device is disclosed. An antenna is positioned in proximity of the implantable medical device. The position of a core of the antenna is adjusted relative to the implantable medical device while the antenna is maintained substantially stationary. A frequency of transmission of a power source is adjusted, and the antenna is driven at the adjusted frequency to transfer energy transcutaneously to the implantable medical device. In one embodiment, the frequency of transmission is selected based on an amplitude of a signal in the antenna. | 03-25-2010 |
| 20100198307 | MEDICAL DEVICE PROGRAMMER - In general, the disclosure is directed to a patient programmer for an implantable medical device. The patient programmer may include one or more of a variety of features that may enhance performance, support mobility and compactness, or promote patient convenience. The patient programmer includes an internal antenna mounted on a first circuit board and a display mounted on a second circuit board. The first circuit board includes a substantially contiguous ground plane layer that is interrupted by two or more gaps. The patient programmer may also include one or more of a variety of features that may enhance performance, support mobility and compactness, or promote patient convenience. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100268305 | ALIGNMENT INDICATION FOR TRANSCUTANEOUS ENERGY TRANSFER - System for transcutaneous energy transfer. An implantable medical device, adapted to be implanted in a patient, has componentry for providing a therapeutic output. The implantable medical device has an internal power source and a secondary coil operatively coupled to the internal power source. An external power source, having a primary coil, provides energy to the implantable medical device when the primary coil of the external power source is placed in proximity of the secondary coil of the implantable medical device and thereby generates a current in the internal power source. An alignment indicator reports the alignment as a function of the current generated in the internal power source with a predetermined value associated with an expected alignment between the primary coil and secondary coil. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110022125 | INDUCTIVELY RECHARGEABLE EXTERNAL ENERGY SOURCE, CHARGER, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A TRANSCUTANEOUS INDUCTIVE CHARGER FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - Techniques for transcutaneous transferral of energy to an implantable medical device are disclosed. An embodiment includes a system comprising an implantable medical device having a secondary coil. An external device is provided to transcutaneously transfer energy to the secondary coil. The external device comprises a housing having a side adapted to be positioned in proximity to the secondary coil when the external device is transferring energy to the secondary coil. A temperature sensor is coupled to the side to determine a temperature indicative of heat to which the patient is being exposed during the transfer of energy. A control circuit is adapted to control the transfer of energy to the secondary coil based on the temperature. For instance, the control circuit may limit transfer of energy by controlling times at which transfer of energy occurs or controlling an amplitude of a signal within the external device. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110245892 | FLEXIBLE RECHARGE COIL TECHNIQUES - Techniques adapted for use with recharging a rechargeable power source of an implantable device. One aspect relates to providing a flexible primary coil that can be transcutaneously coupled to a secondary coil of the implantable device. Multiple adjacent turns of the coil are grouped via lacing to form bundles. The bundles have at least one dimension that is selected to be a same size as a predetermined thickness of the coil. In one embodiment, the dimension is a diameter of the bundle. In another embodiment, the dimension is at least one of a length or width of the bundle. Insulating overmolding may be provided over the coil. In one embodiment, the resulting antenna structure is bidirectional such that substantially the same performance characteristics are obtained during recharge regardless of which of two major surfaces of the antenna is placed in proximity to the patient. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110298420 | INDUCTIVELY RECHARGEABLE EXTERNAL ENERGY SOURCE, CHARGER AND SYSTEM FOR A TRANSCUTANEOUS INDUCTIVE CHARGER FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - A mechanism for transferring energy from an external power source to an implantable medical device is disclosed. An antenna is positioned in proximity of the implantable medical device. The position of a core of the antenna is adjusted relative to the implantable medical device while the antenna is maintained substantially stationary. A frequency of transmission of a power source is adjusted, and the antenna is driven at the adjusted frequency to transfer energy transcutaneously to the implantable medical device. In one embodiment, the frequency of transmission is selected based on an amplitude of a signal in the antenna. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110301667 | INDUCTIVELY RECHARGEABLE EXTERNAL ENERGY SOURCE, CHARGER, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A TRANSCUTANEOUS INDUCTIVE CHARGER FOR AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE - A mechanism for transferring energy from an external power source to an implantable medical device is disclosed. A sensor may be used to measure a parameter that correlates to a temperature of the system that occurs during the transcutaneous coupling of energy. For example, the sensor may measure temperature of a surface of an antenna of the external power source. The measured parameter may then be compared to a programmable limit. A control circuit such as may be provided by the external power source may then control the temperature based on the comparison. The programmable limit may be, for example, under software control so that the temperature occurring during transcutaneous coupling of energy may be modified to fit then-current circumstances. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110301669 | Alignment Indication for Transcutaneous Energy Transfer - System for transcutaneous energy transfer. An implantable medical device, adapted to be implanted in a patient, has componentry for providing a therapeutic output. The implantable medical device has an internal power source and a secondary coil operatively coupled to the internal power source. An external power source, having a primary coil, provides energy to the implantable medical device when the primary coil of the external power source is placed in proximity of the secondary coil of the implantable medical device and thereby generates a current in the internal power source. An alignment indicator reports the alignment as a function of the current generated in the internal power source with a predetermined value associated with an expected alignment between the primary coil and secondary coil. | 12-08-2011 |
