Energy transfer system and reception unit for the wireless transcutaneous transfer of energy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12476488-B2
Application number	US-201917051406-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	May 2, 2018
Publication date	Nov 18, 2025
Grant date	Nov 18, 2025

Abstract

An energy transfer system for wireless energy transfer includes a transmitter unit having a primary coil supplied with a supply voltage and a receiver unit separate from the transmitter unit having a secondary coil to which a DC link capacitor is connected by a rectifier. The energy transfer system further includes a first device configured to determine a value of a DC link voltage applied on the DC link capacitor when the supply voltage is applied on the primary coil, and a second device configured to perform at least one function based on the determined value of the DC link voltage or a variable derived therefrom. A receiver unit is configured to interact for wireless energy transfer with a transmitter unit separate from the receiver unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An energy transfer system for a cardiac support system comprising:
a transmitter unit comprising a primary coil configured to be supplied with a supply voltage; a receiver unit configured to supply energy to the cardiac support system, the receiver unit comprising:
a secondary coil;
a DC link capacitor connected to the secondary coil by a rectifier; and
a voltage measuring device configured to determine a value of a DC link voltage applied to the DC link capacitor when the supply voltage is supplied to the primary coil; and
a control unit coupled to the receiver unit and configured to perform, based on the determined value of the DC link voltage or a variable derived therefrom, at least one function comprising:
outputting a first acoustic signal when the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is below a first threshold value;
outputting a second acoustic signal when the determined value of the DC link voltage of the variable derived therefrom is above the first threshold value and below a second threshold value, wherein the second acoustic signal differs from the first acoustic signal in at least one of a repetition frequency, tonal range, or volume; and
discontinuing the second acoustic signal and outputting a switch signal to close a first switch to connect an energy storage unit to the rectifier upon detection of the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is above the second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is higher than the first threshold value.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one function comprises outputting at least one additional signal different from the acoustic signal when the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is below a third threshold value different from the first threshold value.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the voltage measuring device is configured to determine the value of the DC link voltage continuously or repeatedly, and wherein the at least one function comprises varying the acoustic signal depending on the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one function comprises supplying energy to a load connected to the rectifier or charging the energy storage unit connected to the rectifier when the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is above a threshold value.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the control unit is configured to not supply the load with energy or to not charge the energy storage unit as long as the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is below the threshold value.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine a coupling factor between the primary coil and the secondary coil from the determined value of the DC link voltage, and wherein the control unit is configured to perform the at least one function based on the determined coupling factor.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the coupling factor is a metric related to a relative position between the primary coil and the secondary coil.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver unit comprises the control unit.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver unit is configured to be arranged underneath the skin in a human body, and wherein the transmitter unit is configured to be arranged on the skin outside a human body.

10 . A receiver unit configured to interact for wireless energy transfer with a transmitter unit separate from the receiver unit and to supply energy to a cardiac support system, the transmitter unit comprising a primary coil supplied with a supply voltage, the receiver unit comprising:
a secondary coil configured to interact with the primary coil of the transmitter unit; a DC link capacitor connected to the secondary coil by a rectifier; a voltage measuring device configured to determine a value of a DC link voltage applied to the DC link capacitor when the supply voltage is supplied to the primary coil; and a control unit configured to perform, based on the determined value of the DC link voltage or a variable derived therefrom, at least one function comprising:
outputting a first acoustic signal when the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is below a first threshold value;
outputting a second acoustic signal when the determined value of the DC link voltage of the variable derived therefrom is above the first threshold value and below a second threshold value, wherein the second acoustic signal differs from the first acoustic signal in at least one of a repetition frequency, tonal range, or volume; and
discontinuing the second acoustic signal and outputting a switch signal to close a first switch to connect an energy storage unit to the rectifier the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is above the second threshold value, wherein the second threshold value is higher than the first threshold value.

11 . The receiver unit of claim 10 , wherein the at least one function comprises outputting of at least one additional signal different from the acoustic signal when the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is below a second threshold value different from the first threshold value.

12 . The receiver unit of claim 10 , wherein the voltage measuring device is configured to determine the value of the DC link voltage continuously or repeatedly, and wherein the at least one function comprises varying the acoustic signal depending on the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom.

13 . The receiver unit of claim 10 , wherein the at least one function comprises supplying energy to a load connected to the rectifier and/or charging the energy storage unit connected to the rectifier when the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is above a threshold value.

14 . The receiver unit of claim 13 , wherein the control unit is configured to not supply the load with energy or to not charge the energy storage unit for as long as the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom is below the threshold value.

15 . The receiver unit of claim 13 , wherein the energy storage unit is connected to the rectifier via a buck converter.

16 . The receiver unit of claim 10 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine a coupling factor between the primary coil and the secondary coil from the determined value of the DC link voltage or the variable derived therefrom, and wherein the control unit is configured to perform the at least one function based on the determined coupling factor.

Assignees

• Kardion Gmbh

Inventors

• Araujo Samuel Vasconcelos
• Jiptner Michael

Classifications

• H02M5/4585

  having a rectifier with controlled elements · CPC title

• A61N1/3787 Primary

  from an external energy source · CPC title

• A61M2205/8243

  by induction · CPC title

• A61M60/875

  specially adapted for optimising alignment of external and implantable coils · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title