Implantable medical system with external power charger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021194289-A1
Application number	US-202017124663-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 17, 2020
Priority date	Dec 18, 2019
Publication date	Jun 24, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An implantable medical system includes an implantable medical device and a external charger. The implantable medical device includes a rechargeable power source, electronic components coupled to the rechargeable power source to deliver a therapy to or monitor a parameter of a patient, and a recharge system operably coupled to the rechargeable power source including a secondary coil to receive power via an inductive power transfer. The external charger includes a housing forming an internal compartment, recharger electronic components disposed on a printed circuit board assembly in the internal compartment, and a recharge coil assembly disposed within the internal compartment, the recharge coil assembly including a recharge coil to provide power to the secondary coil via the inductive power transfer and a flux guide having a ferrite sheet disposed between the recharge coil and the printed circuit board assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An implantable medical system comprising:
an implantable medical device comprising:
electronic components to deliver a therapy to or monitor a parameter of a patient, the electronic components coupled to a rechargeable power source; and
a recharge system operably coupled to the rechargeable power source, the recharge system including a secondary coil to receive power via an inductive power transfer; and
an external charger comprising:
a housing forming an internal compartment;
recharger electronic components disposed on a printed circuit board assembly in the internal compartment; and
a recharge coil assembly disposed within the internal compartment, the recharge coil assembly including a recharge coil to provide power to the secondary coil via the inductive power transfer and a flux guide having a ferrite sheet disposed between the recharge coil and the printed circuit board assembly.

2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the recharge coil assembly includes a telemetry coil operably coupled to the recharger electronic components to provide inductive telemetry with the implantable medical device.

3 . The system of claim 2 wherein the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are coreless.

4 . The system of claim 3 wherein the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are flat, concentric, co-axial, and coplanar.

5 . They system of claim 4 wherein the recharge coil assembly includes an insulative bobbin, and the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are disposed on the insulative bobbin.

6 . The system of claim 5 wherein the insulative bobbin is a plastic bobbin.

7 . The system of claim 4 wherein the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are generally parallel with a major wall of the housing, wherein the major wall of the housing interfaces with the patient.

8 . The system of claim 7 wherein the recharge coil assembly is in contact with the major wall of the housing.

9 . The system of claim 2 wherein the recharge electronic components include a telemetry capacitor coupled to the telemetry coil to form a telemetry tank circuit.

10 . The system of claim 9 wherein the telemetry tank circuit includes a resonant frequency of about 175 KHz.

11 . The system of claim 9 wherein the recharge electronic components include a recharge capacitor coupled to the recharge coil to form a recharge tank circuit.

12 . The system of claim 11 wherein the recharge tank circuit includes a resonant frequency selected from one of about 8.9 kHz, 40 kHz, and 110 kHz.

13 . The system of claim 12 wherein the recharge electronic components include relays coupled to the telemetry tank circuit and the recharge tank circuit such that if one of the telemetry tank circuit and the recharge tank circuit is active, the other of the telemetry tank circuit and the recharge tank circuit is inactive and open.

14 . The system of claim 1 wherein the implantable medical device includes an implantable neurostimulator.

15 . The system of claim 14 wherein the implantable neurostimulator is coupled to an implantable medical lead.

16 . The system of claim 1 wherein the external charger is disposed within a fixation product.

17 . The system of claim 16 wherein the fixation product is one of a fixation belt and a fixation drape.

18 . The system of 1 wherein the electronic components include a communication module configured to communicate with a handset programmer included in a mobile computing device.

19 . The system of claim 1 wherein the charger includes a rechargeable battery disposed in the internal compartment, wherein the recharge electronic components include a power management circuit and the rechargeable battery is coupled to a power management circuit.

20 . The system of claim 19 including a charging dock operably couplable to the power management circuit via a mechanical connection.

21 . The system of claim 1 wherein the rechargeable storage system includes a rechargeable battery on the implantable medical device.

22 . An external charger for an implantable medical device having a secondary coil in a patient, the external charger comprising:
a housing forming an internal compartment; electronic components disposed on a printed circuit board assembly disposed within the internal compartment; and a recharge coil assembly disposed within the internal compartment, the recharge coil assembly including:
a recharge coil to provide power to the secondary coil via inductive power transfer; and
a flux guide having a flexible ferrite sheet disposed between the recharge coil and the printed circuit board assembly.

23 . The external charger of claim 22 wherein the recharge coil assembly includes a telemetry coil operably coupled to the electronic components to provide inductive telemetry with the implantable medical device.

24 . The external charger of claim 23 wherein the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are coreless.

25 . The external charger of claim 24 wherein the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are flat, concentric and coplanar.

26 . They external charger of claim 25 wherein the recharge coil assembly includes an insulative bobbin, and the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are disposed on the insulative bobbin.

27 . The external charger of claim 26 wherein the insulative bobbin is a plastic bobbin.

28 . The external charger of claim 25 wherein the recharge coil and the telemetry coil are generally parallel with a major wall of the housing, wherein the major wall of the housing interfaces with the patient.

29 . The external charger of claim 28 wherein the recharge coil assembly is in contact with the major wall of the housing.

30 . The external charger of claim 23 wherein the electronic components include a telemetry capacitor coupled to the telemetry coil to form a telemetry tank circuit.

31 . The external charger of claim 30 wherein the telemetry tank circuit includes a resonant frequency of about 175 KHz.

32 . The external charger of claim 30 wherein the electronic components include a recharge capacitor coupled to the recharge coil to form a recharge tank circuit.

33 . The external charger of claim 32 wherein the recharge tank circuit includes a resonant frequency selected from one of about 8.9 kHz, 40 kHz, and 110 kHz.

34 . The external charger of claim 33 wherein the electronic components include relays coupled to the telemetry tank circuit and the recharge tank circuit such that if one of the telemetry tank circuit and the recharge tank circuit is active, the other of the telemetry tank circuit and the recharge tank circuit is inactive and open.

35 . The external charger of claim 22 wherein the electronic components include a radiofrequency telemetry module.

36 . The external charger of claim 35 comprising a flex antenna disposed within the internal compartment and operably coupled to the radiofrequency telemetry module.

37 . The external charger of claim 23 including a temperature sensor disposed within the internal compartment and operably coupled to the electronic components.

38 . The external charger of claim 22 wherein the electronic components include a

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Schulzetenberg Robert M
• Gaddam Venkat R
• Harper Jason H
• Otteson Brett

Classifications

• H02J7/40

  characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data · CPC title

• A61N1/3787 Primary

  from an external energy source · CPC title

• H02J50/12 Primary

  of the resonant type · CPC title

• A61N1/0551

  Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/37223

  Circuits for electromagnetic coupling · CPC title