Implant with MRI device recognition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9709638-B2
Application number	US-201514803014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Sep 1, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An implant with magnetic field recognition, such as an implant that recognizes fields generated by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device. The implant includes at least one voltage source, at least one control unit, at least one communication coil and an optical structure with a Faraday element. The optical structure includes at least one first and second polarization filters and at least one light detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An implantable medical device (IMD) comprising
at least one voltage source,
at least one control unit,
at least one communication coil, and
an optical structure, wherein the optical structure comprises
at least one light-emitting diode (LED),
at least one light detector,
at least one first and at least one second polarization filters, wherein each of the at least one first and at least one second polarization filters comprise a first side and a second side,
at least one optical fiber, wherein the at least one optical fiber is formed as a Faraday element, wherein the Faraday element comprises a first end and a second end, and,

at least one optical path,
wherein the at least one LED is electronically connected to the at least one communication coil such that the at least one LED emits light when a first high frequency (HF) field is coupled into the at least one communication coil,
wherein the at least one LED is connected to the first side of the at least one first polarization filter,
wherein the second side of the at least one first polarization filter is connected to the first end of the Faraday element,
wherein the first side of the at least one second polarization filter is connected to the second end of the Faraday element,
wherein the second side of the at least one second polarization filter is connected to the at least one light detector,
wherein the Faraday element further comprises at least one bend and wherein the Faraday element is divided by the at least one bend into at least two portions, and
wherein the Faraday element is fixedly anchored in a molded article via a bend corresponding to the at least one bend of the Faraday element.

2. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one bend produces an angle between the at least two portions of the Faraday element, wherein the angle is 90° in each case.

3. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one first and the at least one second polarization filters are set such that, without a presence of a magnetic field, no light exits through the at least one second polarization filter and no light impinges on the at least one light detector.

4. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the molded article comprises a light-impermeable material and wherein the molded article surrounds the Faraday element, such that light enters the Faraday element only through the first and the second sides associated with the at least one first and the at least one second polarization filters.

5. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the optical structure is entirely cast around with a light-impermeable plastic such that no stray light is coupled into or influences the optical structure.

6. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the Faraday element has a further comprises a Verdet constant of at least 2 radians per tesla per meter in a range of a light spectrum emitted by the at least one LED or part of the light spectrum emitted by the at least one LED.

7. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the Faraday element further comprises a glass fiber.

8. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the Faraday element further comprises at least one second bend, such that the Faraday element detects a magnetic field in all three spatial directions.

9. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one light detector is connected to an evaluation unit which determines, on the basis of an intensity change of a detected light, whether a magnetic field present comprises a magnetic flux density less than or equal to 1 tesla, or 1.5 tesla or 3 tesla or 7 tesla.

10. The IMD as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the evaluation unit generates a control signal depending on the magnetic flux density.

11. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second optical path that leads from the at least one LED to one or more of the at least one light detector and at least one further light detector, wherein the second optical path is configured as a reference path without allowing an intensity of the light emitted by the at least one LED to be influenced by a magnetic field.

12. The IMD as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the second optical path leads to the at least one further light detector, wherein the at least one light detector and the at least one further light detector are connected to the at least one evaluation unit, and wherein the at least one evaluation unit determines, on the basis of an intensity change of a detected light, whether the magnetic field present comprises a magnetic flux density less than or equal to 1 tesla, or 1.5 tesla or 3 tesla or 7 tesla.

13. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one LED is additionally connected to the at least one voltage source or to a further voltage source such that a lower second HF field coupling is sufficient for the at least one LED to emit light without the at least one LED additionally connected to the at least one voltage source or the further voltage source, wherein the lower second HF field coupling is lower than the first HF field coupling.

14. The IMD as claimed in 13 , wherein, due to the at least one LED additionally connected to the at least one voltage source or to the further voltage source, a bias is applied across the at least one LED and wherein the bias is below an opening limit of the at least one LED.

15. The IMD as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising at least one capacitor and at least one feed line from the at least one communication coil to the at least one LED, wherein the at least one capacitor is on the at least one feed line, and wherein the at least one LED is decoupled from direct current components by at least one capacitor.

Assignees

• Biotronik Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Lippitz Holger
• Weiss Ingo

Classifications

• G01R33/0322 Primary

  using the Faraday or Voigt effect · CPC title

• G01R33/285

  Invasive instruments, e.g. catheters or biopsy needles, specially adapted for tracking, guiding or visualization by NMR · CPC title

• A61N1/3718

  Monitoring of or protection against external electromagnetic fields or currents · CPC title

• A61B5/0031

  Implanted circuitry · CPC title

• G01R33/288

  Provisions within MR facilities for enhancing safety during MR, e.g. reduction of the specific absorption rate [SAR], detection of ferromagnetic objects in the scanner room · CPC title