Miniaturized leadless rechargeable pacemaker for epicardial pacing: design and assembly

Abstract

An implantable medical device (IMD) has an electrode proximate tissue of a patient and a rechargeable energy storage device. The power receiving circuit receives electric energy from the wireless power transmission device. The power receiving circuit includes one or more secondary coils arranged to effectively receive wireless power when the primary coil is at any angle relative to the IMD. The IMD includes a non-conductive, hermetically sealed housing surrounding device circuitry including a rechargeable energy storage device, power receiving circuitry, processing circuitry, electrical stimulation circuitry, and other components that perform functions of the IMD. The housing may include one or more conductive ferrules that may provide a hermetic seal to the housing and act as electrodes to sense bioelectrical signals and / or deliver electrical stimulation therapy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to medical devices, and more particularly to implantable medical devices. Background Art

[0002] An implantable medical device that delivers electrical stimulation therapy and monitors bioelectrical and other signals from a patient may include leads that place electrodes proximal to a target tissue of the patient. In other examples, the implantable medical device may be leadless and include electrodes on a housing of the implantable medical device to monitor the patient and / or deliver electrical stimulation therapy. The implantable medical device may include an electrical energy storage device, such as a capacitor, a rechargeable battery, or a non-rechargeable battery, such as a primary battery. Summary of the invention

[0003] In general, the present disclosure describes a leadless implantable medical device (IMD) that includes an electrode proximate to a target tissue of a patient and a rechargeable electrical energy storage device. The IMD of the present disclosure includes a wireless power receiving circuit that is configured to receive wireless power from a primary coil of a power transmission device. The power receiving circuit includes one or more secondary coils that are arranged to effectively receive wireless power from the primary coil when the primary coil is at any angle relative to the IMD. In some examples such as implantable epicardial devices, the IMD may move frequently and randomly relative to the primary coil based on the patient's movement, such as as the heart beats.

[0004] In addition, the IMD of the present disclosure includes a non-conductive, hermetically sealed housing that encloses device circuitry, including a rechargeable energy storage device, a power receiving circuit, a processing circuit, an electrical stimulation circuit, and other components that perform the functions of the IMD. Electrodes are mounted to or integrated with the housing, and the electrodes are arranged to be close to target tissue of the patient, such as cardiac tissue, neural tissue, muscle tissue, and other locations of the patient.

[0005] In one example, the present disclosure describes an implantable medical device, comprising: a circuit configured to receive wireless power; an energy storage device configured to provide electrical energy to the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to charge the energy storage device using the wireless power; a secondary antenna configured to receive the wireless power and conduct the wireless power to the circuit, the secondary antenna comprising: a first coil defining a first hole oriented in a first direction; a second coil defining a second hole oriented in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first hole; a third coil defining a third hole, wherein the third hole: is oriented in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction; and an area of ​​the third hole is at least twice the area of ​​either the first hole or the second hole.

[0006] In another example, the present disclosure describes a wireless power transmission system, which includes: two or more electrodes, which are configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of a patient; an implantable medical device, which includes a circuit, which is configured to: measure the patient's bioelectric signals via the two or more electrodes; and receive wireless power; an energy storage device, which is configured to provide electrical energy to the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to charge the energy storage device using the wireless power; a secondary antenna, which is configured to receive the wireless power and conduct the wireless power to the circuit, the secondary antenna including: a first coil, which defines a first hole, which is oriented in a first direction; a second coil, which defines a second hole, which is oriented in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first hole; a third coil, which defines a third hole, wherein the third hole: is oriented in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction; and the area of ​​the third hole is at least twice the area of ​​either the first hole and the second hole.

[0007] In another example, the present disclosure describes a method of manufacturing a wireless power receiving device, the method comprising: forming a first coil around a ferrite core, wherein the first coil defines a first hole, the first hole being oriented in a first direction; forming a second coil around the ferrite core, wherein the second coil defines a second hole, the second hole being oriented in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first hole; arranging the ferrite core proximate to a circuit and electrically connecting the first coil and the second coil to the circuit; arranging an energy storage device proximate to the circuit and electrically connecting the energy storage device to the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to receive wireless power via the first coil and the second coil, wherein the circuit is configured to charge the energy storage device using the wireless power received during a charging session, wherein the energy storage device is configured to provide electrical energy to the circuit; and forming a third coil, the third coil defining a third hole, wherein the third hole: is oriented in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction; and an area of ​​the third hole is at least twice an area of ​​either the first hole or the second hole.

[0008] In another example, the present disclosure describes a method of manufacturing a wireless power receiving device, the method comprising: assembling a receiving coil of a plurality of receiving coils, wherein each receiving coil of the plurality of receiving coils comprises one or more coil windings containing a conductive material configured to carry an electric current; measuring the inductance of each receiving coil; calculating a value of a corresponding tuning circuit associated with each receiving coil based on an operating frequency range of the corresponding receiving coil; and verifying a resonant frequency of each receiving coil circuit, wherein each receiving coil circuit comprises the corresponding receiving coil and a corresponding tuning circuit.

[0009] In one example, the present disclosure describes an implantable medical device comprising: two or more electrodes configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of a patient; a circuit; and a non-conductive, airtightly sealed housing configured to enclose the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to measure bioelectric signals of the patient via the two or more electrodes; the non-conductive, airtightly sealed housing comprises a conductive collar configured to: airtightly seal the housing; and act as a first electrode among the two or more electrodes.

[0010] In another example, the present disclosure describes a wireless power transmission system comprising one or more antennas configured to receive wireless power from a power transmission device; an implantable medical device (IMD) comprising: two or more electrodes configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of a patient; a circuit; and a non-conductive, airtightly sealed housing configured to enclose the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to measure bioelectric signals of the patient via the two or more electrodes; the non-conductive, airtightly sealed housing comprising a conductive collar configured to: airtightly seal the housing; and act as a first electrode among the two or more electrodes.

[0011] In another example, the present disclosure describes a method of manufacturing a wireless power receiving device, the method comprising: assembling a cover to a base, wherein: a first circumference of the cover is aligned with a second circumference of the base; the circumference of the cover includes a conductive welding ring; the circumference of the cover includes a non-conductive gap in the welding ring; bonding the cover to the base; and hermetically sealing the cover to the base, wherein hermetically sealing the cover to the base includes: bonding the non-conductive gap in the cover to the base with a non-conductive adhesive.

[0012] The details of one or more examples of the disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an exemplary medical system in conjunction with a patient according to various examples described in the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of an IMD of a medical system.

[0015] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example rechargeable IMD in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0016] Figure 4A is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example X-coil and Y-coil secondary antenna, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0017] Figure 4B is a conceptual diagram of a D-shaped Z-coil in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0018] Figure 5A and Figure 5B is a conceptual diagram illustrating electrical conductors configured to form a receiving coil for an implantable medical device according to various examples described in the present disclosure.

[0019] Fig. 6A is a conceptual diagram of a flat spiral Z-coil in accordance with one or more techniques of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 6B is a conceptual diagram of a flat folded infinitely wound coil configured as a Z-coil, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0021] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example spirally wound coil implemented as an X-coil, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0022] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a receiving coil implemented as a Y coil, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0023] Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example planar coil implemented to receive wireless energy in multiple planes, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0024] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an exemplary three-coil wireless power receiving circuit according to one or more techniques of this disclosure.

[0025] Fig.11 , Fig.12 and Fig.13 is a flow chart illustrating an example method of manufacturing an implantable medical device in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present disclosure describes implantable medical devices, including receiving coil configurations for implantable medical devices, and associated techniques, structures, and assemblies configured to provide recharging of a power source positioned within a medical device that has been implanted in a patient. An implantable medical device (IMD) may include a receiving coil (also referred to as a secondary coil) located within a portion of a device housing. The receiving coil may be coupled to a recharging circuit and configured such that a current induced in the receiving coil provides a recharging current for a rechargeable power source of the IMD. The receiving coil may be made of one or more windings formed of separate electrical conductors, such as a plurality of strands of wire.

[0027] In some examples, the receiving coil can have a curved shape corresponding to the inner surface of the housing of the IMD, and in some examples, the coil can be located proximal to the flexible ferrite sheet. In other examples, the receiving coil of the present disclosure can also include a coil wrapped around a ferrite of various shapes (e.g., cylindrical, rectangular, and similar shapes). In some examples, the externally generated magnetic field applied to the receiving coil can be enhanced by the presence of the ferrite near the secondary coil to facilitate providing inductive recharging of a power source (such as a battery or supercapacitor) located with the IMD.

[0028] The housing of a power receiving device (such as a rechargeable IMD) may affect the amount of energy received by the power receiving device. A metal housing for a power receiving device may block radio frequency (RF) transmissions and may also cause eddy currents in the conductive housing. The conductive housing may also absorb the transmitted RF energy and, in some examples, may raise the temperature of the surrounding patient tissue, which may require reducing the amount of energy transmitted. In contrast, the non-conductive, hermetically sealed housing used for the power receiving device of the present disclosure may be RF transparent, which may provide the advantage of increased energy transfer efficiency compared to other types of systems. Even for power receiving devices that are implanted deeper in patient tissue than subcutaneous implants under the skin, the improved power transfer efficiency can provide benefits.

[0029] When it is necessary to recharge the power supply of an IMD including a receiving coil configuration and a housing as described in the present disclosure, the power transmission device can use one or more transmission coils (also referred to as primary coils) to generate a magnetic field (or a composite magnetic field formed by multiple magnetic fields). The composite magnetic field applied to the device can induce current into one or more of the windings of the receiving coil. The one or more induced currents can be used to recharge the power supply of the IMD and / or provide power for directly operating the device.

[0030] In an example of an IMD used to monitor or treat a patient's cardiac symptoms, the IMD can sense the patient's cardiac electrogram (EGM) and / or other physiological signals or characteristics. In some examples, electrodes used by the IMD to sense the cardiac EGM are integrated with the housing of the IMD and / or coupled to the IMD via one or more elongated leads. Such an IMD can facilitate relatively long-term monitoring of a patient during normal daily activities and can periodically transmit the collected data to a network service, such as Medtronic's Carelink TM network.

[0031] In some examples of IMDs, primary (non-rechargeable) batteries with limited energy storage may be used for operation. Once the primary battery is exhausted, the device may need to be replaced, which, although minimally invasive, may still pose a surgical risk to the patient. In addition, limitations on available battery energy may result in limitations on treatment and / or monitoring features available to the patient.

[0032] The ability to recharge the power supply of an IMD, for example within a one-hour recharging period on a monthly or annual cycle, without having to remove the device to do so, can provide at least some benefits, including using a smaller power supply to help miniaturize the IMD itself, and allowing more power and therefore greater functionality for the implantable medical device by providing an overall longer operating life for the device using a smaller sized power supply.

[0033] Throughout this disclosure, references to a "receiving coil" or "secondary coil" refer to a coil winding formed from an electrical conductor that may or may not be coupled with one or more additional coil windings to form a receiving coil for an implantable medical device. The use of the term "antenna" may be used in place of or interchangeably with the term "coil" in any context involving a coil winding that is coupled to a recharging circuit of an implantable medical device and that may be configured to have a current induced into the coil winding for the purpose of providing electrical energy to the implantable medical device. In the present disclosure, a secondary coil may include multiple receiving coil elements and arrangements, wherein each of the coils may differ in terms of aperture area, orientation, number of turns, wire type (e.g., Litz wire or magnet wire) or composition (copper, silver, gold, etc.), and proximity (or lack thereof) to a ferrite core or ferrite sheet.

[0034] Throughout this disclosure, references to "magnetic field" are made in the context of one or more magnetic fields generated by one or more transmitting coils (also referred to as primary coils) external to the IMD. Typically, such one or more magnetic fields have parameters (e.g., amplitude or phase) that vary with time or with respect to the magnetic field direction of the magnetic field, resulting in a time rate of change of the net magnetic flux intensity applied to the coil windings of the receiving coil, and a corresponding change in electromotive force (emf) configured to generate one or more currents in the one or more coil windings.

[0035] Figure 1 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an exemplary medical system 10 in combination with a patient 12 according to various examples described in the present disclosure. The systems, devices, and methods described in the present disclosure may include a receive coil ( Figure 1 ) for charging the IMD 14, as described with respect to Figure 1As shown and described. For purposes of this description, an understanding of cardiovascular anatomy and function is assumed, and details are omitted except to the extent necessary or desired to explain the context of the disclosed technology. System 10 includes a rechargeable IMD 14 implanted at or near the site of a heart 18 of a patient 12; a transmission coil 20 coupled to an external computing device 22; and one or more servers 24. The systems, devices, and methods described herein may provide effective inductive coupling of the external computing device 22 with circuits within the IMD 14. Although described with respect to a medical device system including an IMD 14, in other examples, the wireless power transfer technology of the present disclosure may be applied to other types of devices. Examples of other types of devices may include mobile communication devices, sensor devices, actuator devices, or any other device in which receiving wireless power may be useful.

[0036] IMD 14 can communicate with external computing devices 22, servers 24 and Figure 1 In some examples, IMD 14 may be implanted outside the chest of patient 12 (e.g., subcutaneously in the Figure 1 In other examples, IMD 14 may be positioned near the sternum near or just below the level of patient 12's heart, e.g., at least partially within the outline of the heart. In other examples, IMD 14 may be proximate to, attached to, or implanted on the epicardium of heart 17, e.g., Figure 1 In other examples, IMD 14 may be positioned at other locations in patient 12, including for monitoring and stimulating the tibial nerve, sacral nerves, spinal cord, vagus nerve, deep brain stimulation positioned at or near one or more organs or other locations.

[0037] IMD 14 includes a plurality of electrodes 48 ( Figure 2 ), and may be configured to sense a cardiac electrogram (EGM) and other bioelectrical signals via a plurality of electrodes. In some examples, the electrodes may be integrated with a non-conductive, RF transparent housing of IMD 14. In various examples, IMD 14 may represent a cardiac monitor, a defibrillator, a cardiac resynchronization pacemaker / defibrillator, a pacemaker, an implantable pressure sensor, a neurostimulator, a glucose monitor, a drug pump, a pulse wave velocity measurement device, or any other implantable or external medical device.

[0038] In some examples, external computing device 22 may be a computing device having a display viewable by a user and an interface (i.e., a user input mechanism) for providing input to external computing device 22. In some examples, external computing device 22 may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a workstation, one or more servers, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, or another computing device that can run an application that enables the computing device to interact with IMD 14. External computing device 22 is configured to communicate with IMD 14 and optionally with other devices (e.g., a computer) via wireless communications. Figure 1 For example, the external computing device 22 may communicate with one or more servers 24 via near field communication technology (e.g., inductive coupling, NFC, or other communication technology that can operate at a range of less than 10 cm to 20 cm) and far field communication technology (e.g., according to 802.11 or RF telemetry based on a standard set or other communication technology that can operate at a range greater than near field communication technology).

[0039] External computing device 22 may be used to configure operating parameters of IMD 14. External computing device 22 may be used to retrieve data from IMD 14. The retrieved data may include values ​​of physiological parameters measured by IMD 14, indications of arrhythmia or other disease episodes detected by IMD 14, and physiological signals recorded by IMD 14. For example, external computing device 22 may retrieve a cardiac EGM segment recorded by IMD 14, e.g., because IMD 14 determined that an arrhythmia or another disease episode occurred during the segment, or in response to a request from patient 12 or another user to record the segment. In some examples, one or more remote computing devices may interact with IMD 14 in a manner similar to external computing device 22, e.g., to program IMD 14 and / or retrieve data from IMD 14 via a network.

[0040] In some examples, external computing device 22 may be referred to as a wireless power transmission device or a recharger. External computing device 22 may output and control wireless power delivery to IMD 14. In other examples, system 10 may include two independent external computing devices, one for controlling wireless power delivery (as shown), and an independent computing device for programming and updating functional parameters of IMD 14 ( Figure 1 not shown).

[0041] In some examples, primary coil 20 may be implemented as one or more coils separate from external computing device 22, such as on an electrode rod or similar device. In other examples, primary coil 20 may be embedded in furniture, or embedded in cushions attached to furniture. In some examples, primary coil 20 may be located within a mattress, chair, car seat, or similar location so that patient 12 can conveniently deliver wireless power to IMD 14.

[0042] In various examples, IMD 14 may include one or more additional sensor circuits configured to sense specific physiological or neural parameters associated with patient 12. For example, IMD 14 may include a sensor operable to sense a temperature at a location on IMD 14 or at a location on the patient where a temperature sensor coupled to IMD 14 by a lead ( Figure 1 In one example, IMD 14 may include a sensor configured to sense the temperature of patient 12 (not shown). In another example, IMD 14 may include a sensor configured to sense motion or position and, for example, an accelerometer to sense steps taken by patient 12 and / or changes in position or posture of patient 12. In various examples, IMD 14 may include a sensor configured to detect the breathing of patient 12. In various examples, IMD 14 may include a sensor configured to detect the heartbeat of patient 12. In various examples, IMD 14 may include a sensor configured to measure systemic blood pressure or other biometrics of patient 12.

[0043] In some examples, system 10 may include one or more other sensors implanted in patient 12, i.e., implanted at least below the level of the patient's skin. Figure 1 12 ). In some examples, one or more of the sensors of IMD 14 may be positioned external to patient 12, e.g., as part of a cuff or as a wearable device, such as a device embedded in clothing worn by patient 12. In various examples, IMD 14 may be configured to sense one or more physiological parameters associated with patient 12 and transmit data corresponding to the sensed one or more physiological parameters to external computing device 22.

[0044] In various examples, data transmission from IMD 14 to external computing device 22 can be performed via wireless transmission, e.g., using any of the formats described above for wireless communication formats. In various examples, IMD 14 can wirelessly communicate with an external device (e.g., one or more instruments) in addition to or in addition to external computing device 22, such as a transceiver or access point that provides a wireless communication link between IMD 14 and a network. In various examples, the transceiver is a communication circuit included in recharging circuit 30, wherein the communication circuit of external computing device 22 is configured to communicate with IMD 14 during the recharging process, as further described below. The above with respect to Figure 1 Examples of communication techniques used by any of the described devices may include radio frequency (RF) telemetry, which may be via RF link established by Wi-Fi or Medical Implant Communications Service (MICS).

[0045] In some examples, system 10 may include Figure 1 More or fewer components as shown. For example, in some examples, system 10 may include multiple additional IMDs implanted in patient 12, such as implantable pacemaker devices or other IMDs. In these examples, rechargeable IMD 14 may serve as a hub device for the other IMDs. For example, the additional IMDs may be configured to communicate with rechargeable IMD 14, which will then communicate with an external computing device 22, such as a user's smartphone, via a low-energy telemetry protocol. Rechargeable IMD 14 may provide a theoretically unlimited energy capacity because IMD 14 may not need to be replaced or otherwise removed. Therefore, IMD 14 may provide more frequent telemetry information and the ability to more proactively titrate therapy.

[0046] For the remainder of this disclosure, general references to medical device systems may generally refer to any examples including medical device system 10, general references to IMD 14 may generally refer to any examples including IMD 14, general references to sensor circuits may generally refer to any examples of sensor circuits including IMD 14, and general references to external devices may generally refer to any examples of external computing devices 22.

[0047] Figure 2 It shows Figure 11 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary configuration of an IMD 14 of a medical system 10 of the present invention. In the example shown, the IMD 14 includes a receiving coil 16, a recharging circuit 30, a rechargeable power source 32, a processing circuit 34, a memory 36, a communication circuit 38, a communication antenna 40, a sensing circuit 42, a sensor 44, including an accelerometer 46, and electrodes 48A and 48B (collectively referred to as "electrodes 48"). Although the example shown includes two electrodes 48, in other examples, the IMD 14 may be coupled to more than two electrodes 48.

[0048] Processing circuit 34 may include fixed function circuits and / or programmable processing circuits. Processing circuit 34 may include any one or more of a microprocessor, a controller, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or equivalent discrete or analog logic circuits. In some examples, processing circuit 34 may include multiple components (such as any combination of one or more microprocessors, one or more controllers, one or more DSPs, one or more ASICs, or one or more FPGAs) and other discrete or integrated logic circuits. The functions attributed to processing circuit 34 herein may be embodied as software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof.

[0049] The sensing circuit 42 is coupled to the electrode 48. The sensing circuit 42 can sense signals from the electrode 48, for example to generate a cardiac EGM to facilitate monitoring of the electrical activity of the heart. The processing circuit 34 can receive instructions from the sensing circuit 42 to determine the heart rate or heart rate variability, or detect an arrhythmia (e.g., a tachyarrhythmia or bradycardia), a patient's respiratory rhythm, bioimpedance, or other bioelectrical signals via the electrode 48. The sensing circuit 42 can also monitor signals from the sensor 44, which can include one or more accelerometers 46, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, and / or optical sensors as examples. In some examples, the sensing circuit 42 may include one or more filters and amplifiers for filtering and amplifying signals received from the electrode 48 and / or the sensor 44.

[0050] Sensing circuit 42 and / or processing circuit 34 may be configured to detect cardiac depolarization (e.g., a P wave for atrial depolarization or an R wave for ventricular depolarization) when the cardiac EGM amplitude exceeds a sensing threshold. In some examples, for cardiac depolarization detection, sensing circuit 42 may include a rectifier, a filter, an amplifier, a comparator, and / or an analog-to-digital converter. In some examples, sensing circuit 42 may output an indication to processing circuit 34 in response to sensing of cardiac depolarization. In this way, processing circuit 34 may receive detected cardiac depolarization indicators corresponding to the occurrence of detected R waves and P waves in corresponding chambers of the heart. Processing circuit 34 may use the indications of detected R waves and P waves to determine depolarization intervals, heart rate, and detect arrhythmias, such as tachyarrhythmias, bradyarrhythmias, and asystole.

[0051] Sensing circuit 42 may also provide one or more digitized cardiac EGM signals to processing circuit 34 for analysis, such as for cardiac rhythm discrimination. In some examples, processing circuit 34 may store the digitized cardiac EGM in memory 36. Processing circuit 34 of IMD 14 and / or processing circuitry of another device that retrieves data from IMD 14 may analyze the cardiac EGM.

[0052] In some examples, IMD 14 may include therapy delivery circuitry 43. Therapy delivery circuitry 43 may be configured to output electrical stimulation therapy to a target tissue of a patient, such as to cardiac tissue, neural tissue, and similar patient tissue. In some examples, processing circuitry 34 may control one or more parameters of electrical stimulation from therapy delivery circuitry 43 based on bioelectrical signals sensed by sensing circuitry 42. For example, processing circuitry 34 may determine that a ventricular contraction is later than expected, e.g., the duration since a previous contraction exceeds a duration threshold. The processing circuitry may cause the therapy delivery circuitry to output electrical stimulation therapy in the form of pacing pulses to cause the patient's heart to contract.

[0053] Communication circuitry 38 may include any suitable hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof, for communicating with another device, such as external computing device 22, another networked computing device, or another IMD or sensor. Under the control of processing circuitry 34, communication circuitry 38 may receive downlink telemetry from external computing device 22 or another device and send uplink telemetry to the external computing device or another device via an internal or external antenna, such as antenna 40. In addition, processing circuitry 34 may communicate with an external device, such as an IMD, via a wireless communication interface. Figure 1 external computing device 22) and such as Medtronic The computer network of the network communicates with the networked computing device. Antenna 40 and communication circuit 38 can be configured to transmit and / or receive signals via inductive coupling, electromagnetic coupling, near field communication (NFC), radio frequency (RF) communication, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or other proprietary or non-proprietary wireless communication schemes. The communication antenna 40 can be high-frequency telemetry data such as about 2.4 gigahertz (GHz). IMD 14 can receive messages from an external computing device 20, another medical device worn or implanted in the patient 12, or some other source, which can enable IMD 14 to measure or deliver electrical stimulation therapy via electrodes or other sensors.

[0054] In some examples, memory 36 includes computer-readable instructions that, when executed by processing circuitry 34, cause IMD 14 and processing circuitry 34 to perform various functions attributed to IMD 14 and processing circuitry 34 herein. Memory 36 may include any volatile, nonvolatile, magnetic, optical, or electrical medium, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), flash memory, or any other digital media. As an example, memory 36 may store programmed values ​​for one or more operating parameters of IMD 14 and / or data collected by IMD 14, such as posture, heart rate, activity level, respiratory rate, therapy delivery statistics, and other parameters, as well as digitized versions of physiological signals sensed by IMD 14, for transmission to another device using communication circuitry 38.

[0055] IMD 14 includes a rechargeable power source 32 that can be coupled to electronic circuits provided in IMD 14 and configured to provide power to these circuits outside of a charging session (e.g., when not receiving wireless power from the primary coil). Power source 32 can be an electrical energy storage device that can be inductively recharged by applying one or more magnetic fields to IMD 14, wherein energy from these applied fields can induce electrical energy into receiving coil 16 and thereby into recharging circuit 30.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, device recharging circuitry 30 is coupled to power source 32 and can receive electrical energy induced in receiving coil 16 by one or more electromagnetic fields applied to the coil during a charging session and condition the energy to provide a level of energy that is provided to power source 32 for recharging power source 32 and / or powering other circuitry included as part of IMD 14. Device recharging circuitry 30 can power primary coils (e.g., as described above with respect to Figure 1The primary coil 20 described above performs various energy conditioning functions on the energy inductively generated in the receiving coil 16 during the charging session. For example, the recharging circuit 30 can provide rectification, voltage level regulation, current level regulation, and / or other signal processing functions to generate the provided “recharging energy” to charge the power source 32.

[0057] In the example shown, IMD 14 includes processing circuitry 34 and associated memory 36, sensing circuitry 42, one or more sensors 44, and communication circuitry 38 coupled to antenna 40 as described above. However, IMD 14 need not include all of these components, or may include additional components.

[0058] The processing circuit 34 can be configured to provide information including charge status and / or temperature information associated with a battery (e.g., a battery positioned in the IMD 14), determine an inductive coupling level (e.g., an energy level generated in a receiving coil positioned in the IMD 14 as a result of one or more electromagnetic fields applied to the IMD 14), and generate information associated with the inductively received energy for transmission by a communications antenna of the IMD 14 or a separate antenna and associated power conditioning circuitry.

[0059] In various examples, processing circuitry 34 is coupled to device recharging circuitry 30 and receives information such as the level of current induced in coil 16 as a result of electrical energy received by the antenna via magnetic energy applied to IMD 14 for recharging power source 32. Processing circuitry 34 may provide this and other information, such as charging rate and temperature information associated with power source 32, in the form of output signals to communication circuitry 38 for transmission from IMD 14 to one or more external devices, such as external computing device 22 ( Figure 1 ). This transmitted information can be used by an external device to control one or more aspects of the recharging process.

[0060] For example, this information transmitted from IMD 14 may be used to control the positioning and / or level of power applied to a recharging coil or a pair of coils positioned external to IMD 14 and generating one or more magnetic fields applied to IMD 14. Figure 1 The depicted external computing device 22 may be configured to energize and control electrical parameters of a primary coil that generates one or more magnetic fields that are applied to IMD 14 to recharge power source 32 based on information transmitted from IMD 14. Additionally, other information, such as temperature and field strength information transmitted from IMD 14, may be used by processing circuitry of external computing device 22 to control the recharging process, for example, by adjusting the field strength generated by the external coil, or, for example, by shutting down the external coil to stop the recharging process.

[0061] Figure 3 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an exemplary rechargeable IMD according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. Figure 1 and Figure 2 An example of an IMD 14 is described. IMD 100 may include an RF transparent cover 101 and an RF transparent base 104 that includes one or more power receiving antennas, circuitry 120, and an energy storage device 106. In some examples, base 104 includes a bottom and sides that, together with cover 101, provide an airtight sealed housing that surrounds the circuitry and other components of IMD 100. In other examples, base 104 is implemented as side walls and cover 101, which, together with a second RF transparent cover 128, provides an airtight sealed housing. Cover 101 and cover 128 may be made of a variety of materials, including ceramics, such as including polycrystalline alumina, single crystal alumina (sapphire), zirconia, zirconia toughened alumina, alumina toughened zirconia, glass, and other similar RF transparent materials.

[0062] The circuit 120 may include processing circuits, communication circuits, sensing circuits, stimulation therapy circuits, and the like. Figure 2 Circuit 120 may be connected to a telemetry antenna ( Figure 3 not shown), for example Figure 2 The communication antenna 40 can be positioned below the circuit 120. The circuit 120 can be connected to the electrode 102 and to a conductive welding ring 122, such as a conductive ferrule that acts as a second electrode. The welding ring 122 is a conductive material, such as a metal ring, niobium, tantalum, titanium, or other conductive material, which can be used to seal the cover 101 to the base 104 using any of a variety of processes (including laser welding, temperature diffusion bonding, or similar sealing processes). In examples where the IMD 100 includes a second cover, the IMD 100 may also include a second welding ring that is used to seal the second cover 128 to the base 104. The second welding ring can be connected to the circuit 120 as a third electrode. The electrodes can provide a path for bioelectrical sensing and electrical stimulation therapy delivery, as described above with respect to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some examples, the second cover 128 may include a structure similar to the electrode 102 ( Figure 3 Another electrode (not shown) is also connected to the circuit 120.

[0063] In some examples, a welding ring 126 bonded to the housing (e.g., bonded to the base 104) and a welding ring bonded to the cover (e.g., welding ring 122) form an electrical connection during manufacturing. For the cover 101, when the cover 101 is closed on the housing, the welding ring 122 cooperates with the welding ring 126 and is laser welded or otherwise bonded to form an airtight device. In fact, at this point, the welding ring 122 and the welding ring 126 become a single electrode. When implanted in patient tissue, the electrode formed by the welding rings 122 and 126 can act as a return electrode (anode) for the IMD. The electrode 102 can act as a stimulation electrode (cathode). Similarly, the second cover 128 may include a welding ring ( Figure 3 104 ), which is bonded to the welding ring on the base 104 and also serves as an electrode located proximal to the target tissue of the patient. The electrode 102 can be electrically isolated from the welding ring 122 on the cover 101, for example before and after assembly and connection to the circuit 120.

[0064] Energy storage device 106 may be a battery, supercapacitor, or similar energy storage device. Energy storage device 106 may provide power to circuit 120 to perform sensing and other functions of IMD 100. Circuit 120 may include a recharging circuit configured to conduct wireless power received by the power receiving antenna to energy storage device 106, which may have the same configuration as described above with respect to FIG. Figure 2 The recharging circuit 30 described above functions the same or similarly.

[0065] In some examples, welding rings 122 and 126 can be bonded to the entire circumference of base 104 and lid 101. In some other examples, welding rings 122 and welding rings 126 can also include non-conductive gaps 124. Non-conductive gaps 124 can ensure that welding rings 122 are incomplete conductive rings, which can avoid being caused by the primary coil (e.g., Figure 1 The eddy currents induced in the welding ring 122 by the electromagnetic field generated by the primary coil 20 of the cover. In some examples, after the cover is bonded to the base 104, the non-conductive gap 124 can be filled with a biocompatible non-conductive material. For example, the welding ring 122 and the welding ring 126 can be bonded using a laser welding process, and after the laser welding process, the gap 124 is filled, for example, using a low-temperature bonding process. In other examples, the gap 124 can be filled, for example, using a low-temperature bonding process before the same bonding process as the welding rings 122 and 126 or during the bonding process. In other examples, the welding ring of the present disclosure may include the entire circumference of the cover 101 and the base 104, and the welding ring may not have a gap. In some examples, the low-temperature bonding process may include a diffusion bonding seal, such as niobium (Nb) sputtering, to bond the welding ring at the interface of the cover 101 and the base 104.

[0066] The power receiving antenna of IMD 100 may include Y coil 114, X coil 112, and Z coil 118, which are described above with respect to Figure 2 The Y coil 114, X coil 112, and Z coil 118 can act as secondary coils (e.g., secondary antennas) to receive signals from the primary coil (e.g., as described above with respect to Figure 1 The wireless power is received by the primary coil 20 described above. The three-axis orientation of the secondary antenna of IMD 100 can provide efficient wireless power transfer without regard to the relative orientation of primary coil 20 and IMD 100. Because IMD 100 may be positioned proximal to the epicardium of the patient's heart, IMD 100 may be in almost constant motion due to cardiac fluctuations during the cardiac cycle.

[0067] In some examples, the X coil 112 and the Y coil 114 may be wound around a ferrite core ( Figure 3 Rectangular ferrite cores can result in Figure 3 The X coil 112 and the Y coil 114 are shown in the rectangular shape. Figure 3 As shown, the antenna aperture of the X-coil 112 can be oriented in the X direction, and the antenna aperture of the Y-coil 114 can be oriented in the Y direction, for example, orthogonal to the X-coil 112. The ferrite core can provide improved magnetic coupling between the primary coil and the X-coil 112 and the Y-coil 114 compared to the secondary coil without ferrite. In addition, the ferrites of the X-coil 112 and the Y-coil 114 can also provide improved magnetic coupling between the primary coil and the Z-coil 118 and between the telemetry coil and the external computing device ( Figure 3 Provides improved magnetic coupling between communication antennas on (not shown).

[0068] In some examples, Z-coil 118 may be configured as Figure 3 104, for example, surrounding the circuit 120 and the energy storage device 106. The IMD 100 may also include a flexible ferrite 110 that is placed next to the Z-coil 118 and conforms to the shape of the Z-coil. Figure 3101 ), the Z coil 118 can be implemented as a flat spirally wound coil placed below or above the circuit 120, the X coil 112 and the Y coil 114, and the energy storage device 106, such as a flat spirally wound coil parallel to the plane of the cover 101. The flat coil example of the Z coil 118 can also have a flat ferrite sheet placed parallel to the coil and the cover 101 to improve magnetic coupling. The hole of the Z coil 118 is oriented in the Z direction, as shown in the D-shaped or flat spirally wound example, which is substantially orthogonal to the holes of the X coil 112 and the Y coil 114. In the present disclosure, "substantially" or "approximately", such as "substantially orthogonal", means within the manufacturing and measurement tolerance range. In other words, approximately equal values ​​are equal within the tolerance range, and substantially orthogonal is orthogonal within the tolerance range.

[0069] The circuit 120 may include a tuning circuit for each receive coil, such as a tuning capacitor, which may set the resonant frequency of each receive coil to the same frequency as described above with respect to FIG. Figure 1 The wireless power transmission device described is compatible. The hole size, number of windings, and other characteristics of each receiving coil can be different from each other, and therefore the tuning circuit can be different, such as the value of one or more tuning capacitors. For example, the larger antenna hole of the Z coil 118 can provide improved wireless power reception when compared to the X coil 112 and the Y coil 114 having smaller holes. Therefore, the tuning circuit of the Z coil 118 can be different from the tuning circuit of the X coil 112 and the Y coil 114 to ensure that all three receiving coils operate with compatible resonance. In some examples, all receiving coils can conduct wireless energy to the circuit 120 at the same time. For each coil, the amount of conducted energy (e.g., the amount of current) at any point in time can be different and is based on how the particular coil is oriented relative to the primary coil.

[0070] In some examples, the capacitance of a tuning capacitor for a tuned circuit can be determined based on the measured inductance and the selected operating frequency or operating frequency range. Due to the different shapes and different number of turns of each coil, the inductance (Ls) of each coil may be different for each coil. As one possible example, the capacitance of the tuned circuit is calculated based on the following formula

[0071]

[0072] Where "freq" is the operating recharging frequency, which may be within a certain frequency range, such as a frequency within 100kHz to 10Mhz. The operating recharging frequency may be the primary coil (e.g., Figure 1 The operating frequency may be selected to be a frequency that efficiently transfers electrical energy between the primary and secondary coils and a frequency that is less likely to be absorbed by the patient's tissue.

[0073] Figure 4A 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an exemplary X-coil and Y-coil secondary antenna according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. Figure 3 An example of an X-coil 112 and a Y-coil 114 is depicted. As described above, the X-coil 212 and the Y-coil 214 may be wound around a ferrite 226, which may provide improved magnetic coupling for wireless power transmitted by the primary coil.

[0074] Figure 4B is a conceptual diagram of a D-shaped Z coil according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. Z coil 218 is a Figure 3 The Z-coil 218 is an example of a Z-coil 118 described above and can be positioned around the perimeter of the base 104, for example, surrounding the circuit 120 and the energy storage device 106. In some examples, the Z-coil 218 can also have a flexible ferrite sheet 210 located proximal to the Z-coil 218, as described above with respect to Figure 3 The flexible ferrite sheet may be positioned around the outer perimeter or the inner perimeter (eg, the periphery) of the Z-coil 218 .

[0075] exist Figure 4B In the example of FIG. 1 , Z-coil 218 is a D-shaped coil. However, in other examples, Z-coil 218 may be oval, circular, rectangular, or any other shape. The shape of Z-coil 218 may depend on the available space inside the housing of the IMD. The hole of Z-coil 218 may be larger than described above with respect to Figure 3 and Figure 4A 2 and 214. In some examples, the area of ​​the aperture of Z-coil 218 may be at least twice the area of ​​the aperture of X-coil 212 and Y-coil 214.

[0076] Figure 5A and Figure 5B is a conceptual diagram showing electrical conductors configured to form a receiving coil for an implantable medical device according to various examples described in the present disclosure. Figure 5A In the example of , the electrical conductors 302 are arranged to form a receiving coil 300, which can be used in a device configured to receive wireless power, such as an implantable medical device according to various examples described in the present disclosure. Figure 5A In the example of FIG. 1 , the first end of the electrical conductor 302 is electrically coupled to the first lead 304, and the second end of the electrical conductor 302 is electrically coupled to the second lead 306. The first lead 304 and the second lead 306 can be configured to extend to the receiving coil 300 and electrically couple the receiving coil with a wireless power receiving circuit, such as the wireless power receiving circuit described above with respect to FIG. Figures 1 to 4BAs described above, current can be induced into the receiving coil 300 by a magnetic field applied to the receiving coil 300 (e.g., by connecting to the primary coil 20 of the wireless power transmission device), such as Figure 1 The received current may be used to recharge a power source of an implantable medical device coupled to the receiving coil, and / or to directly power operation of circuitry of the device.

[0077] In some examples, the overall thickness dimension of the receiving coil 300 (eg, the thickness dimension of the receiving coil 300 ) may be the thickness of the diameter of the electrical conductor 302 . In other words, Figure 5A The coil windings of the receiving coil 300 shown in FIG. 3 can be configured as a planar coil having any shape, including an elliptical shape, a D-shape, and other similar shapes. In some examples, the outer boundary shape of the coil can conform to the shape of the device housing, such as Figure 3 The shape of the base 104 depicted in FIG. 1 is conformal.

[0078] The positions of the first lead 304 and the second lead 306 are not limited to any particular arrangement, such as Figure 5A In some examples, leads 304 and 306 may extend from other locations of the coil winding of receive coil 300, including extending first lead 304 and second lead 306 from different portions of the coil winding such that the leads do not extend from portions of the receive coil that are immediately adjacent to each other.

[0079] The electrical conductor 302 is not limited to being formed of any particular type of material and may be formed of any type of electrical conductor, including conductive metals such as copper, that is formed into a wire and can be easily bent to form a desired shape for forming a coil winding for the receiving coil 70. Figure 5A The electrical conductors of the receiving coil 300 in the embodiment may include an insulating material (such as enamel) coated on the outer surface of the conductor to provide an insulating layer between the individual coil windings. In various examples, the electrical conductors used to form the receiving coil 300 are multi-strand conductors (such as Litz wire), where the electrical conductors used to form each winding are insulated along the outer surface of the electrical conductor using a coating (such as enamel) to reduce the skin effect of the electrical conductor.

[0080] In some examples, such as Figure 5A The receiving coil 300 shown in FIG. 1 can be manipulated to include a single half twist of a portion of the receiving coil 300 so that the receiving coil is formed as shown in FIG. Figure 5A The shape of the infinite loop is shown in Figure 5AAs shown, the windings of the electrical conductor 302 form a first loop 308 and a second loop 310 coupled to the first loop at a crossover region 312. A winding of the receive coil 300, whose end is coupled to the first lead 304, extends from the first lead 304 and extends around the outermost winding of the first loop 308 before reaching the crossover region 312. This same winding extends from the crossover region 312 to form a portion of the winding included in the second loop 310 before returning to the crossover region 312 again. The windings of the receive coil 300 continue to form a progressive series of windings that form a portion of the winding in the first loop 308, extend to the crossover region 312, and form a winding in the second loop 310 before returning to the crossover region 312 again until reaching the end of the conductor 302 coupled to the second lead 306. The total number of turns formed by the winding passing around the first loop 308 , through the crossover region 312 , and around the second loop 310 is not limited to any particular number of turns, and in some examples may be ten turns or some other number of turns.

[0081] The receiving coil 300 in the infinite loop shape is firstly connected as follows Figure 5A In the example of a circular or elliptical winding shape shown in FIG. 1 , all of the electrical conductors 302 aligned in the intersection region 312 may be located above or below all other portions of the electrical conductors 302 that are aligned with each other and pass through the intersection region. For example, all portions of the electrical conductors 302 that are aligned with each other when entering and leaving the intersection region 312 are located above other conductors (e.g., in FIG. 1 ). Figure 5A 302 ) or are both located below the other conductors (e.g., passing underneath). Thus, in some examples, the thickness dimension of the infinity-shaped coil at the intersection region 312 can be greater than the combined thickness dimension of two or more portions of the electrical conductor 302 .

[0082] As the receiving coil 300 is first formed into a single loop and then twisted to form Figure 5A An alternative to the infinity-shaped portion of the coil loop shown in Figure 5AThe infinitely shaped coil of the receiving coil 300 may be initially wound in a figure-eight pattern to form the infinitely shaped coil. In various examples of winding the figure-eight pattern to form the infinitely shaped coil, the winding in the outermost winding of the electrical conductor 302 around the first loop 308 may be arranged as the innermost winding of the electrical conductor 302 around the second loop 310. The routing of the electrical conductor 302 may continue in a manner such that the second outermost portion of the electrical conductor 302 within the first loop 308 continues like the second innermost portion of the electrical conductor 302 formed within the second loop 310. By continuing to form the windings of the receiving coil 300 alternatively using such outermost and innermost patterns relative to the first loop 308 and the second loop 310, the thickness of the winding at the intersection region 312 may be maintained to be no greater than the combined thickness dimension of the two windings in the windings of the electrical conductor 302. Therefore, such a pattern may provide a flatter or less thick coil winding in the portion of the electrical conductor 302 that crosses each other within the intersection region 312.

[0083] In some examples, the receiving coil 300 may be formed into a curved shape, whether by twisting a circular or elliptical coil or by winding the receiving coil in a figure eight pattern to form the receiving coil 300 into an infinitely shaped coil. When formed into a curved shape, such as Figure 5A As shown, the receiving coil 300 may or may not be attached to the ferrite sheet ( Figure 5A ), and the receiving coil 300 is positioned so that the curvature of the receiving coil 300 corresponds to, for example, the inner surface of the antenna window or along the power receiving device (such as described above with respect to Figure 1 and Figure 3 Another portion of the housing of the implantable medical device 14 or IMD 100 described herein.

[0084] like Figure 5A In the example of FIG. 3 , the receiving coil 300 is bent along the length of the longitudinal axis 314 so that a longitudinal dimension corresponding to the longitudinal axis 314 of the receiving coil forms a curved shape 316. In other examples, the receiving coil 300 can form a flat planar coil that can be aligned with a flat portion of a device housing (such as described above with respect to FIG. Figure 3 The shape of the cover 101) is described as conformal.

[0085] The amount of bend along longitudinal axis 314 can correspond to the curvature of an inner surface of a housing of IMD 100 (e.g., base 104), such that receive coil 300 can be attached along and positioned directly adjacent to a portion of the inner portion of the housing. In some examples, receive coil 300 is attached to a ferrite sheet. The shape of receive coil 300 (e.g., the amount of bend of receive coil 300) can be formed such that receive coil 300 can be attached to a surface of a ferrite sheet, and a surface of the ferrite sheet opposite the surface to which the receive coil is attached can be attached to contact and directly adjacent to a portion of the inner surface of the device housing.

[0086] In other examples, the receive coil 300 is not attached to the ferrite sheet.The receive coil 300 can be bent along the length of the longitudinal axis 314 and attached in direct contact with and directly adjacent to the inner surface of the housing.

[0087] Figure 5B One example of an electrical conductor configured to form a receiving coil 350 for an implantable medical device or some other wireless power receiving device according to various examples described in the present disclosure is shown. Figure 5B In the example of , the first electrical conductor is formed into a first coil winding indicated by bracket 352, the first electrical conductor having a first end 356 located at one end of the coil winding and a second end 358 located at an end of the electrical conductor opposite the first end 356. The first coil winding can be made of any type of electrical conductor, including conductive wire (such as Litz wire) as described throughout this disclosure. In other examples, Figure 5B The dual receive coils 350 in the example of FIG. 3 may be arranged as triple, quadruple, or any other number of coil windings ( Figure 5B not shown).

[0088] Figure 5B The example of also depicts that the second electrical conductor is formed into a second coil winding indicated by bracket 354, the second electrical conductor having a first end 360 located at one end of the coil winding and a second end 362 located at the end of the electrical conductor opposite to the second end 356. The second coil winding can also be made of any type of electrical conductor. The type of material used, overall size, and number of turns used to form the second coil winding are the same or similar to the type of material used, overall size, and number of turns used to form the first coil winding.

[0089] The first coil winding and the second coil winding may be attached to a ferrite sheet or a separate ferrite sheet, wherein the ferrite sheet may then be attached to a wireless power receiving device such as a Figure 3364. The inner surface of the inner cavity of the device can be formed into a curved surface, wherein the first coil winding and the second coil winding can be positioned adjacent to each other so that a longitudinal axis extending through each of the first coil winding and the second coil winding extends around or along a perimeter of the inner surface, and the longitudinal axis 364 can conform to the curvature of the inner surface of the implantable medical device (shown by double-headed arrow 366). The curvature separates the two loops of the dual-winding coil configuration into separate planes, and thus allows the dual-winding coil configuration to generate an induced current when a magnetic field is applied to one or both of the coil windings.

[0090] Similarly, when two independent surfaces of the device housing do not define a curved surface, the first coil winding and the second coil winding can be placed on the two surfaces. For example, the plane of the first coil winding can be positioned at an angle relative to the plane of the second coil winding, where in some examples, the angle can be defined by the geometry of the device. In other words, the angle can be based on the shape of the housing (e.g., two surfaces thereof are at an angle). In other examples, the angle can be determined by the surface of the housing and some other part of the wireless power receiving device (such as the energy storage device 106, the circuit 120, or some other part of the device, as described above with respect to Figure 3 Surface definition described).

[0091] The second end 358 of the first coil winding is electrically coupled to the second end 362 of the second coil winding. In some examples, the connection coupling the second end 358 and the second end 362 can be on a circuit board or hybrid substrate ( Figure 5B ) to allow each of the first coil winding and the second coil winding to be coupled together before or after the coil has been attached to a suitable position within the housing of the implantable medical device. Figure 5B In the example of FIG. 1 , the second end 358 of the first coil winding extends to form the outermost winding of the first coil winding, and the innermost winding of the second coil winding extends to the second end 362 directly coupled to the second end 358. The first end 356 of the first coil winding and the first end 360 of the second coil winding are configured to be coupled to a power receiving circuit (such as a power receiving circuit for example). Figure 2 Recharging circuit 30) shown and described.

[0092] like Figure 5B The first coil winding and the second coil winding shown in the figure may be referred to as a dual winding coil configuration forming a two-loop coil winding. The dual winding coil configuration shown and described with respect to the receiving coil 350 may be included to replace the infinitely shaped coil in any of the receiving antenna configurations described throughout the present disclosure. For example, Figure 5BThe dual winding coil configuration shown in FIG. Figure 5A Infinity shaped receive coil 300 as shown and described. In examples where the two loops of the dual winding coil configuration of the receive coil 350 are positioned in different planes relative to each other, the dual winding coil configuration can provide a recharging current induced into one or both of the coil windings when a magnetic field is applied to the dual winding coil configuration from various different magnetic field directions relative to the orientation of the dual winding coil configuration.

[0093] Fig. 6A is a conceptual diagram of a flat spiral Z-coil according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. Z-coil 228 is a Z-coil as described above. Figure 3 1 and 10. In some examples, the Z-coil 228 may also have a flexible ferrite sheet 230 located proximal to the Z-coil 228. Figure 4B Like Z-coil 218, Z-coil 228 may be elliptical, circular, rectangular, or any other shape, such as a shape conforming to the housing of the wireless power receiving device. In some examples, a shape conforming to the size of the housing may provide the advantage of a larger hole than a shape that is smaller than the housing.

[0094] Figure 6B is a conceptual diagram of a flat folded infinitely wound coil configured as a Z-coil according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. Figure 6B In the example of FIG. 1 , the Z coil 232 may be arranged as a folded infinity coil, such as similar to the receive coil 300 , or a multi-coil receive coil, such as described above with respect to FIG. Figure 5A and Figure 5B A receiving coil 350 is described.

[0095] Fig. 7A and Figure 7B is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example spirally wound coil implemented as an X-coil, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure. Fig. 7A The isometric view shows an implementation similar to Figure 5A An exemplary receiving coil 400 of the infinite coil of the receiving coil 300 is shown. The receiving coil 400 includes a first coil winding 408, a second coil winding 410, and a crossover point 412. Figure 7B The receiving coil 400 is shown in a top view. In other examples, the receiving coil 400 can also be implemented as a double coil, similar to the above description of Figure 5B Coil 350 is described.

[0096] Figure 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a receiving coil implemented as a Y coil according to one or more techniques of this disclosure. Figure 8In the example of FIG. 4 , the receiving coil 428 can be implemented as a planar coil and aligned with the surface of the housing 424 of the wireless power receiving device. Similarly, the coil 422 can be aligned with different surfaces of the housing 424. Figure 8 In some examples, the surface may be a curved portion of the housing. As shown, the holes of coils 422 and 428 may be oriented in the Y direction. In some examples, either or both of coils 422 and 428 may be located proximal to the ferrite sheet. In some examples, either or both of coils 422 and 428 may be helically wound or some other coil arrangement, such as similar to Figure 5A and Figure 5B The receiving coils 300 and 350 are provided.

[0097] Fig. 9 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an exemplary receive coil implemented to receive wireless energy in multiple planes in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure. Fig. 9 In the example of , the receiving coil 430 may include a first portion 438 aligned with a hole having an X-axis and a second portion 436 having a hole aligned with the Y-axis. In other examples, the receiving coils 430 and 432 may include an arrangement aligned with any of the X-axis, the Y-axis, or the Z-axis. In some examples, the receiving coils 430 and 432 may be implemented as infinitely wound coils, such as coil 300, or multi-winding coils, such as Figure 5A and Figure 5B 350 is shown in FIG. 4. For example, coil 430 may be a dual winding receiving coil, with a first coil winding as first portion 438 and a second coil winding as second portion 436.

[0098] In other words, as mentioned above Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 6B , Fig. 7A , Figure 7B , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As described, the IMD of the present disclosure may have multiple coils serving each axis in any combination of the above arrangements. For example, in addition to the coils ( Fig. 9 In addition to the above (not shown), the Z-axis can be wound on the ferrite core together with the X-axis and the Y-axis.

[0099] Fig.10 5 is a schematic diagram showing an exemplary three-coil wireless power receiving circuit according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. The example of circuit 500 includes three receiving coils, but in other examples, the power receiving circuit may include more or fewer receiving coils. Each receiving coil, Rx coil 502, Rx coil 504, and Rx coil 506 are connected in parallel with a smoothing capacitor 526 and an energy storage device, Fig.10 In the example of , the energy storage device is a rechargeable battery 528. In other examples, the energy storage device can be a capacitor or similar storage device, as described above with respect to Figure 3 Described with respect to electrical energy storage device 106 .

[0100] The Rx coil 502 is configured as an X-axis coil and may be positioned near or wound around the ferrite core 508. A tuning capacitor 516 is connected in parallel to the Rx coil 502. One end of the Rx coil 502 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 528 through a Schottky diode 514. Similarly, the Rx coil 504 is configured as a Y-axis coil and is positioned near or wound around the ferrite core 510. A tuning capacitor 520 is connected in parallel to the Rx coil 504. One end of the Rx coil 504 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 528 through a Schottky diode 518. In addition, the Rx coil 506 is configured as an X-axis coil and is positioned near or wound around the ferrite core 512. A tuning capacitor 524 is connected in parallel to the Rx coil 506. One end of the Rx coil 506 is connected to the positive terminal of the battery 528 through a Schottky diode 522. In some examples, any of the Rx coils may or may not be equipped with ferrite. In some examples, the ferrite is a ferrite core, while in other examples, the ferrite is a ferrite sheet, as described above with respect to Figure 3 Figure 4, Figure 6, Fig. 7A and Figure 7B described.

[0101] Fig.11 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of manufacturing an implantable medical device according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. After assembling each receiving coil (600), the production facility can measure the series inductance (Ls) of each receiving coil (602). Figure 3 As described, because the size, shape, and number of windings of each receiving coil may be different, the measured inductance Ls of each coil may be different.

[0102] In some examples, the production facility can calculate the components to be used in the tuning circuit of each coil (such as tuning capacitors, as described above with respect to Fig.10The value of Ls (described) (604). In some examples, the selected tuning capacitors and other components can be matched for each receiving coil based on the measured value of Ls and the desired operating frequency range of the device. The tuning circuit can align the resonant frequency of each of the coils with each other. The operating frequency range can be aligned with the operating frequency range output from the wireless power transmitter (e.g., the external computing device 22 and the primary coil 20). In the present disclosure, "aligned" resonant frequency can describe the resonant frequency of the tuning coil plus the tuning circuit so that each resonant frequency of each corresponding coil is within the desired operating frequency range, but does not necessarily have to be completely matched to each other.

[0103] In some examples, for example, after assembling the receive coils, tuning capacitors, diodes, and other circuits, the production facility can verify the resonant frequency of each receive coil circuit (606). In some examples, the desired operating frequency of the device can be set based on the mean, median, mode, or some other measure of central tendency of the receive coil group (608). The desired operating frequency can be within an operating frequency range that is aligned with an operating frequency range of the power transmission device.

[0104] Fig.12 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of manufacturing an implantable medical device according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As described, the housing of the wireless power receiving device of the present disclosure can hermetically seal the receiving coil and other components of the device. In some examples, the housing can include a base, such as base 104, and one or more covers, such as cover 101 and / or cover 128.

[0105] The production facility may assemble the cover to the base, for example to form a housing assembly (610). A bonding device may bond the cover to the base (612). In some examples, each of the base 104 and the cover 101 (or 128) may include a welding ring around the circumference of the mating surface between the base 104 and the cover 101. The welding ring may include a conductive material. The bonding device may include laser welding, low temperature bonding, such as a sputtering process, or some other bonding for sealing the cover to the base. The completed welding ring, after bonding, can act as an electrode to sense bioelectric signals and deliver electrical stimulation to the patient's target tissue.

[0106] In some examples, the welding rings on both the cover 101 and the base 104 can include a non-conductive gap, such as gap 124, which can prevent eddy currents from completing a path around the circumference of the welding ring. To ultimately achieve a hermetic seal, a non-conductive adhesive can seal the cover 101 to the base 104 across gap 124.

[0107] Fig.13is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method of manufacturing a wireless power receiving device according to one or more techniques of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 4 , in some examples, a wireless power receiving device (eg, IMD 100) may include an X-coil 212 and a Y-coil 214 wound on a ferrite core 226, and a Z-coil 218. Figure 3 In the example, the shape of the housing (eg, the shape of the base 104) may be conformal.

[0108] In some examples, building the assembly can include first forming a first coil around the ferrite core 226, wherein the first coil defines a first hole, the first hole being oriented in the X direction (650). Next, forming a second coil around the ferrite core 226, wherein the second coil defines a second hole, the second hole being oriented in the Y direction and being substantially orthogonal to the first hole of the X coil 212 (652).

[0109] like Figure 3 As shown, the ferrite core and coil assembly are arranged near the circuit 120, and the X coil 112 and the Y coil 114 are electrically connected to the circuit 120 (654). Before or after the coils are connected to the circuit 120, the energy storage device 106 is arranged near the circuit 120, and the energy storage device 106 is electrically connected to the circuit 120 (656).

[0110] For the Z coil, a third coil is formed that defines a third aperture, wherein the third aperture is oriented in a third direction that is substantially orthogonal to the X direction and the Y direction. Figure 3 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B In some examples, the Z coil has a larger hole size than either the X coil or the Y coil. In some examples, the Z coil can have a larger hole size than the X coil hole and the Y coil hole. In some examples, the Z coil hole can be 1.5 times, two times, five times, ten times, or some other size than the X coil hole or the Y coil hole.

[0111] The technology of the present disclosure is described in the following examples.

[0112] Embodiment 1: An implantable medical device, comprising: a circuit, the circuit being configured to receive wireless power; an energy storage device, the energy storage device being configured to provide electrical energy to the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to charge the energy storage device using the wireless power; a secondary antenna, the secondary antenna being configured to receive the wireless power and conduct the wireless power to the circuit, the secondary antenna comprising: a first coil, the first coil defining a first hole, the first hole being oriented in a first direction; a second coil, the second coil defining a second hole, the second hole being oriented in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first hole; a third coil, the third coil defining a third hole, wherein the third hole: is oriented in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction; and the area of ​​the third hole is at least twice the area of ​​either the first hole or the second hole.

[0113] Embodiment 2: The device according to embodiment 1 further comprises a non-conductive shell, which surrounds the circuit, the energy storage device and the secondary antenna and hermetically seals them within the shell, wherein the third coil is positioned along the periphery of the shell.

[0114] Embodiment 3: The device of Embodiment 2, wherein the third coil surrounds the circuit, the electrical energy storage device, the first coil, and the second coil.

[0115] Embodiment 4: The device according to any one of Embodiments 2 and 3, further comprising a flexible ferrite, the flexible ferrite being positioned along the periphery of the housing; and conforming to the shape of the third coil.

[0116] Embodiment 5: The device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4, further comprising a ferrite core, wherein the first coil and the second coil are wound on the ferrite core.

[0117] Embodiment 6: The device of any one of Embodiments 1-5, wherein each of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil of the secondary antenna simultaneously conducts the wireless power to the circuit.

[0118] Embodiment 7: A device according to any one of embodiments 1 to 6, wherein the circuit includes a tuning circuit for the first coil, wherein the tuning circuit includes a tuning capacitor; wherein the tuning circuit is configured to align a first resonant frequency of the first coil with a second resonant frequency of the second coil.

[0119] Embodiment 8: A wireless power transmission system, the wireless power transmission system comprising: two or more electrodes, the two or more electrodes being configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of a patient; an implantable medical device, the implantable medical device comprising a circuit, the circuit being configured to: measure the bioelectric signals of the patient via the two or more electrodes; and receive wireless power; an energy storage device, the energy storage device being configured to provide electrical energy to the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to charge the energy storage device using the wireless power; a secondary antenna, the secondary antenna being configured to receive the wireless power and conduct the wireless power to the circuit, the secondary antenna comprising: a first coil, the first coil defining a first hole, the first hole being oriented in a first direction; a second coil, the second coil defining a second hole, the second hole being oriented in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first hole; a third coil, the third coil defining a third hole, wherein the third hole: is oriented in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction; the area of ​​the third hole is at least twice the area of ​​either the first hole or the second hole.

[0120] Embodiment 9: The system of Embodiment 8, wherein the implantable medical device is further configured to deliver electrical stimulation therapy to the patient via the two or more electrodes.

[0121] Embodiment 10: According to the system described in any one of embodiments 8 and 9, the system also includes a non-conductive shell, which surrounds the circuit, the energy storage system and the secondary antenna and hermetically seals them within the shell, wherein the third coil is positioned along the periphery of the shell.

[0122] Embodiment 11: The system of Embodiment 10, wherein the third coil surrounds the circuit, the electrical energy storage system, the first coil, and the second coil.

[0123] Embodiment 12: The system of any one of Embodiments 10 and 11, further comprising a flexible ferrite positioned along the periphery of the housing; and conforming to a shape of the third coil.

[0124] Embodiment 13: The system according to any one of Embodiments 8 to 12, further comprising a ferrite core, wherein the first coil and the second coil are wound on the ferrite core.

[0125] Embodiment 14: The system of any one of Embodiments 8 to 13, wherein each of the first coil, the second coil, and the third coil of the secondary antenna simultaneously conducts the wireless power to the circuit.

[0126] Embodiment 15: A system according to any one of Embodiments 8 to 14, wherein the circuit includes a tuning circuit for the first coil, wherein the tuning circuit includes a tuning capacitor; wherein the tuning circuit is configured to align a first resonant frequency of the first coil with a second resonant frequency of the second coil.

[0127] Embodiment 16: The system according to any one of Embodiments 8 to 15, further comprising a wireless power transmission device configured to output and control wireless power delivery to the implantable medical device.

[0128] Embodiment 17: A method for manufacturing a wireless power receiving device, the method comprising: forming a first coil around a ferrite core, wherein the first coil defines a first hole, the first hole being oriented in a first direction; forming a second coil around the ferrite core, wherein the second coil defines a second hole, the second hole being oriented in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first hole; arranging the ferrite core proximal to a circuit, and electrically connecting the first coil and the second coil to the circuit; arranging an energy storage device proximal to the circuit, and electrically connecting the energy storage device to the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to receive wireless power via the first coil and the second coil, wherein the circuit is configured to charge the energy storage device using the wireless power received during a charging session, wherein the energy storage device is configured to provide electrical energy to the circuit; and forming a third coil, the third coil defining a third hole, wherein the third hole: is oriented in a third direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction; and the area of ​​the third hole is at least twice the area of ​​either the first hole or the second hole.

[0129] Embodiment 18: According to the method described in Embodiment 17, the method also includes arranging the circuit, the energy storage device, the first coil, the second coil and the third coil in a non-conductive shell, and the non-conductive shell is configured to surround the circuit, the energy storage device, the first coil, the second coil and the third coil and hermetically seal them within the shell, wherein the third coil is positioned along the periphery of the shell.

[0130] Embodiment 19: A method according to Embodiment 18, wherein the shell further comprises two or more electrodes, the two or more electrodes being configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of the patient, the method further comprising connecting the circuit to the two or more electrodes.

[0131] Embodiment 20: The method of any one of Embodiments 18 and 19, further comprising mounting a flexible ferrite positioned along the periphery of the housing, wherein the flexible ferrite conforms to a shape of the third coil.

[0132] Embodiment 21: A method for manufacturing a wireless power receiving device, the method comprising: assembling a receiving coil from a plurality of receiving coils, wherein each receiving coil from the plurality of receiving coils comprises one or more coil windings, the coil windings comprising a conductive material configured to carry current; measuring the inductance of each receiving coil; calculating a value of a corresponding tuning circuit associated with each receiving coil based on an operating frequency range of the corresponding receiving coil; and verifying the resonant frequency of each receiving coil circuit, wherein each receiving coil circuit comprises a corresponding receiving coil and a corresponding tuning circuit.

[0133] Embodiment 22: An implantable medical device, comprising: two or more electrodes, the two or more electrodes being configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of a patient; a circuit; and a non-conductive, airtightly sealed shell, the non-conductive, airtightly sealed shell being configured to enclose the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to measure bioelectric signals of the patient via the two or more electrodes; the non-conductive, airtightly sealed shell comprising a conductive collar, the conductive collar being configured to: airtightly seal the shell; and act as a first electrode among the two or more electrodes.

[0134] Embodiment 23: The device of Embodiment 22, wherein the circuit is configured to receive radio frequency (RF) energy through the housing.

[0135] Embodiment 24: The apparatus of Embodiment 23, wherein the conductive collar comprises a non-conductive break configured to avoid eddy currents in the conductive collar.

[0136] Embodiment 25: A device according to any one of Embodiments 22 to 24, wherein the shell includes a cover, wherein the conductive collar is configured to hermetically seal the cover of the shell; wherein the second electrode is positioned on the cover so that: the cover and the second electrode form a seal with the cover, and the second electrode is electrically isolated from the conductive collar on the cover; and the second electrode is connected to the circuit through the cover.

[0137] Embodiment 26: The device according to Embodiment 25, wherein the cover is a first cover, and the housing of the device further comprises a second cover, wherein: the second cover is positioned on a side of the housing opposite to the first cover; and the second cover is non-conductive.

[0138] Embodiment 27: The device of any one of Embodiments 22 to 26, wherein the cover comprises a sapphire material.

[0139] Embodiment 28: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 27, wherein the conductive ferrule hermetically seals the housing using a temperature spreading adhesive.

[0140] Embodiment 29: The device of any one of Embodiments 1 to 28, wherein the circuit is further configured to deliver electrical stimulation therapy to the patient via the two or more electrodes.

[0141] Embodiment 30: A device according to embodiment 29, wherein the circuit is configured to deliver the electrical stimulation therapy based on one or more of: measured bioelectric signals; information from one or more sensors operatively coupled to the circuit, or messages received via a communication circuit operatively coupled to the circuit.

[0142] Embodiment 31: A wireless power transmission system, the wireless power transmission system comprising one or more antennas, the one or more antennas configured to receive wireless power from a power transmission device; an implantable medical device (IMD), the implantable medical device comprising: two or more electrodes, the two or more electrodes configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of a patient; a circuit; and a non-conductive, airtightly sealed shell, the non-conductive, airtightly sealed shell configured to enclose the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to measure bioelectric signals of the patient via the two or more electrodes; the non-conductive, airtightly sealed shell comprises a conductive collar, the conductive collar is configured to: airtightly seal the shell; and act as a first electrode among the two or more electrodes.

[0143] Embodiment 32: The system of Embodiment 31, wherein the circuit is configured to receive radio frequency (RF) energy through the housing via the one or more antennas.

[0144] Embodiment 33: The system of Embodiments 31 and 31, wherein the conductive collar comprises a non-conductive break configured to avoid eddy currents in the conductive collar.

[0145] Embodiment 34: A system according to any one of Embodiments 31 to 32, wherein the shell includes a cover, wherein the conductive collar is configured to hermetically seal the cover of the shell; wherein the second electrode is positioned on the cover so that: the cover and the second electrode form a seal with the cover, and the second electrode is electrically isolated from the conductive collar on the cover; and the second electrode is connected to the circuit through the cover.

[0146] Embodiment 35: The system of Embodiment 33, wherein the cover is a first cover, the housing of the IMD further comprising a second cover, wherein: the second cover is positioned on a side of the housing opposite to the first cover; and the second cover is non-conductive.

[0147] Embodiment 36: The system of Embodiment 33, wherein the cover comprises a sapphire material.

[0148] Embodiment 37: The system of any one of Embodiments 31 to 35, wherein the conductive ferrule hermetically seals the housing using a temperature spreading adhesive.

[0149] Embodiment 38: The system of any one of Embodiments 31 to 36, wherein the circuit is further configured to deliver electrical stimulation therapy to the patient via the two or more electrodes.

[0150] Embodiment 39: A method for manufacturing a wireless power receiving device, the method comprising: assembling a cover to a base, wherein: a first circumference of the cover is aligned with a second circumference of the base; the circumference of the cover includes a conductive welding ring; the circumference of the cover includes a non-conductive gap in the welding ring; bonding the cover to the base; and hermetically sealing the cover to the base, wherein hermetically sealing the cover to the base comprises: bonding the non-conductive gap in the cover to the base with a non-conductive adhesive.

[0151] In one or more embodiments, the above functions may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The various components (such as the external computing device 22, the processing circuit 34, and the circuit 12) can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. Computer-readable media may include computer-readable storage media or communication media, which computer-readable storage media corresponds to tangible media such as data storage media, which communication media includes any media that facilitates, for example, transferring a computer program from one place to another according to a communication protocol. As such, computer-readable media may generally correspond to: (1) non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage media or (2) communication media such as signals or carrier waves. Data storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by one or more computers or one or more processors to retrieve instructions, codes, and / or data structures for implementing the techniques described in the present disclosure. A computer program product may include a computer-readable medium.

[0152] The term "non-transitory" may indicate that the storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or propagating signal. In certain embodiments, a non-transitory storage medium may store data that may change over time (e.g., in a RAM or cache). As an example and not limitation, such computer-readable storage media may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, hard disk, compact disk ROM (CD-ROM), floppy disk, cassette, magnetic media, optical media, or other computer system readable media. In some embodiments, the article of manufacture may include one or more computer-readable storage media.

[0153] In addition, any connection is properly referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are used to transmit instructions from a website, server, or other remote source, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the definition of medium. However, it should be understood that the computer-readable storage medium and data storage medium do not include connections, carriers, signals, or other temporary media, but are actually directed to non-temporary tangible storage media. The above combination should also be included in the scope of computer-readable media.

[0154] The instructions may be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more DSPs, general purpose microprocessors, ASICs, FPGAs, CPLDs, or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuits. Thus, the terms "processor" and "processing circuitry" (such as processing circuitry 34) as used herein may refer to any of the aforementioned structures or any other structures suitable for a specific implementation of the techniques described herein. Additionally, these techniques may be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements.

[0155] The techniques of the present disclosure may be implemented in a variety of devices or apparatuses including integrated circuits (ICs) or sets of ICs (e.g., chipsets). Various components, modules, or units are described in this disclosure to emphasize the functional aspects of devices configured to perform the disclosed techniques, but do not necessarily need to be implemented by different hardware units. Instead, as described above, the various units may be combined in hardware units in conjunction with appropriate software and / or firmware, or provided by a collection of interoperable hardware units, the hardware units including one or more processors as described above.

[0156] Various embodiments of the disclosure have been described. These and other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising: two or more electrodes configured to be placed proximal to a target tissue of a patient; Circuit; and Non-conductive, hermetically sealed housing: The non-conductive, hermetically sealed housing is configured to enclose the circuit, wherein the circuit is configured to measure bioelectric signals of the patient via the two or more electrodes; The non-conductive, hermetically sealed housing includes a conductive ferrule configured to: hermetically sealing the housing; as well as Serves as a first electrode of two or more electrodes.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to receive radio frequency (RF) energy through the housing. 3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the conductive ferrule comprises a non-conductive break configured to avoid eddy currents in the conductive ferrule.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a cover, wherein the conductive ferrule is configured to hermetically seal the cover of the housing; Wherein the second electrode is positioned on the cover such that: the cover and the second electrode form a hermetic seal with the cover, The second electrode is electrically isolated from the conductive ferrule on the cover; and The second electrode is connected to the circuit through the cover.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the cover is a first cover, the housing of the device further comprising a second cover, wherein: The second cover is positioned on a side of the housing opposite to the first cover; and The second cover is non-conductive. The device of claim 4 , wherein the cover comprises a sapphire material.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conductive ferrule hermetically seals the housing using a temperature diffusing adhesive.

8. The apparatus of any of the preceding claims, wherein the circuit is further configured to deliver electrical stimulation therapy to the patient via the two or more electrodes.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the circuit is configured to deliver the electrical stimulation therapy based on one or more of: The bioelectrical signals measured; Information from one or more sensors operatively coupled to the circuit, or messages received via communications circuitry operatively coupled to the circuit.

10. A wireless power transmission system, comprising: one or more antennas configured to receive wireless power from a power transmission device; and An implantable medical device (IMD) according to claim 1.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the circuit is configured to receive radio frequency (RF) energy through the housing via the one or more antennas.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the conductive ferrule comprises a non-conductive break configured to avoid eddy currents in the conductive ferrule.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the housing comprises a cover, wherein the conductive ferrule is configured to hermetically seal the cover of the housing; and Wherein the second electrode is positioned on the cover such that: The cover and the second electrode form a hermetic seal with the cover, The second electrode is electrically isolated from the conductive ferrule on the cover; and The second electrode is connected to the circuit through the cover.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the cover is a first cover, the housing of the IMD further comprising a second cover, wherein: The second cover is positioned on a side of the housing opposite to the first cover; and The second cover is non-conductive.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the cover comprises a sapphire material.

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