External programmable charging coil device and external programmable charging equipment

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to an external programmable charging coil device and an external programmable charging device. The external programmable charging coil device includes a housing and a communication coil, a charging coil, and a magnetic sheet disposed within the housing. The magnetic sheet covers the charging coil and the communication coil. The charging coil and the magnetic sheet are stacked. The center of the communication coil is axially spaced from the center of the charging coil, and the magnetic sheet is axially spaced from the communication coil. This arrangement achieves better spatial coupling between the communication coil, the charging coil, and the magnetic sheet, increases the magnetic field strength on the side of the programmable charging coil device closest to the implanted medical device, concentrates magnetic lines of force, and improves communication and charging performance. At the same time, it can reduce the number of layers required for the charging coil, thereby reducing the size and weight of the external programmable charging device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to an external programmable charging coil device and an external programmable charging equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, most active implantable medical products on the market use high-energy-density batteries for power, resulting in a relatively short lifespan. With the development of wireless charging and rechargeable battery technologies, the use of rechargeable active implantable medical products has become the mainstream trend for future development. Active implantable medical products include drug injection devices, cardiac pacemakers, deep brain stimulators, implantable spinal cord stimulators, implantable sacral nerve stimulators, and implantable vagus nerve stimulators. The receiving coil implanted in the body and the external charging coil transmit electrical energy through electromagnetic coupling, enabling wireless charging of the internal battery and extending the lifespan of the active implantable medical product.

[0003] Because the product is implanted in the body, external programmable charging devices cannot be placed close to it for charging. They often design charging coils with more layers and turns to meet the requirements of charging distance and efficiency. This causes the communication coil to become larger along with the charging coil, deviating from the optimal coupling size and reducing communication performance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of this, the present invention provides an external programmable charging coil device and an external programmable charging equipment to solve the technical problem that the communication performance is reduced due to the increase in the size of the communication coil following the charging coil.

[0005] The first aspect of the present invention provides an external programmable charging coil device, comprising a housing and a communication coil, a charging coil and a magnetic sheet disposed within the housing;

[0006] The communication coil is sleeved on the outside of the charging coil, and the charging coil and the magnetic sheet are axially stacked, with the magnetic sheet covering the charging coil and the communication coil.

[0007] The center of the communication coil is axially spaced from the centerline of the charging coil, and the magnetic sheet is axially spaced from the communication coil.

[0008] Preferably, the axial distance between the magnetic conductive sheet and the communication coil is 0.5mm-4mm, and the outline of the magnetic conductive sheet is larger than the inner diameter of the communication coil.

[0009] Preferably, the outer diameter of the charging coil is between 70mm and 120mm.

[0010] Preferably, the relative permeability of the magnetic sheet is between 400 and 2500.

[0011] Preferably, the housing is provided with a charging side inner wall, and a pad is provided between the charging coil and the charging side inner wall. The pad is used for the charging coil to protrude toward the magnetic sheet relative to the communication coil, so that the center of the magnetic sheet is axially spaced from the center of the charging coil.

[0012] The padding layer includes a heat insulation sheet.

[0013] Preferably, a plurality of clearance openings are provided in the portion of the pad layer that overlaps with the charging coil, and the charging coil is connected to the inner wall of the charging side through the clearance openings.

[0014] Preferably, the inner wall of the charging side is provided with a plurality of recesses for applying adhesive, and the charging coil and the communication coil respectively overlap at least partially with the recesses in the axial direction, and the portion of the recess that overlaps with the charging coil is exposed through the clearance opening.

[0015] Preferably, a heat-conducting structure is provided on the side of the magnetic sheet facing away from the charging coil, and the heat-conducting structure covers the magnetic sheet.

[0016] Preferably, it also includes a circuit board, which is electrically connected to the charging coil and the communication coil;

[0017] The housing includes an upper shell and a lower shell. The inner wall of the upper shell is provided with a groove for accommodating the circuit board, and the lower shell connects the charging coil and the communication coil.

[0018] A second aspect of the present invention provides an external programmable charging device, including a programmable charging host and the aforementioned external programmable charging coil device, wherein the coil device is connected to the programmable charging host via the cable.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the external programmable charging coil device and external programmable charging equipment provided by the present invention include:

[0020] In this invention, the charging coil and communication coil are nested, with a magnetic sheet covering both. The charging coil and magnetic sheet are stacked, and the magnetic sheet effectively increases the magnetic field strength near the implanted medical device, concentrating magnetic lines of force there, thus improving charging distance and efficiency. This reduces the number of layers required for the charging coil, resulting in a smaller size and lighter weight for the external programmable charging device. The center of the communication coil is axially spaced from the center of the charging coil, creating a radial misalignment. The axial spacing between the magnetic sheet and the communication coil further enhances spatial coupling between the communication coil, charging coil, and magnetic sheet, improving the inductance of the communication coil and enhancing communication performance. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external programmable charging device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of the coil device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lower shell structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cushion layer structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the upper shell structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another lower shell structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of another cushion layer structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0030] 1-Coil device; 2-Cable; 3-Programmable charging host;

[0031] 11-Upper shell; 12-Lower shell; 13-Heat-conducting structure; 14-Magnetic sheet; 15-Charging coil; 16-Communication coil; 17, 17a-Padded layer;

[0032] 111 - Inner wall of charging side; 112 - Recess; 113 - Separating rib; 114 - Positioning rib;

[0033] 121 - Groove; 122 - Wire groove;

[0034] 171 - First gap; 172 - Second gap; 173 - Redundancy zone. Detailed Implementation

[0035] The present invention is described below based on embodiments, but the invention is not limited to these embodiments. In the detailed description of the invention below, certain specific details are described in detail. Those skilled in the art will fully understand the invention even without these details. To avoid obscuring the essence of the invention, well-known methods, processes, flows, elements, and circuits are not described in detail.

[0036] Furthermore, those skilled in the art should understand that the accompanying drawings provided herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0037] Unless the context explicitly requires it, words such as "including" or "contains" throughout the application should be interpreted as including rather than exclusive or exhaustive; that is, meaning "including but not limited to".

[0038] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance. Furthermore, in the description of this invention, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external programmable charging device in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] like Figure 1 As shown, the external programmable charging device includes a coil device 1, a cable 2, and a programmable charging host 3. The coil device 1 is connected to the programmable charging host 3 via the cable 2. The programmable charging host 3 contains a battery that provides power for charging.

[0041] Figure 2 This is a partial schematic diagram of the coil device 1 in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the lower shell structure in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cushion layer structure in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the upper shell structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] like Figures 2-5As shown, the coil device 1 includes a housing and a circuit board, a heat-conducting structure 13, a magnetic sheet 14, a charging coil 15, a communication coil 16, and a pad 17 disposed within the housing. The circuit board connects the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16, and the circuit board is connected to a cable 2. The charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 are respectively connected to the programmable charging host 3 via the cable 2. During charging, the side of the housing that is in contact with the human body is the charging side. In this invention, the inner wall of the housing corresponding to the charging side is defined as the charging side inner wall 111, the direction of the inside of the housing towards the charging side is defined as down, and the opposite direction is up. The circuit board, the heat-conducting structure 13, the magnetic sheet 14, the charging coil 15, and the pad 17 are stacked sequentially from top to bottom. The heat-conducting structure 13, the magnetic sheet 14, and the charging coil 15 are stacked. One side of the magnetic sheet 14 is in contact with the heat-conducting structure 13, and the other side is in contact with the charging coil 15. The communication coil 16 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the charging coil 15, and the magnetic sheet 14 covers the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16. The magnetic sheet 14 can reduce the magnetic field strength or magnetic line density of the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 on the side away from the implantable medical device, while enhancing the magnetic field strength on the side closer to the implantable medical device, thereby reducing energy loss during transmission and improving the efficiency of wireless charging.

[0043] A pad 17 is laid on the inner wall 111 of the charging side. Preferably, the pad 17 is bonded to the inner wall 111 of the charging side with an adhesive. The pad 17 includes a heat insulation sheet, which is used to reduce the heat generated by the charging coil 15 from being transferred to the inner wall 111 of the charging side, thereby effectively limiting the temperature of the charging side of the coil device 1, reducing heat damage to the human body, and accommodating higher transmission power and charging distance. The thickness of the heat insulation sheet is between 0.5mm and 4mm. If the thickness of the heat insulation sheet is less than 0.5mm, the heat insulation effect is very small. If the thickness of the heat insulation sheet is greater than 4mm, it indirectly increases the charging distance. If the charging efficiency needs to be guaranteed, the transmission power needs to be increased, which will lead to increased heating of the charging coil 15 and increased eddy current heating. The pad 17 is approximately circular, and the diameter of the pad 17 is smaller than the inner diameter of the communication coil. Preferably, the outline of the pad 17 is close to the outline of the charging coil 15, and the difference in diameter between the two is within 2mm. If the diameter of the pad 17 is too small, it will affect the heat insulation effect. In this invention, the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 have the same thickness, preferably between 2mm and 5mm. The inner wall 111 on the charging side is flat, and the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 are respectively connected to the inner wall 111 on the charging side. The pad 17 causes the charging coil 15 to protrude relative to the communication coil 16 towards the magnetic guide plate 14. The communication coil 16 and the charging coil 15 are horizontally misaligned, that is, their centers are axially spaced apart. The communication coil 16 forms a gap with the magnetic guide plate 14 in the axial direction, thereby reducing the coupling of the charging coil 15 and the magnetic guide plate 14 to the communication coil 16, increasing the inductance of the communication coil, and improving the communication performance.

[0044] The distance between the communication coil 16 and the magnetic sheet 14 is A, which is between 0.5mm and 4mm. If the distance A is less than 0.5mm, the communication coil 16 and the magnetic sheet 14 are nearly strongly coupled, affecting communication performance; if the distance A is greater than 4mm, the magnetic field focusing effect of the magnetic sheet 14 on the communication coil 16 is poor, and it cannot effectively increase the magnetic field strength on the side near the implanted medical device, nor can it effectively focus the magnetic field lines on the side near the implanted medical device. Preferably, the axial distance between the communication coil 16 and the magnetic sheet 14 is 1mm-2mm.

[0045] The communication coil 16 and the charging coil 15 are spaced apart by a distance B, where 3mm ≤ B ≤ 10mm. If the distance B is less than 3mm, the coupling between the communication coil 16 and the charging coil 15 is enhanced, affecting communication performance. If the distance B is greater than 10mm, with a fixed diameter for the charging coil 15, the diameter of the communication coil 16 will be too large, further increasing the size of the coil device 1 and making it inconvenient to use. Simultaneously, due to the miniaturization trend of implantable medical devices, the size of the in-body communication coil is smaller, and the size difference between the external communication coil 16 and the in-body communication coil is even greater, affecting communication coupling and reducing communication performance. Preferably, 3.5mm ≤ B ≤ 4.5mm. The outer diameter of the charging coil 15 is 70mm-120mm. When it is less than 70mm, even if the size, number of layers, and permeability of the magnetic sheet are adjusted, the maximum charging distance will decrease. The magnetic sheet 14 is circular and made of nanocrystalline material, including 2-16 layers of nanocrystalline material. The relative permeability of the magnetic sheet 14 is 400-2500. The diameter of the magnetic sheet 14 is greater than or equal to the inner diameter of the communication coil 16. Preferably, the difference between the diameter of the magnetic sheet 14 and the outer diameter of the communication coil 16 is C, where 0 ≤ C ≤ 4 mm. When the outer diameter of the magnetic sheet 14 is greater than 4 mm than that of the communication coil 16, the increase in communication performance with the increase in the size of the magnetic sheet 14 is not significant. Through the above design, a better spatial coupling effect is achieved between the communication coil 16, the charging coil 15, and the magnetic sheet 14, solving the technical problem that the communication performance of the communication coil 16 is reduced due to the need for a synchronous increase in the size of the communication coil 16 caused by the large outer diameter of the charging coil 15. Based on the magnetic permeability of the magnetic sheet 14, the number of layers and turns of the charging coil 15 can also be reduced, thereby reducing the weight of the charging coil 15 and lowering the heating temperature.

[0046] like Figures 3-5As shown, the housing includes an upper shell 11 and a lower shell 12. The upper shell 11 and lower shell 12 are respectively provided with outlets for arranging the cable 2. The lower shell 12 is the charging side facing the human body. The upper shell 11 and lower shell 12 show an approximately circular top view. The inner wall 111 of the charging side of the lower shell 12 is provided with separating ribs 113 and positioning ribs 114 distributed along the circular outline. The separating ribs 113 separate the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16, and the positioning ribs 114 mate with the holes of the charging coil 15, providing a positioning and fixing function for the installation of the charging coil 15. Multiple recesses 112 for applying adhesive are provided along the circumferential direction on the inner wall 111 of the charging side. The separating ribs 113 avoid the recesses 112, forming a multi-segment structure. The recesses 112 extend from one side of the separating rib 113 to the other side. The charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 can at least partially overlap with the recesses 112 in the axial direction.

[0047] An abutment is provided in the overlapping area of ​​the pad 17 and the charging coil 15 to expose the inner wall 111 on the charging side, so that the charging coil 15 can be bonded to the inner wall 111. The abutment includes a first notch 171 and a second notch 172. Multiple first notches 171 are provided along the outer edge of the pad 17 corresponding to the recess 112, so that the overlapping area of ​​the recess 112 and the charging coil 15 is exposed through the first notch 171. During coil assembly, adhesive is applied to the recess 112. The adhesive in one recess 112 can simultaneously bond the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 to the inner wall 111 on the charging side. The pad 17 also has a first notch 171 near the positioning rib 114, so that both the outer and inner edges of the charging coil 15 can be bonded to the inner wall 111 on the charging side, improving the stability of the charging coil 15. The second notch 172 extends from the outer edge of the pad 17 to the positioning rib 114. The positioning rib 114 avoids the second notch 172 and is configured as a multi-segment structure, so that the leads extending from the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 extend from the second notch 172 to the outlet, thus avoiding the leads causing the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 to be unstable.

[0048] In this invention, the inner wall of the upper shell 11 is provided with a groove 121 for placing a circuit board. After the upper shell 11 and the lower shell 12 are assembled, one side of the heat-conducting structure 13 contacts the inner wall of the upper shell 11, and the other side contacts the magnetic sheet 14. The heat-conducting structure can be a thermally conductive silicone pad, a thermally conductive potting compound, or a thermally conductive structural adhesive. The heat-conducting structure 13 can reduce the air gap inside the shell, inducing heat to be transferred towards the upper shell 11. At the same time, the heat insulation sheet of the pad 17 limits the temperature of the charging coil 15 from being transferred to the lower shell 12, effectively limiting the temperature of the lower shell 12 of the coil device 1, reducing heat damage to the human body, and making it suitable for higher transmission power and charging distance.

[0049] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of another lower shell structure in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of another cushion layer structure in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] like Figures 6-7 As shown, a wire groove 122 is provided between the middle area of ​​the lower shell 12 (the area where the positioning rib 114 is located) and the wire outlet. The wire groove 122 is used for the leads of the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 to extend to the wire outlet. The pad 17a does not have a second notch 172, but instead has a redundant area 173 corresponding to the position of the wire groove 122. After the redundant area 173 of the pad 17 is unfolded, it is laid in the wire groove 122. The leads of the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 are above the pad 17a, and the depth of the wire groove 122 is sufficient to prevent the leads from protruding from the inner wall 111 on the charging side. Through the design of the wire groove 122 and the redundant area 173 of the pad 17a, this invention not only realizes the wiring and makes the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16 stable, but also eliminates the need for the second notch 172 in the pad 17a, thus solving the problem that the second notch 172 reduces the heat insulation effect.

[0051] In summary, this invention provides an external programmable charging coil device and an external programmable charging equipment. The external programmable charging equipment includes a coil device 1, a cable 2, and a programmable charging body 3. The coil device 1 is connected to the programmable charging body 3 via the cable 2. A magnetic sheet 14 covers the charging coil 15 and the communication coil 16. The communication coil 16 and the charging coil 15 are horizontally offset, i.e., their central axes are separated. The charging coil 15 protrudes towards the magnetic sheet 14 relative to the communication coil 16, forming a gap between the communication coil 16 and the magnetic sheet 14. This reduces the coupling between the charging coil 15 and the magnetic sheet 14 to the communication coil 16, improving communication and charging performance. The pad 17 also restricts the temperature transfer of the charging coil 15 to the lower shell 12, while the heat-conducting structure 13 induces heat transfer towards the upper shell 11. This effectively limits the temperature of the lower shell 12 of the coil device 1, reducing heat damage to the human body and allowing the external programmable charging equipment to be used with higher transmission power and charging distance.

[0052] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention can be modified and varied in various ways. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0053] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] For ease of explanation, spatially related terms such as “inside,” “outside,” “below,” “below,” “lower,” “above,” “upper,” etc., are used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature illustrated in the figure and another. It will be understood that spatially related terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation besides those depicted in the figure. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as “below” or “below” another element or feature would then be positioned “above” that other element or feature. Thus, the exemplified term “below” can encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and the spatially related descriptive terms used herein should be interpreted accordingly.

Claims

1. An external programmable charging coil device, characterized in that, It includes a housing and a communication coil (16), a charging coil (15), and a magnetic sheet (14) disposed within the housing; The communication coil (16) is sleeved on the outside of the charging coil (15). The charging coil (15) and the magnetic sheet (14) are axially stacked. The magnetic sheet (14) covers the charging coil (15) and the communication coil (16). The center of the communication coil (16) is axially spaced from the center of the charging coil (15). The magnetic sheet (14) is axially spaced from the communication coil (16).

2. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The axial distance between the magnetic conductive sheet (14) and the communication coil (16) is 0.5mm-4mm, and the outline of the magnetic conductive sheet (14) is larger than the inner diameter of the communication coil (16).

3. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer diameter of the charging coil (15) is 70mm-120mm.

4. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The relative permeability of the magnetic sheet (14) is 400-2500.

5. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The housing is provided with a charging side inner wall (111), and a pad (17) is provided between the charging coil (15) and the charging side inner wall (111), the pad (17) including a heat insulation sheet; The pad (17) is used for the charging coil (15) to protrude toward the magnetic sheet (14) relative to the communication coil (16), such that the center of the communication coil (16) is axially spaced from the center of the charging coil (15).

6. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 5, characterized in that, Multiple clearance openings are provided in the overlapping area of ​​the pad (17) and the charging coil (15), and the charging coil (15) is connected to the charging side inner wall (111) through the clearance openings.

7. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner wall (111) of the charging side is provided with a plurality of recesses (112) for applying adhesive. The charging coil (15) and the communication coil (16) overlap at least partially with the recesses (112) in the axial direction. The portion of the recesses (112) that overlap with the charging coil (15) is exposed through the clearance opening.

8. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A heat-conducting structure (13) is provided on the side of the magnetic sheet (14) facing away from the charging coil (15), and the heat-conducting structure (13) covers the magnetic sheet (14).

9. The external programmable charging coil device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a circuit board, which is electrically connected to the charging coil (15) and the communication coil (16); The housing includes an upper shell (11) and a lower shell (12). The inner wall of the upper shell (11) is provided with a groove (121) for accommodating the circuit board. The lower shell (12) connects the charging coil (15) and the communication coil (16).

10. An external programmable charging device, characterized in that, It includes a programmable charging host, a cable, and an external programmable charging coil device as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the coil device is connected to the programmable charging host via the cable.

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