Charge Pump Voltage Regulation for Precise Nerve Stimulation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing implantable nerve stimulation systems face challenges in adjusting stimulation amplitudes due to the limitations of battery power supply voltage, leading to inefficiencies in power consumption and mismatch between required and actual output amplitudes.
Innovation Solution
A voltage regulating module combining a fine regulating charge pump and a voltage-multiplying charge pump to generate a finely adjustable total output voltage, allowing for precise control of stimulation amplitudes by connecting these pumps through an intermediate switch and utilizing multiple charge and discharge branches with capacitors and switches to achieve a range of output voltages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a single battery power supply voltage is used, then the device structure is simple, but the stimulation amplitude cannot be finely adjusted
Solution Approach 1:
The voltage regulation function is segmented into two independent charge pumps: a voltage-multiplying charge pump for coarse adjustment (integer multiples of V0) and a fine-regulating charge pump for fine adjustment (fractions of V0). This segmentation allows each pump to specialize in a specific adjustment range, achieving fine-grained control over the entire voltage range while keeping each individual pump relatively simple in structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single-dimension voltage control (one battery voltage) to a two-dimension voltage control system. By combining the integer-multiple output of the voltage-multiplying pump with the fractional output of the fine-regulating pump, the system creates a composite voltage control dimension that enables precise adjustment across a wide range without requiring a complex multi-voltage battery system.
2Loss of energy
If the output voltage is adjusted to match required stimulation amplitude, then power consumption efficiency improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two charge pump circuits into a unified voltage regulation module that shares common components such as the battery power supply input and the final output terminal. The voltage-multiplying charge pump and fine-regulating charge pump are combined in parallel, with their outputs summed to produce the final regulated voltage. This merging approach reduces overall component count and circuit complexity compared to using separate independent voltage regulation systems.
Solution Approach 2:
Both charge pumps are designed to operate from the same battery power supply voltage V0, making the power supply system universal and eliminating the need for multiple battery voltages. The intermediate node between the two pumps serves dual purposes: as the output of the voltage-multiplying pump and as the input to the fine-regulating pump, creating a multi-functional circuit node that reduces overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables a large-scale, finely regulatable output voltage that closely matches required stimulation amplitudes, significantly reducing power consumption and ensuring high efficiency, with an efficiency of over 90% when load and frequency are matched.
Implementation Method 1
several fine regulating capacitors located in the fine regulating charge branch and the fine regulating discharge branch
Implementation Method 2
a fine regulating charge pump and a voltage-multiplying charge pump
Data Source
AI summary
A voltage regulating module includes a fine regulating charge pump and a voltage-multiplying charge pump. The first output voltage of the fine regulating charge pump is V1=m*V0, a second output voltage of the voltage-multiplying charge pump is V2=n*V0, and a total output voltage of the voltage regulating module V=V1+V2. V0 is an input voltage, a value of m ranges from 0 to 1, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 1.