Guided Surface Wave Receive Structure for Implantable Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices implanted in patients for continuous care, such as pacemakers, require frequent battery replacements due to discharge, necessitating risky surgical procedures.
Innovation Solution
A medical device incorporating a guided surface wave receive structure that harnesses a guided surface wave to generate a power signal, coupled with a power circuit and medical circuit for monitoring and stimulating the body, minimizing battery replacement needs through energy harvesting from the environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a medical device with battery is implanted for continuous care, then the device can provide monitoring and stimulation functions, but the battery requires frequent replacement which necessitates risky surgical procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The medical device performs self-charging by harvesting energy from the patient's body movements through the piezoelectric element. The piezoelectric element converts mechanical energy from body movements into electrical energy, automatically recharging the battery without external intervention. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for frequent surgical battery replacements while maintaining continuous operation of monitoring and stimulation functions.
2Reliability
If a pacemaker is implanted to provide electric impulses for heart arrhythmia, then continuous cardiac care is provided, but battery discharge requires replacement every few years involving surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The pacemaker incorporates a piezoelectric element that continuously harvests energy from the patient's natural body movements and cardiac activity. This self-charging mechanism ensures the battery remains powered without external intervention, maintaining reliable continuous cardiac care indefinitely without requiring replacement due to battery discharge.
3Ease of operation
If guided surface wave is used to generate power signal, then the device becomes self-sustaining reducing battery replacement needs, but the device complexity increases with additional power circuit and wave receive structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the power generation, storage, and medical device functions into a single integrated implantable system. The guided surface wave receive structure, piezoelectric element, power circuit with rectifier and voltage regulator, and medical device components are merged into one cohesive unit that performs both energy harvesting and medical monitoring/stimulation functions simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity compared to separate systems.
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 reduced surgical interventions by providing a self-sustaining power source for medical devices, enhancing patient safety and reducing the frequency of battery replacements.
Implementation Method 1
a guided surface wave receive structure that is configured to receive a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium generated by a guided surface waveguide probe
Implementation Method 2
The power circuit generates a power signal from an alternating current signal generated by the guided surface wave receive structure
Implementation Method 3
The power circuit includes a power storage circuit configured to store the power signal
Implementation Method 4
The guided surface wave receive structure is coupled to the power circuit through an impedance matching network. The impedance matching network is configured to minimize a reflection of the alternating current signal back to the guided surface wave receive structure
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5A
AI summary
Disclosed is an implantable medical device and methods of using the medical device. The medical device may include a guided surface wave receive structure configured to receive a guided surface wave transmitted by a guided surface waveguide probe. The guided surface wave receive structure in the medical device generates an alternating current signal when the guided surface wave is received. The medical device includes a power circuit that is coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure. The power circuit includes a power storage circuit to store the power signal. The medical device includes a medical circuit that comprises a stimulus circuit, a monitoring circuit, and potentially other components. The stimulus circuit provides a stimulus to a human body. The monitoring circuit measures a characteristic of the human body.