Implant Power Transfer Resonators for Coil Misalignment Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wireless power transfer methods for implanted medical devices, such as ventricular assist devices (VADs), suffer from inefficiencies and misalignment issues that can lead to momentary power drops, causing complications and adverse health consequences due to the need for continuous power delivery through the skin.
Innovation Solution
A system with magnetically coupled resonators (MCRs) and a controller that dynamically compensates for power loss and misalignment by adjusting power transmission parameters, ensuring a consistent power level to the implanted device, using sensors and magnets to optimize coil positioning and orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional inductive coupling techniques are used for wireless power transfer, then power can be transmitted through the skin, but the magnetic coils require very close separation distance and are sensitive to misalignment, leading to potential power drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces relay resonators as intermediary components between the external transmitter coil and the implanted receiver coil. These relay resonators act as mediators that extend the power transfer distance and reduce the sensitivity to misalignment, allowing the system to maintain reliable power delivery without requiring extremely close coil separation or precise alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs magnetically coupled resonators that operate in a resonant frequency domain, transforming the power transfer mechanism from direct inductive coupling to resonant energy transfer. This dimensional shift in the electromagnetic field interaction allows for longer transmission distances and reduced alignment sensitivity while maintaining continuous power delivery.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional inductive coupling is used, then wireless power transfer is achieved, but misalignment between coils limits practicality and can cause momentary power drops
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the implanted device monitors its power reception levels and communicates this information back to the external controller. The controller then dynamically adjusts the transmitter coil characteristics or relay resonator parameters to compensate for misalignment, ensuring stable power delivery and maintaining adaptability in practical use scenarios.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic control of the resonant frequency and coupling characteristics of the magnetically coupled resonators. The system can adapt its operating parameters in real-time to compensate for changes in coil positioning, thereby maintaining both adaptability to practical conditions and reliability of power transfer.
3Power
If percutaneous drivelines are used to provide continuous power, then power delivery is achieved, but exit site infection risk increases and quality of life is impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power source and transmission interface from the percutaneous driveline configuration. By using wireless power transfer with external transmitter coils and implanted resonators, the system eliminates the need for trans-dermal cables that penetrate the skin, thereby removing the source of infection risk while maintaining continuous power delivery capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical percutaneous driveline system with an electromagnetic field-based wireless power transfer system. This substitution eliminates the physical penetration of the skin required for conventional power delivery, thereby eliminating the associated infection risk while preserving the continuous power delivery function.
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
Maintains a constant power level to the implanted device, minimizing complications and adverse health effects by adapting to changes in coil positioning and orientation, thus ensuring reliable operation.
Implementation Method 1
magnetically coupled resonators (MCRs) have been developed that use dynamic power management control to maintain high energy transfer efficiency over relatively long distances
Implementation Method 2
magnetically coupled resonators (MCRs) have been developed that use dynamic power management control to maintain high energy transfer efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, devices and methods are provided for supporting cardiac function. One system comprises an implantable intracardiac device comprising a motor and a pump, a transmitting resonator comprising a magnetic coil and configured to transmit a first level of power through an outer skin surface of the patient and a receiving resonator configured for implantation within the patient, comprising a magnetic coil and configured to transmit a second level of power to the motor within the implanted device. A controller is coupled to the transmitting resonator and configured to control the resonators and other parameters in the system such that the second level of power remains at or above a threshold level, thereby ensuring that the pump will continuously pump blood through the heart at a sufficient rate regardless of any changes in the system, such as power loss due to transmission inefficiencies and/or changes in the relative positions between the transmitting and receiving coils.