Battery-Free Implantable Pressure Sensor With Burst Powering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable devices with non-rechargeable batteries become inoperable when the battery dies, while those with rechargeable batteries eventually fail due to cell degradation, leading to the need for replacement or explantation, and existing wireless pressure sensors require sophisticated electronics and provide limited information.
Innovation Solution
An implantable device without a battery, utilizing an inductor coil, storage capacitor, and active circuitry to harvest energy during bursts from an external device, enabling operations during quiet periods to perform sensor measurements and communications with reduced noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a non-rechargeable battery is used to power the implantable device, then the device can operate continuously, but the device becomes inoperable once the battery is dead and requires replacement or explantation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the battery entirely from the implantable device, extracting the energy storage component that causes the need for replacement. The device is powered exclusively by external energy transmission through the inductor coil, eliminating the battery replacement problem while maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inductor coil serves multiple functions: it receives energy from external devices, enables wireless communication, and can be used for sensing. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate battery, communication antenna, and sensor components, simplifying the device architecture while solving the battery replacement issue.
2Ease of repair
If a rechargeable battery is used to power the implantable device, then the device can be recharged and used again, but the battery eventually fails due to cell degradation and requires replacement or explantation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the rechargeable battery from the implantable device, eliminating the component subject to cell degradation. Energy is stored temporarily in a capacitor during external energy transmission and then used to power the device during intervals between transmissions, avoiding battery replacement needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The device automatically manages its own power needs by harvesting energy during external transmission bursts and storing it in a capacitor, then using this stored energy to power operations during quiet periods. This self-managed energy system eliminates battery degradation issues.
3Ease of operation
If an LC resonant circuit is used for wireless pressure sensing, then the device can be implanted and interrogated wirelessly, but the device includes only electrically passive components that provide very limited information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the passive LC resonant circuit with an active sensor system that includes a capacitive sensor, active circuitry for signal processing, and a microcontroller for data management. This substitution enables the device to perform active sensing, filtering, and communication of multiple physiological parameters beyond just pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the electrical parameters of the sensing system by using an active capacitive sensor with variable capacitance that can be precisely controlled and measured. The active circuitry measures capacitance changes with high precision and can process multiple sensor types, enabling rich information transmission about pressure, temperature, and other physiological parameters.
4Duration of action of moving object
If energy is continuously transmitted to the implantable device, then the device can operate continuously, but noise interference increases during energy reception periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic energy transmission in burst intervals rather than continuous transmission. The external device transmits energy in discrete bursts, and the implantable device performs sensing and communication operations during the quiet intervals between bursts. This periodic action reduces noise interference during energy reception while maintaining continuous device operation through energy accumulation and usage cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The device accumulates energy in a capacitor during external transmission bursts before using it for sensing and communication operations. This preliminary energy accumulation allows the device to perform low-noise measurements and transmissions during quiet periods, separating the high-noise energy reception from the precision sensing operations.
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 device remains functional for the patient's lifetime without battery replacement, provides reliable sensor measurements with reduced noise interference, and supports various sensor types like pressure and temperature.
Implementation Method 1
using the storage capacitor to accumulate and store energy received via the inductor coil from a non-implanted device
Implementation Method 2
using the storage capacitor to accumulate and store energy received via the inductor coil
Implementation Method 3
the sensor is a capacitive sensor, and the active circuitry is used to measure capacitance changes
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein relate to an implantable device that include an inductor coil, a storage capacitor, active circuitry, and a sensor, but doesn't include an electrochemical cell, and methods for use therewith. During first periods of time, the storage capacitor accumulates and stores energy received via the inductor coil from a non-implanted device. During second periods of time, interleaved with the first periods of time, and during which energy is not received from the non-implanted device, the active circuitry of the implantable device is powered by the energy stored on the storage capacitor and is used to perform at least one of a plurality of predetermined operations of the implantable device, including, e.g., obtaining a sensor measurement from the sensor of the implantable device, transmitting a communication signal including a sensor measurement to the non-implanted device, and/or receiving a communication signal from the non-implanted device.