Intraocular Micro-Display Wireless Power and Data Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intraocular micro-display systems for restoring vision in patients with damaged corneas face challenges due to the need for transcutaneous tethers, which can lead to physiological compatibility issues, inflammation, and infection risks. Additionally, the compact form factor required for an entirely intraocular system poses significant challenges for power delivery, storage, and management.
Innovation Solution
The system employs wireless power transfer and image data transfer using an auxiliary head unit that is worn on the patient's head. This system includes a batteryless intraocular micro-display implant that relies on inductive charging of a compact capacitor, allowing for synchronous data communications and reducing the need for complex and potentially risky external tethers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a transcutaneous tether is used to deliver power and data to the intraocular micro-display, then power delivery and data communication are achieved, but physiological compatibility issues, inflammation, and infection risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful transcutaneous tether from the system by implementing wireless power transfer and communication. The intraocular micro-display receives power and data wirelessly through the cornea, eliminating the need for external tethers that cause infection risks and physiological incompatibility issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the cornea as an intermediary medium for wireless power and data transfer. By utilizing the cornea's natural transparency and conductivity properties, the system can deliver power and communicate data through non-invasive electromagnetic fields, avoiding direct physical connections that cause harm.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the intraocular micro-display is made compact to fit entirely within the eye, then infection risk is reduced, but power delivery and storage become significantly more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical power delivery systems (batteries, wired connections) with electromagnetic field-based wireless power transfer. This substitution enables compact intraocular devices to receive sufficient power without requiring large energy storage components or invasive tethers, thus maintaining small form factor while ensuring adequate power supply.
3Loss of information
If a transcutaneous tether is used for data communication, then data transfer is achieved, but device complexity and surgical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a wireless communication system that serves multiple functions: power transfer, data communication, and device control, all through the same electromagnetic field interface. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate data tether and simplifies the overall system, reducing surgical complexity while maintaining effective data transfer capabilities.
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 effectively addresses the challenges of power delivery and infection risks by enabling wireless power transfer and data communication, while maintaining a compact form factor within the eye. This results in a safer and more reliable method for restoring vision to patients with damaged corneas.
Implementation Method 1
The system employs wireless power transfer and image data transfer using an auxiliary head unit that is worn on the patient's head. This system includes a batteryless intraocular micro-display implant that relies on inductive charging of a compact capacitor
Implementation Method 2
The system employs wireless power transfer and image data transfer using an auxiliary head unit that is worn on the patient's head
Data Source
AI summary
An intraocular micro-display system includes an intraocular micro-display (IOMD) implant and an auxiliary head unit for delivering power and image data to the IOMD implant. The IOMD implant includes an enclosure shaped for implantation into an eye, a micro-display to emit images towards a retina, an energy storage unit to power the micro-display, a charging antenna for wireless charging of the energy storage unit via a power signal incident upon the first charging antenna, and a data antenna to wirelessly receive the image data for driving the micro-display to emit the images. The charging antenna and the data antenna are implantable into the eye with the IOMD implant.