Magnetically Coupled Resonators for Wireless VAD Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ventricular assist devices (VADs) implanted in patients face challenges with driveline infections and unreliable wireless power transfer due to alignment and proximity issues between external and internal power sources, leading to frequent healthcare visits and potential complications.
Innovation Solution
The use of magnetically coupled resonators for efficient wireless power transfer, allowing for high efficiency at larger distances and misalignment, utilizing inductive coupling between external and internal resonators with optimized conductive loops and magnetic cores to maintain power transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a percutaneous driveline is used to connect the VAD to an external control unit, then power can be reliably supplied to the VAD, but the exit site is prone to infection and requires frequent healthcare visits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful driveline component from the system by implementing fully implantable VADs with wireless power transfer. The external control unit and battery are removed from the body, eliminating the percutaneous driveline that causes infections. Power is transferred wirelessly through the skin using magnetic coupling between external and internal resonators, maintaining power supply reliability while eliminating the infection pathway.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If wireless power transfer is implemented without driveline, then infection risk is eliminated, but power transfer efficiency drops due to alignment and proximity issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs resonant oscillation at specific frequencies (6.78 MHz or 13.56 MHz ISM bands) to enhance wireless power transfer efficiency. The internal resonator and external resonator are tuned to the same resonant frequency, creating strong magnetic coupling that maintains high efficiency over larger distances and with misalignment. This resonant coupling overcomes the energy loss problem associated with wireless power transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal resonator serves multiple functions: it acts as both the power receiving antenna and the magnetic coupling element for wireless power transfer. The resonator design integrates power reception and magnetic field generation into a single component, enabling efficient power transfer without requiring precise alignment while eliminating the driveline.
3Ease of operation
If traditional inductive coupling is used for wireless power transfer, then power can be transferred wirelessly, but efficiency is limited at larger distances and with misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs resonant oscillation at specific frequencies (6.78 MHz or 13.56 MHz ISM bands) to enhance wireless power transfer efficiency. The internal resonator and external resonator are tuned to the same resonant frequency, creating strong magnetic coupling that maintains high efficiency over larger distances and with misalignment. This resonant coupling overcomes the energy loss problem associated with wireless power transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameters by using resonant frequency matching between internal and external resonators. By tuning both resonators to operate at the same frequency (6.78 MHz or 13.56 MHz), the system achieves enhanced magnetic coupling and improved power transfer efficiency compared to traditional inductive coupling, allowing operation at larger distances and with misalignment.
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
Achieves reliable and efficient power transfer to VADs with greater than 30-90% system efficiency and minimal temperature increase in surrounding tissue, reducing the need for precise alignment and proximity, thus minimizing complications and improving patient autonomy.
Implementation Method 1
utilizing inductive coupling between external and internal resonators with optimized conductive loops and magnetic cores to maintain power transfer efficiency
Implementation Method 2
The pair of resonators are magnetically coupled such that varying the magnetic field of the external resonator induces a voltage at the internal resonator
Implementation Method 3
The resonators may be tuned to the same resonant frequency to maximize power transfer efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Introduced here are systems for facilitating wireless power transfer to devices that are implanted in living bodies. The wireless power systems described herein utilize inductive coupling between a pair of resonators—namely, a first resonator located external to a living body and a second resonator located internal to the living body—for efficient wireless power transmission. Each resonator can include a conductive loop with at least one interruption in which discrete capacitors are situated. Moreover, each resonator may include a magnetic core that shapes the magnetic field created by the corresponding conductive loop.