Transcutaneous Prosthesis Charging With Skin Interface Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices, particularly those with implanted components, face challenges in managing heat generated during power transfer, leading to potential discomfort and safety issues due to excessive skin interface temperatures during charging or operation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a dedicated heat transfer arrangement, such as heat pipes or thermoelectric coolers, within the device to efficiently transfer heat away from the skin interface during power transmission, thereby maintaining a lower skin temperature and ensuring safe and comfortable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If inductive power transmission is used to charge implanted medical devices, then power transfer efficiency is improved, but skin interface temperature increases causing discomfort and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the heat management function from the power transmission system by incorporating a dedicated cooling subsystem with heat pipes and thermoelectric coolers. This separates the power transmission function (inductive charging) from the heat dissipation function, allowing efficient power transfer while actively removing generated heat at the skin interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary cooling components (heat pipes, thermoelectric coolers, cooling fluid channels) between the power transmission coil and the skin interface. These intermediaries act as heat transfer mediators that conduct heat away from the charging interface without interfering with the inductive power transmission process.
2Loss of time
If faster charging is implemented for implanted devices, then charging time is reduced, but heat generation at the skin interface increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary cooling actions by pre-cooling the skin interface area using thermoelectric coolers and heat pipes before and during the fast charging process. This preparatory heat management enables higher power transmission rates without immediately exceeding safe temperature thresholds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the skin interface by actively controlling temperature through cooling subsystems. By dynamically adjusting cooling intensity based on detected temperature levels, the system enables faster charging while maintaining temperature within safe operational parameters.
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 reduces skin interface temperatures, ensuring compliance with safety standards and enhancing user comfort during power transfer and device operation, while allowing for faster and more efficient charging of implanted medical devices.
Implementation Method 1
a device having an inductive power transmission apparatus configured to transmit inductance power transcutaneous into a person
Implementation Method 2
a dedicated heat transfer arrangement configured to transfer away from the device heat that is generated when transferring power using the device
Implementation Method 3
a cooling sub-system configured to cool the skin interface surface
Implementation Method 4
Incorporating a dedicated heat transfer arrangement, such as heat pipes or thermoelectric coolers, within the device to efficiently transfer heat away from the skin interface
Data Source
AI summary
A device, including an inductive power transmission apparatus, wherein the device includes a dedicated heat transfer arrangement configured to transfer away from the device heat that is generated when transferring power using the device, and the device is configured to transmit inductance power transcutaneous into a person. The device can be a hearing prosthesis component.