Recharge Belt Garment for Stable Implanted Device Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless recharging systems for implanted medical devices often require precise positioning and can be bulky, cumbersome, and prone to shifting, leading to reduced charging efficiency and inconvenience for the wearer.
Innovation Solution
A belt-like garment with a pre-formed loop and adjustable size, featuring a hook-and-loop fastening system, elastic material, and grip pads to maintain proximity and stability during recharging, allowing easy donning and doffing without significant dexterity required.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a user physically holds the recharger in the appropriate position during recharging sessions, then the implanted device can receive sufficient charge from the electromagnetic field, but the system becomes obtrusive and difficult to wear for extended periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a garment as an intermediary device that wears the recharger on behalf of the user. The garment includes a pouch that secures the recharger against the user's body, allowing the implanted device to receive electromagnetic energy without the user needing to continuously hold the recharger in position. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by transferring the positioning function from the user to the garment system.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment is segmented into functional components: a body portion that contacts the user's skin, a pouch that secures the recharger, and an opening that allows positioning. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function optimally - the body portion provides comfort and positioning, the pouch secures the recharger, and the opening enables easy placement and removal, collectively resolving the wearability- reliability contradiction.
2Stability of the object's composition
If holding mechanisms are designed to be secure and stable during recharging, then the recharger maintains proper proximity to the implanted device, but the mechanisms become bulky and burdensome to don and doff
Solution Approach 1:
The garment incorporates an elastic band that dynamically adjusts to different body sizes and shapes. The elastic material provides continuous gentle pressure to maintain recharger positioning without requiring rigid, bulky structures. This dynamic adaptability allows the garment to remain simple in design while achieving stable positioning across various users and body conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment uses an opening that can be adjusted in size and position along the elastic band. This parameter change capability allows the opening to be positioned optimally for different recharger sizes and user anatomies, maintaining stability without requiring complex adjustable mechanisms. The simple design of a movable opening resolves the contradiction between stability and complexity.
3Productivity
If the recharger and implanted device are positioned close to each other for high recharge rates, then charging efficiency improves, but the system becomes sensitive to movement and shifting during the recharging session
Solution Approach 1:
The garment applies continuous gentle compressive force from the elastic band to counteract any movements that would separate the recharger from the implanted device. This counteracting force maintains consistent proximity throughout the recharging session, ensuring high recharge rates are sustained without interruption from shifting or movement, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
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 garment ensures consistent recharging proximity and comfort by preventing movement of the recharger relative to the implanted device, enhancing user compliance and reducing the obtrusiveness of the recharging process.
Implementation Method 1
The belt 102 can be made of an elastic or stretchable material, and by separating the loop segments (108) (which may not be stretchable) into different sections, the length of the overall garment can be stretched to provide sufficient compressive force on the patient 104 to avoid significant movement after donning.
Implementation Method 2
The belt 102 can be made of an elastic or stretchable material, and by separating the loop segments (108) (which may not be stretchable) into different sections, the length of the overall garment can be stretched to provide sufficient compressive force on the patient 104 to avoid significant movement after donning.
Implementation Method 3
The belt 102 can be made of an elastic or stretchable material, and by separating the loop segments (108) (which may not be stretchable) into different sections, the length of the overall garment can be stretched to provide sufficient compressive force on the patient 104 to avoid significant movement after donning.
Data Source
AI summary
A belt-like garment is disclosed herein that addresses the need in the wireless recharging field for a holder that maintains the proximity of the recharger to the implanted device, is less bulky and better conforming to the wearer, is easy to don and doff, and prevents shifting throughout the recharging session.