Transverse Coil Arrangement for Implantable Device Orientation Insensitivity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable medical devices, such as pacemakers and defibrillators, face challenges in achieving robust and energy-efficient communication with external devices due to their small size and variable orientation within the body, requiring a coil arrangement that is insensitive to placement and orientation variations.
Innovation Solution
The coil arrangement is oriented transversely to the longitudinal axis of the device, with an elongated shape and a bobbin that extends laterally, featuring curved side faces to guide magnetic flux and ensure efficient inductive coupling, allowing for a compact design and reduced sensitivity to device orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the coil arrangement is oriented along the longitudinal axis of the device, then the communication performance may be improved in a specific orientation, but the device becomes sensitive to orientation variations and placement changes when implanted
Solution Approach 1:
The coil winding is designed with an elongated shape where the width along the transverse direction is larger than the height along the longitudinal axis. This asymmetric geometry creates a magnetic field distribution that is more uniform across different orientations, reducing sensitivity to placement variations while maintaining communication performance
Solution Approach 2:
The coil arrangement is rotated from the conventional longitudinal axis orientation to a transverse direction orientation. This dimensional change in coil placement creates a magnetic field that extends laterally from the device, improving adaptability to different implantation orientations and positions within the heart
2Reliability
If the coil winding is made larger to improve communication range and efficiency, then the communication performance is improved, but the device size increases which is problematic for implantable devices
Solution Approach 1:
The coil winding is oriented in the transverse direction rather than along the longitudinal axis, utilizing the lateral dimension of the device. This allows the coil to achieve a larger effective area for magnetic field generation without increasing the overall length of the device, thus improving communication efficiency while maintaining a compact form factor suitable for implantation
Solution Approach 2:
The bobbin is designed with curved side faces that guide and concentrate the magnetic flux. This curved geometry allows the magnetic field to be more effectively contained and directed, improving communication efficiency without requiring a larger coil winding area
3Reliability
If the bobbin is designed with curved side faces to guide magnetic flux, then the inductive coupling efficiency is improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bobbin side faces are designed with a moderate curvature that follows the longitudinal axis of the device. This curved shape effectively guides and concentrates the magnetic flux generated by the coil winding, improving inductive coupling efficiency. The curvature is designed to be manufacturable using standard molding or machining processes, balancing performance improvement with manufacturing feasibility
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
This configuration enables robust and energy-efficient communication with external devices, reducing the device's size and improving design options while maintaining reliable performance across varying orientations.
Implementation Method 1
a coil arrangement for communicating with an external device, the coil arrangement comprising a coil winding and a bobbin on which the coil winding is arranged
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable device comprises a housing having an oblong shape extending along a longitudinal axis, and a coil arrangement for communicating with an external device, the coil arrangement comprising a coil winding and a bobbin on which the coil winding is arranged. The coil arrangement is received in the housing such that the coil winding and the bobbin extend along a transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal axis, wherein the coil winding is wound on the bobbin about the transverse direction and has an elongated shape along the transverse direction.