Wireless Recharging Leadless Pacemaker Battery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Leadless cardiac pacemakers face limitations in size and battery life, necessitating a solution to extend their longevity while minimizing device size, as traditional batteries consume significant internal volume and are challenging to recharge efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A wireless recharging system using a transmitter outside the body to transmit electromagnetic energy, which is received by an antenna within the pacemaker, allowing for faster recharging of a rechargeable battery, potentially using metamaterial-based biomimetic antennas and Van Atta arrays, and an impedance boundary layer to enhance energy transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If a traditional non-rechargeable battery is used in a leadless pacemaker, then the device can be made smaller initially, but the battery life determines the useful life expectancy and cannot be extended
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the battery from non-rechargeable to rechargeable, fundamentally altering its operational parameters. The rechargeable battery can be recharged multiple times through wireless electromagnetic energy transmission, transforming it from a single-use component to a reusable energy storage system that can be replenished indefinitely
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical battery replacement procedure with a wireless electromagnetic recharging system. Instead of surgically implanting a new battery when the old one depletes, the system uses electromagnetic energy transmission through the body to wirelessly recharge the battery, eliminating the need for invasive surgical intervention
2Duration of action of moving object
If a rechargeable battery with wireless recharging capability is added to the pacemaker, then battery life can be extended, but the device complexity and internal volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The pacemaker system is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides cardiac pacing therapy, contains a rechargeable battery for energy storage, and includes wireless communication capabilities for both data transmission and electromagnetic energy reception. The antenna structure serves dual purposes as both a communication element and an energy harvesting component
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external electromagnetic energy transmission system as an intermediary between the power source and the implanted pacemaker. This external system transmits energy through the body tissue to the pacemaker's antenna, serving as a mediator that delivers power without requiring physical connection or surgical intervention
3Duration of action of moving object
If the battery size is increased to provide sufficient energy for the entire expected life of the pacemaker, then longevity is improved, but the device housing must be larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic recharging action where the battery is recharged at regular intervals through wireless electromagnetic energy transmission. This periodic energy replenishment allows the use of a smaller battery capacity since the energy deficit is periodically corrected, transforming a single large energy storage requirement into multiple smaller charging cycles
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 approach enables a smaller, longer-lasting leadless cardiac pacemaker with faster battery recharging, potentially lasting a patient's lifetime, while minimizing tissue damage and heat buildup, and improving energy harvesting capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a transmitter configured to transmit EM energy from outside of a patient's body to inside of the patient's body
Implementation Method 2
an antenna configured to receive sufficient EM energy from the wavelength band of EM energy to recharge the rechargeable battery
Data Source
AI summary
Implantable medical devices such as leadless cardiac pacemakers may include a rechargeable battery, and a receiving antenna for receiving radiative energy from an external transmitter. Energy captured by the receiving antenna of the implantable medical device may be converted into electrical energy that may be used to recharge the rechargeable battery of the implantable medical device. Since the rechargeable battery does not have to initially store sufficient energy to power the implantable medical device over its entire useful life, the battery itself and thus the implanted medical device can be made smaller while still achieving device longevity expectations.