Patent · US Expired

Methods and apparatus for providing a sufficiently stable power to a load in an energy transfer system

US6442434B1 · kind B1 · utility

199Cited by
15References
56Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 9, 2000
Grant dateAug 27, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 9, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S323/911
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing a sufficiently stable power to a load in an energy transfer system that transfers energy from one side of a physical boundary to another side of the boundary. In one example, a power supply and a primary winding are located on a first side of a physical boundary (e.g., external to a body), and a secondary winding and the load are located on a second side of the physical boundary (e.g., internal to the body). A primary voltage across the primary winding is regulated so as to provide a sufficiently stable output power to the load notwithstanding changes in the load and/or changes in a relative position of the primary winding and the secondary winding. One aspect of the invention relates to energy transfer methods and apparatus for use in connection with the human body. In particular, one example of the invention includes a transcutaneous energy transfer (TET) system for transferring power from a power supply external to the body to a device implanted in the body.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.