External charger for a medical implantable device using field sensing coils to improve coupling
US8694117B2 · kind B2 · utility
34Cited by
10References
27Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 16, 2013 |
| Grant date | Apr 8, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 16, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH02J2310/23
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
By incorporating magnetic field sensing coils in an external charger, it is possible to determine the position of an implantable device by sensing the reflected magnetic field from the implant. In one embodiment, two or more field sensing coils are arranged to sense the reflected magnetic field. By comparing the relative reflected magnetic field strengths of the sensing coils, the position of the implant relative to the external charger can be determined. Audio and/or visual feedback can then be communicated to the patient to allow the patient to improve the alignment of the charger.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.