Receive coil configurations for implantable medical device

A method for forming a receive antenna configuration for an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

• forming an electrical conductor into at least one receive coil, the at least one receive coil comprising a first set of coil windings forming a first loop, a second set of coil windings forming a second loop, and a crossover area coupling the coil windings of the first loop with the coil windings of the second loop to form the at the least one receive coil into an infinity shape;
• affixing the at least one receive coil comprising the infinity shape to a ferrite sheet;
• affixing the ferrite sheet including the at least one receive coil comprising the infinity shape to an inner surface of an antenna window portion of a housing of the implantable medical device so that the ferrite sheet is positioned between the at least one receive coil and inner surface, such that a curvature of a longitudinal axis of the at least one receive coil conforms to a curvature of the inner surface, and such that the ferrite sheet positioned between the at least one receive coil and an external source of an externally generated magnetic field, wherein the ferrite sheet is configured to permit the externally generated magnetic field received through the antenna window portion to pass through the ferrite sheet before inducing one or more electrical currents into the at least one receive coil;
• electrically coupling the at least one receive coil to a recharging circuitry of the implantable medical device;
• and
• coupling the antenna window with one or more additional portions of the housing to enclose the at least one receive coil and the recharging circuitry within the housing of the implantable medical device.

A system for recharging a power source located in an implanted medical device implanted in a patient, the system comprising:

• an electrical power source;
• at least one recharging coil coupled to the electrical power source and configured to generate a magnetic field having a magnetic field direction when electrically energized by the electrical power source;
• a receive antenna configuration comprising at least one receive coil comprising an electrical conductor forming a coil winding, the coil winding affixed to a ferrite sheet positioned within an interior cavity enclosed by the housing of the implantable medical device, the coil winding and the ferrite sheet formed into a curved shape that conforms to a curvature of at least a portion of an inner surface of the housing that at least partially encloses the interior cavity, the ferrite sheet positioned between the coil winding and an external source of an externally generated magnetic field, wherein the ferrite sheet and the coil winding bend along and are positioned adjacent to the curvature of at least the portion of the inner surface, the at least one receive coil configured to generate an electrical current induced into the at least one receive coil when the externally generated magnetic field passes through the ferrite sheet before being imposed onto the at least one receive coil;
• and
• recharging circuitry coupled to the receive antenna configuration, the recharging circuitry configured to sum electrical current induced into the at least one receive coil and to generate a recharging current to recharge the power source located in an implanted medical device;
• wherein the at least one receive coil and the recharging circuitry are configured to provide at least a minimum level of recharging current for a given level of magnetic field intensity provided by the magnetic field imposed on the at least one receive coil for a plurality of orientations of the magnetic field direction relative to an orientation of the implantable medical device.

A method for recharging a power source located in an implantable medical device implanted in a patient, the method comprising:

• receiving, at a receive antenna configuration of the implantable medical device, a magnetic field generated by at least one recharging coil located externally to the patient, wherein the magnetic field induces one or more electrical currents in at least one receive coil forming the receive antenna configuration, wherein the at least one of the at least one receive coil comprises a coil winding affixed to a ferrite sheet positioned within an interior cavity enclosed by the housing of the implantable medical device, the coil winding and the ferrite sheet formed into a curved shape that conforms to a curvature of at least a portion of an inner surface of the housing that at least partially encloses the interior cavity, the ferrite sheet positioned between the coil winding and the at least one recharging coil, wherein the ferrite sheet and the coil winding bend along and are positioned adjacent to the curvature of at least the portion of the inner surface;
• generating, using the receive antenna configuration, one or more electrical currents induced into the at least one receive coil when the magnetic field passes through the ferrite sheet before being received at the at least one receive coil;
• summing, by recharging circuitry, the one or more electrical currents to form a recharging current;
• and
• applying, by the recharging circuitry, the recharging current to the power source of the implantable medical device to recharge the energy level stored in the power source.