Using wireless power transfer coils for inductive telemetry

A transcutaneous energy transfer system for an implantable device, comprising:

• a wireless power transfer transmit coil;
• a wireless power transfer receive coil;
• and
• a controller associated with the wireless power transfer receive coil, the controller associated with the transcutaneous energy transfer system including a transmit circuitry and a receive circuitry, the controller configured to
• generate a telemetry control signal to the wireless power transfer receive coil to induce a resonant voltage in the wireless power transfer receive coil, wherein the telemetry control signal is a voltage, the induced resonant voltage generating an inductive telemetry communication signal;
• and
• transmit the inductive telemetry communication signal from the wireless power transfer receive coil to the wireless power transfer transmit coil, wherein power is transferred between the wireless power transfer transmit coil and the wireless power transfer receive coil at a frequency, and wherein the inductive telemetry communication signal is transmitted from the wireless power transfer receive coil to the wireless power transfer transmit coil at a harmonic of the frequency.

A method, comprising:

• detecting an operating state of a communication system associated with an implantable device, the implantable device having a transcutaneous energy transfer system, the transcutaneous energy transfer system including a wireless power transfer transmit coil and a wireless power transfer receive coil;
• in response to detecting the operating state of the communication system, providing a telemetry control signal to a transmit circuitry of a controller associated with the transcutaneous energy transfer system,
• wherein the telemetry control signal is a voltage;
• generating the telemetry control signal to the wireless power transfer receive coil to induce a resonant voltage in the wireless power transfer receive coil, wherein the induced resonant voltage generates an inductive telemetry communication signal;
• and
• transmitting the inductive telemetry communication signal from the wireless power transfer receive coil to the wireless power transfer transmit coil, wherein power is transferred between the wireless power transfer transmit coil and the wireless power transfer receive coil at a frequency, and wherein the inductive telemetry communication signal is transmitted from the wireless power transfer receive coil to the wireless power transfer transmit coil at a harmonic of the frequency.