# US 2014/0152246 A1 · Method and apparatus for supplying energy to a medical device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152246 A1 - Document ID: US20140152246A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/905,384 - Filed: 2013-05-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2007-10-16 - Assignees: Milux Holding SA - Applicants: Milux Holding S.A. - Inventors: Peter Forsell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152246A1 ## CPC - A61N 1/3787: {from an external energy source} - A61B 17/12: for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels or umbilical cord - A61N 1/08: Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating {(for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925)} - H02J 7/42: with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/80: involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices - H04B 5/79: for data transfer in combination with power transfer - A61B 2560/0214: of power generation or supply - A61F 2250/0001: Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants - H02J 50/70: involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields - H02J 2105/46: Medical devices, medical implants or life supporting devices - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - H04B: TRANSMISSION - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract In a method and apparatus for supplying wireless energy to a medical device implanted in a patient, wireless energy is transmitted from an external energy source located outside a patient and is received by an internal energy receiver located inside the patient, for directly or indirectly supplying received energy to the medical device. An energy balance is determined between the energy received by the internal energy receiver and the energy used for the medical device, and the transmission of wireless energy is then controlled based on the determined energy balance. The energy balance thus provides an accurate indication of the correct amount of energy needed, which is sufficient to operate the medical device properly, but without causing undue temperature rise. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -220. (canceled) ### Claim 221 A method for controlling transmission of wireless energy supplied to an electrically operable medical device when implanted in a patient, wherein the method comprises transmitting said wireless energy from an external energy source located outside the patient, and receiving said wireless energy by an internal energy receiver located inside the patient, the internal energy receiver being connected to the medical device for directly or indirectly supplying received energy thereto, the method further comprising: determining an energy balance between the energy received by the internal energy receiver and the total energy used for the medical device, determining the energy balance, by an internal control unit or external control unit, during the transmission of wireless energy, transmitting feedback information from inside the body to be able to control the wireless energy supply sent by the external energy source, and controlling the transmission of wireless energy from the external energy source, based on the determined energy balance, the transmission of wireless being controlled in accordance with at least one of: an energy reception rate in the internal energy receiver compared to an total rate of used energy being consumption rate, storage rate or combined consumption and storage rate, and directly or indirectly measuring over time the difference between the total amount of energy received by the internal energy receiver and the total amount of used energy being consumed, stored or combined consumed and stored energy, and determining the energy balance based on at least one of: said difference and a detected change in said difference. ### Claim 222 (depends on 221) The method according to claim 221, wherein the wireless energy is transmitted inductively from a primary coil in the external energy source to a secondary coil in the internal energy receiver. ### Claim 223 (depends on 221) The method according to claim 221, further comprising detecting at least one of: a change in said energy balance, and controlling the transmission of wireless energy based on said detected energy balance change, wherein the amount of transmitted wireless energy is decreased if the detected energy balance change implies that the energy balance is increasing, or increased if the detected energy balance change implies that the energy balance is decreasing, wherein the decrease/increase of energy transmission corresponds to a detected change rate, and a difference between energy received by said internal energy receiver and energy used for the medical device, and controlling the transmission of wireless energy based on said detected energy difference, wherein the amount of transmitted wireless energy is decreased if the detected energy difference implies that the received energy is greater than the used energy, or increased if the detected energy balance change implies that the energy balance is decreasing, wherein the decrease/increase of energy transmission corresponds to the magnitude of said detected energy difference. ### Claim 224 (depends on 223) The method according to claim 223, wherein the energy used for the medical device is handled in at least one of the following alternatives: a) consuming substantially all energy used for the medical device to operate the medical device, b) storing substantially all energy used for the medical device in at least one energy storage device and c) partly consuming the energy used for the medical device to operate the medical device and partly store the energy in said at least one energy storage device. ### Claim 225 (depends on 224) The method according to claim 224, wherein the energy is consumed or stored after being stabilized in at least one energy stabilizing unit of the medical device. ### Claim 226 (depends on 225) The method according to claim 225, wherein the wireless energy is first transmitted with a predetermined energy rate, and then transmitted based on the energy balance, which is determined by detecting the direction and rate of change in the current amount of accumulated energy in the energy stabilizing unit. ### Claim 227 (depends on 225) The method according to claim 225, wherein said energy stabilizing unit includes at least one of: an accumulator, a capacitor or a semiconductor adapted to stabilize the received energy. ### Claim 228 (depends on 224) The method according to claim 224, wherein the energy balance is determined based on a detected change followed over time in the amount of consumed, stored or consumed and stored energy. ### Claim 229 (depends on 228) The method according to claim 228, wherein the change in the amount of consumed, stored or consumed and stored energy is detected by determining over time the derivative of a measured electrical parameter related to said amount of consumed, stored or consumed and stored energy, the derivative at a first given moment corresponding to the rate of the change at the first given moment, wherein the rate of change includes the direction and speed of the change. ### Claim 230 (depends on 229) The method according to claim 229, wherein said derivative is determined based on a detected rate of change of the electrical parameter. ### Claim 231 (depends on 221) The method according to claim 221, wherein the energy received by the internal energy receiver is supplied to the medical device with at least one of; at least one constant voltage, wherein the constant voltage is created by a constant voltage circuitry and at least one constant current, wherein the constant current is created by a constant current circuitry. ### Claim 232 (depends on 231) The method according to claim 231, wherein the energy is supplied with at least one of: at least two different voltages, including the at least one constant voltage and at least two different currents, including said at least one constant current. ### Claim 233 (depends on 223) The method according to claim 223, wherein said detected difference being related to the integral over time of at least one measured electrical parameter related to said energy balance, wherein said integral of the electrical parameter relates to the energy balance as an accumulated difference between the total amount of energy received by said internal energy receiver and the total amount of consumed energy, stored energy or consumed and stored energy. ### Claim 234 (depends on 223) The method according to claim 223, wherein values of said electrical parameter are plotted over time as a graph in a parameter-time diagram, and wherein said integral is determined from the size of the area beneath the plotted graph. ### Claim 235 (depends on 223) The method according to claims 223, wherein an energy storage device is provided comprising at least one of: a rechargeable battery, an accumulator or a capacitor. ### Claim 236 (depends on 221) The method according to claim 221, further comprising: providing a first electric circuit to supply electrical pulses to the external transmitting device, said electrical pulses having leading and trailing edges, said transmitting device adapted to supply wireless energy, wherein the electrical circuit being adapted to vary the lengths of at least one of: first time intervals between successive leading and trailing edges of the electrical pulses, and second time intervals between successive trailing and leading edges of the electrical pulses, and providing the transmitted wireless energy, generated from the electrical pulses having a varied power, the power depending on the lengths of the first, second or first and second time intervals. ### Claim 237 (depends on 236) The method according to claim 236, wherein the frequency of the electrical pulses is substantially constant when varying the first, second or first and second time intervals, wherein the amplitude of the electrical pulses is substantially constant when varying the first, second or first and second time intervals, when applying electrical pulses, so that the electrical pulses remain unchanged, except for varying the first, second or first and second time intervals. ### Claim 238 (depends on 236) The method according to claim 236, further comprising: supplying a train of two or more electrical pulses in a row, said train having a first electrical pulse at the start of the pulse train and having a second electrical pulse at the end of the pulse train, and supplying two or more pulse trains in a row, wherein the lengths of the second time intervals between successive trailing edge of the second electrical pulse in a first pulse train and leading edge of the first electrical pulse of a second pulse train are varied. ### Claim 239 (depends on 238) The method according to claim 238, wherein, when electrical pulses are applied, at least one of: the electrical pulses within the pulse trains, and the pulse trains themselves having at least one of: a substantially constant frequency, a substantially constant current and a substantially constant voltage. ### Claim 240 (depends on 236) The method according to claim 236, wherein the wireless energy is transmitted in a substantially inductive way from the external energy source to the receiver and wherein the electrical pulses are released from the first electrical circuit with at least one of: a frequency and time period between leading edges of the consecutive pulses, so that when the lengths of the first, second or first and second time intervals are varied, the resulting transmitted energy varied. ### Claim 241 (depends on 240) The method according to claim 240, wherein the circuit formed by the first electric circuit and the external energy source has a first characteristic time period or first time constant, and when effectively varying the transmitted energy, such frequency time period is in the range of the first characteristic time period or time constant or shorter.