# US 2014/0197786 A1 · System for an implantable medical device having an external charger coupleable to accessory charging coils > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197786 A1 - Document ID: US20140197786A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/216,950 - Filed: 2014-03-17 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-21 - Assignees: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation - Applicants: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation - Inventors: Daniel Aghassian; Bob Ozawa; Joonho Hyun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197786A1 ## CPC - A61N 1/36128: {Control systems} - A61N 1/36125: {Details of circuitry or electric components} - A61N 1/3787: {from an external energy source} - H02J 7/70: characterised by the mechanical construction - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/60: responsive to the presence of foreign objects, e.g. detection of living beings - 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) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract An external charger system is disclosed comprising an external charger with an internal charging coil, as well as an output port coupleable to one of a plurality of types of external accessory charging coils of varying shapes and sizes. If the internal charging coil of the external charger is sufficient for a given patient's charging needs, the accessory charging coils may be detached from the external charger, and the external charger may serve as a standalone self-contained external charger. The external charger can automatically detect which of the plurality of types of accessory charging coils is connected, and can adjust its operation accordingly. This versatile design allows the external charger system to be used by large numbers of patients, even if their particular implant charging scenarios are different. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An external charger system for providing power to one or more implantable medical devices, comprising: an external charger comprising an internal first charging coil configured to selectively provide a first field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices; and an external charging coil assembly comprising a second charging coil configured to selectively provide a second field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices, wherein the external charging coil assembly is attachable to and detachable from the external charger. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger is hand-held and portable. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly is attachable to and detachable from the external charger at a port on the external charger. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly is flexible. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly is rigid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger further comprises a coil driver configured to energize the first charging coil and the second charging coil of the external charging coil assembly to respectively produce the first and second fields. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the coil driver is configured to energize the first coil with a first power, and to energize the second coil with a second power different from the first power. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger system is configured to provide the first field to the one or more implantable medical devices using the first coil if no external charging coil assembly is attached to the external charger. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the external charger system is configured to provide the second field to the one or more implantable medical devices using the second charging coil if the external charging coil assembly is attached to the external charger. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly comprises at least one thermistor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the thermistors is used to encode an address for the external charging coil assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger further comprises a microcontroller for automatically determining whether the external charging coil assembly is attached to or detached from the external charger. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller determines whether the external charging coil assembly has been attached to the external charger by reading at least one address from the external charging coil assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the microcontroller adjusts operation of the system depending whether the external charging coil assembly is attached to or detached from the external charger. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the external charger further comprises a coil driver configured to energize the first charging coil if the external charging coil assembly is detached from the external charger, or the second charging coil of the external charging coil assembly if the external charging coil assembly is attached to the external charger, wherein adjusting the operation of the system comprises adjusting a power provided by the coil driver. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein adjusting the operation of the system comprises adjusting a temperature set point. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly comprises at least one address recognizable by the external charger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charger further comprises a user interface and a battery. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, further comprising a cradle, wherein the cradle is configured to charge the battery in the external charger. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the cradle is further configured to provide power to the external charger, and wherein the power provided to the external charger can be used to produce the second field of the external charging coil assembly. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the second field of the external charging coil assembly is produced using either the power provided to the external charger or the battery. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the external charging coil assembly further comprises a magnetic shielding material for focusing the second field to the one or more implantable medical devices. ### Claim 23 A method for providing power to one or more implantable medical devices with an external charger system, comprising: determining whether an external charging assembly is coupled to an external charger; if the external charging assembly is not coupled to the external charger, wirelessly providing a first field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices from the external charger; and if the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger, wirelessly providing a second field to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices from the coupled external charging assembly. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the first field is produced by a first coil in the external charger. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, wherein the second field is produced by a second coil in the external charging assembly. ### Claim 26 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising, as an initial step, initiating the external charger to provide power to the one or more implantable medical devices. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein initiating the external charger comprises receiving a selection at a user interface on the external charger. ### Claim 28 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices is adjusted by the external charger depending whether the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger or not. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method of claim 28, wherein an intensity of the power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices is adjusted. ### Claim 30 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein a temperature set point is adjusted by the external charger depending whether the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger or not. ### Claim 31 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the external charger comprises a port for coupling to the external charging assembly. ### Claim 32 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising reading an address of the external charging assembly at the external charger if the external charging assembly is coupled to the external charger. ### Claim 33 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein the power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices by the first and second fields is provided by a battery in the external charger. ### Claim 34 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, wherein power provided to the one or more implantable medical devices by the first and second fields is provided by an AC power source coupled to the external charger.