Moldable charger with shape-sensing means for an implantable pulse generator
AssigneeBoston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
InventorsAndrew DiGiore, Brett Schleicher, Greg Baldwin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Electrical energy is transcutaneously transmitted from an external charger to an implanted medical device. The external charger includes a charging head that is selectively shapeable to conform to the surface of a patient to enhance charge efficiency and patient comfort. An alternating current charging coil is housed in the charging head and configured for transcutaneously transmitting electrical energy to the implanted medical device. The shape of the coil is changeable as the charging head is shaped, and at least one sensor determines changes in the shape of the charging coil and causes the charge of the coil to be adjusted based on the coil shape.
Claims7
A method of charging an implanted medical device, comprising:
- placing an external charging head on a surface of a patient in the general vicinity of the implanted medical device;
- shaping the external charging head to conform to the surface of the patient;
- sensing the shape of the external charging head as it conforms to the surface of the patient;
- determining a charging frequency based on the sensed shape of the external charging head;
- and
- transcutaneously transmitting energy from external charging head to the implanted medical device in accordance with the determined charging frequency, thereby charging the implanted medical device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.