Wireless power transmission to implanted devices

描述(由申请人提供)：显然需要为植入式电子医疗设备开发先进的电源和充电选项。大多数植入物的使用寿命受到电源寿命的限制。当植入的一次(不可充电)电池放电到预定阈值时，必须安排手术更换电池或整个设备，这将花费相当大的成本，患者痛苦，感染的可能性约为2%。可能使用可充电电池的植入式设备包括越来越多的神经刺激剂，用于对抗帕金森症状，用于化疗，电刺激胃、喉咙、尿路和其他肌肉，提供止痛药，以及植入式压力和温度传感器，这些传感器的使用将迅速扩大。所有这些应用都对人体内的电力提出了要求。一种新的二次电池充电新方法可以克服目前方法的一些困难，包括磁共振成像不兼容。正在开发的无线能量传输技术基于众所周知的超声波原理，该原理以其在诊断应用中的安全性而闻名。潜在的优势包括更小的发射器和接收器，消除电磁干扰和金属部件的加热，以及将电力传输到身体更深的部位。后者将推动新的应用程序。我们的主要目标和具体目标是在体内展示其最终能力，促进更快速的充电，从而培养患者的合规性，遵守FDA的安全法规，并将技术推进到原型阶段，准备制造成有用的产品。我们将通过增加其功率输送来做到这一点，表明任何温度上升都保持在FDA的指导方针之内，开发对准和冷却技术，并建造小型和廉价的组件。这项技术将支持NIH的任务，通过以下方式推进其改善人类健康和降低医疗成本的目标：1)通过减少电池更换操作来缓解痛苦、疼痛和并发症，2)通过为诊断输出或突发模式操作提供更多功率来增加植入物的功能，3)提高患者的依从性，以及4)减少更换电池和其他组件的昂贵手术的次数。 与公共健康相关：这种新的无线充电技术将延长植入电池的寿命和能力，并将通过以下几个公共健康目标推进：1)通过减少电池更换操作次数来缓解痛苦、疼痛、并发症和成本，2)通过为诊断输出或突发模式操作提供更多功率来增加植入物的功能，3)提高患者的依从性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A clear need exists for the development of advanced power ources and recharging options for implanted electro-medical devices. The useful lifetime of most implants is constrained by the longevity of the power source. When an implanted primary (non-rechargeable) battery has discharged to a predetermined threshold, surgery must be scheduled to replace the battery or the entire device, at considerable cost, patient distress, and about a 2% chance of infection. Implantable devices that might use rechargeable batteries include a growing variety of neurostimulators to counteract Parkinson's symptoms, for chemotherapy, to electrically stimulate the stomach, throat, urinary tract and other muscles, to deliver pain medication, and for implanted pressure and temperature sensors whose use will proliferate quickly. All of these applications place demands on electrical power within the body. A novel new method for recharging secondary batteries can overcome some of the difficulties of the present method, which includes MRI incompatibility. The wireless power transmission technology being developed is based on well known principles of ultrasound, which is know for its safety in diagnostic applications. The potential advantages include smaller transmitters and receivers, elimination of electromagnetic interference and heating of metal parts, and transmission of power to deeper sites in the body. The latter will drive new applications. Our principal goals and specific aims are to demonstrate its ultimate capabilities in vivo, facilitate more rapid recharging thus fostering patient compliance, comply with FDA safety regulations, and move the technology forward to the prototype stage, ready to be made into a useful product. We will do this by increasing its power delivery, showing that any temperature rise is kept within FDA guidelines, developing alignment and cooling techniques, and constructing small and inexpensive components. This technology will support the NIH mission, advancing its goals to improve human health and reduce health care costs by: 1) alleviating the distress, pain, and complications by reducing battery replacement operations, 2) increasing functionality of the implant by providing more power for diagnostic output or burst mode operation, 3) improving patient compliance, and 4) reducing the number of expensive operations that replace batteries and other components. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This new wireless recharging technique will result in increased longevity and capability of implanted batteries and will advance several public health goals by: 1) alleviating distress, pain, complications and cost by reducing the number of battery replacement operations, 2) increasing functionality of the implant by providing more power for diagnostic output or burst mode operation, 3) improving patient compliance.