Patent Description:
In drug development and the like, experiments using small animals such as a large number of mice kept in a breeding cage are routinely conducted in order to evaluate the effects. When carrying out the experiment, a small animal is equipped with a biological information acquisition device for chronologically acquiring biological information such as body temperature, activity, heart rate, blood pressure, etc. The biological information acquisition device is either externally attached to a small animal or embedded in a living body. However, in order to know a more accurate value, there are many embedded methods.

An important point in the embedding method is the power supply to the biological information acquisition device. Because the operation of small animals is restricted in a wired system, some power supply system that does not depend on a wired system is required.

When acquiring the biological information, it is desired to acquire a large amount of the biological information using a large number of experimental animals over a long period of time without depending on the measurement interval (for example, at several seconds' intervals). Moreover, in order to obtain reliable experimental data, it is necessary not to give stress to the experimental animals. To that purpose, the biological information acquisition device must have a biocompatible shape, and the biological information acquisition device is desired to be small and lightweight (generally referred to as <NUM>/<NUM> or less of the body weight of the laboratory animal).

Furthermore, there is a need to acquire the biological information in real time and to simultaneously observe movement, posture, and the like at that time. The experimental animals are released into a breeding cage and stand up and walk around freely, so it is desirable to be able to continuously obtain the biological information and observe the experimental animals without interruption, regardless of where and what posture the experimental animals are.

Further, because a large amount of the experimental animals are used, it is desirable that the power consumption (fever) of one biological information acquisition device is small and that it is as inexpensive as possible.

<CIT> discloses a contactless rechargeable alkaline secondary battery which includes an alkaline secondary battery; a power receiver circuit provided with power receiver coils L1 to L4 and a resonance capacitor C1 and adapted to receive AC power of resonance frequency via magnetic field resonance.

<CIT> discloses a magnetic field formation device that generates a varying magnetic field in a prescribed region and that has: at least one power transmission resonator; and a plurality of power transmission coils.

<CIT> discloses a capsule type device capable of always obtaining stable starting power in spite of any posture in a patient's body cavity, and a capsule type device driving control system including the capsule type device.

Among conventional implantable laboratory animal biological information acquisition devices, for example, there is a product disclosed in Non-Patent Document <NUM> based on a power supply method not based on a wired method. This product builds in a primary battery and can acquire biological information of multiple experimental animals in a single breeding cage.

As another conventional laboratory animal biological information acquisition device based on a power supply method that does not depend on wires, for example, there is a product disclosed in Non-Patent Document <NUM>. Because this product supplies power to the power receiving side using a non-contact power transmission technology, it is possible to acquire and transmit the biological information over a long period of time in real time.

However, when using the non-contact power transmission technology, electromagnetic induction coupling may change depending on the posture and the position of the laboratory animal, and it may not be possible to supply power. For example, as a prior art regarding the solution of this problem, there is Patent Document <NUM>.

The Patent Document <NUM> discloses non-contact power transmission technology in an implantable medical device system. In a primary coil, the generation of a rotating magnetic field by <NUM>-degree out-of-phase driving using a dual-axis orthogonal dual coil is used to suppress an extreme decrease in the amount of power supply due to coupling between power transmission and reception.

In Patent Document <NUM>, a plurality of primary coils (Helmholtz type coils) are disclosed. They are installed so as to generate magnetic fields in different directions in order to supply energy efficiently in a non-contact manner regardless of an direction of a medical device in the body.

In Patent Document <NUM>, following technology is disclosed. In order to realize high-efficiency power transmission regardless of a positional relationship between a power transmission coil and a power receiving coil, at least one of a primary coil and a secondary coil comprises a plurality of helical coils assembled in a spherical shape, and therefore the influence of the positional deviation between the primary side and the secondary side coil can be reduced.

In the prior art described in the Non-Patent Document <NUM>, it is necessary to reduce the size and weight in order to embed a battery in a small experimental animal, and therefore the battery capacity becomes small. Consequently, there are problems that it is difficult to increase the frequency of data acquisition and increase the amount of data, it is difficult to shorten the data communication interval, and long-term operation cannot be performed if transmission is attempted in real time. In addition, because a primary battery is built in, there is a problem that the shape of the device is limited and it is difficult to obtain a biocompatible shape, particularly a round shape.

In the prior art described in Non-Patent Document <NUM>, it is only possible to acquire biological information of one or two experimental animals per breeding cage. Therefore, a large number of power transmission devices are required, and there are problems with cost and power consumption (heat generation). Because the power receiving side is heavy (<NUM>), there is a problem that it cannot be used for experiments on lightweight small animals such as small mice. Furthermore, according to the User Manual for Millar Mouse Telemetry Systems of this product, there is a problem that it is impossible to supply power due to the posture of the laboratory animal, etc. at a high place in the breeding cage, specifically about <NUM> in height from the bottom of the cage.

In the prior art disclosed in the Patent Document <NUM>, because a plurality of drive circuits on the transmission side are necessary, there are following problems. The transmission power is twice as much, so heat generation is high. The cost of the power transmission side is high. And a rotating magnetic field using two axes is not sufficient for an arbitrary posture.

In the prior art disclosed in the Patent Document <NUM>, because a plurality of drive circuits on a power transmission side are necessary, there are following problems. The transmission power is tripled, and therefore more heat is generated. The cost of the power transmission side is high. And, it is difficult to observe experimental animals because a power receiving side is surrounded and covered.

In the prior art disclosed in the Patent Document <NUM>, it is necessary to constantly monitor and adjust power transmission / reception helical coil pair, and there is a problem that both power transmission and reception are complicated and expensive. In addition, when the helical coil is used on the power receiving side, there is a problem that the volume on the power receiving side increases and it is difficult to reduce the size and weight.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and a primary coil can be configured by a spiral coil or a solenoid coil having a simple configuration on a power transmission side. The power receiving side has a simple configuration, and is easy to make and inexpensive. When implanted in multiple laboratory animals in one breeding cage, there is no reduction in power supply due to rotation of the power receiving device suitable for a round cross-sectional shape with high biocompatibility, that is, depending on the direction and position of the experimental animal. It is an issue to provide a power receiving device, an implantable laboratory animal biological information acquisition device, and a laboratory animal biological information acquisition system that can continuously supply power and observe the behavior of laboratory animals from outside without covering the breeding cage with the power transmission side.

The present invention is defined by the features of claim <NUM>.

The plurality of spiral coils arranged in an annular shape is hereinafter referred to as an "annular coil array".

Here, the spiral coil is a planar coil obtained by winding a conducting wire in a spiral shape. A coil, in which spiral coils are laminated like an aligned winding, is also included in the spiral coil. The solenoid coil described later is a coil, in which a conductive wire is loosely or densely wound in a spiral shape, and is a coil having a cylindrical shape and an elongated shape. The number of windings is also appropriately set according to the required characteristics.

Embodiments of the invention are defined in dependent claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a large decrease in the amount of power supply with respect to rotation around the magnetic core axis. Therefore, there is an effect that the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device can have a round cross-sectional shape with good biocompatibility.

In the case where the spiral coil has a substantially rectangular shape and the sides are arranged adjacent to each other, the arrangement is performed without a gap, and induced electromotive force induction is effectively performed. As a result, power receiving can be carried out more effectively.

By providing a plurality of the annular coil arrays in the axial direction of the magnetic core, the occurrence of a large decrease in the power supply amount with respect to the rotation around the magnetic core axis and the rise fluctuation of the magnetic core axis is further reduced. And, there is an effect that power can be supplied regardless of the position and the posture.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the figures.

<FIG> shows a schematic configuration diagram of a laboratory animal biological information acquisition system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The laboratory animal biological information acquisition system <NUM> includes a laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>, a transparent cage <NUM>, which contains laboratory animals embedded the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>, a power transmission device <NUM> for transmitting power to the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>, and a mounting table <NUM>, in which the power transmission device <NUM> is built in and on which the transparent cage <NUM> is mounted.

The laboratory animal biological information acquisition system <NUM> further includes a server <NUM> for processing information transmitted from the power transmission device <NUM> in a wired manner or a wireless manner as shown in <FIG>. The server <NUM> records, calculates, processes, and displays information, and also controls the power transmission device.

The power transmission device <NUM> includes a primary coil (<NUM> in <FIG>) used for contactless power transmission, an inverter circuit (not shown) for driving the primary coil, a transmission / reception circuit (not shown) for controlling the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>, and a data reception circuit (not shown) for receiving data from the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>. The power transmission device <NUM> supplies power to the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> including the secondary coil part <NUM> from the primary coil <NUM> by the contactless power transmission.

<FIG> shows an example of the magnetic field distribution <NUM> generated by the power transmission device <NUM> including the primary coil <NUM> according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The primary coil <NUM> includes a coil such as a planar spiral coil or solenoid coil, which is formed by single wire or Litz wire of electrically conductive metals such as copper, aluminum, nickel, silver, gold and their alloys, or formed by printing or etching methods. It also includes a resonance circuit provided as necessary.

The direction of the magnetic field generated by the power transmission device is defined as an upward direction in the z direction, a forward direction in the x direction, and a right direction in the y direction. When the primary coil <NUM> comprises a known simple coil as described above, the generated magnetic field changes in the direction at the place in the breeding cage and becomes a specific direction for each place in the breeding cage <NUM>. In the embodiment of <FIG>, the magnetic field in the most of the primary coil, such as the central portion, is directed in the z direction, but depending on the position, the direction of the magnetic field is in the x direction or the y direction. Therefore, in the case where the secondary coil part <NUM> is a simple coil such as a spiral coil or solenoid coil similar to the primary coil, when the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is in any position and direction, an inductive coupling state between the primary coil <NUM> and the secondary coil part <NUM> changes greatly, and a power transmission amount also changes greatly.

<FIG> shows a schematic diagram of the magnetic field distribution in the vicinity of the magnetic core <NUM> when the magnetic core <NUM> constituting the secondary coil part <NUM> is near the center in <FIG>.

<FIG> show the case where the magnetic core <NUM> is cylindrical. It can be understood that the magnetic field distribution varies greatly depending on the direction of the magnetic core <NUM> (in this embodiment, the direction of the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device).

<FIG> shows a schematic diagram indicating a magnetic field distribution in a cross section perpendicular to the axis <NUM> of the magnetic core <NUM> when the axis <NUM> of the magnetic core <NUM> is perpendicular to the magnetic field <NUM> caused by the primary coil <NUM>. It can be understood that the direction of the magnetic field entering the magnetic core is opposite in the upper half <NUM> and the lower half <NUM> of the cross section.

<FIG> shows a schematic diagram indicating the magnetic field distribution in the vicinity of the magnetic core <NUM> when the axis <NUM> of the magnetic core <NUM> is directed parallel to the magnetic field <NUM> by the primary coil <NUM>. It can be understood that the magnetic field entering the magnetic core <NUM> is opposite in the upper half <NUM> and the lower half <NUM> of the cross section.

<FIG> show schematic diagrams indicating the magnetic field distribution near the magnetic core <NUM> when the axis <NUM> itself of the magnetic core <NUM> rotates in the vertical direction. It can be understood that the direction of the magnetic field entering the magnetic core <NUM> changes gradually.

<FIG> shows the magnetic field distribution when the cross-sectional shape of the magnetic core <NUM> is a triangle and a quadrangle with changing a placement angle.

<FIG> show examples of the secondary coil part of the power receiving device partially according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The secondary coil part <NUM> includes a magnetic core <NUM> having a circular or polygonal cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of spiral coils 40a, 40b,. formed by winding a conductor. The plurality of spiral coils 40a, 40b,. Are arranged in the circumferential direction so as to be close to each other and cover the entire peripheral surface of the magnetic core <NUM>.

Each coil of the spiral coil or solenoid coil, which constitutes the secondary coil part, is preferably configured not only by winding a conductor but also by using a flexible coil. The flexible coil is a coil formed by forming a conductor in a thin film on a base material such as a flexible film by a printing method or an etching method. In this case, it is possible to form a plurality of coils on the same film or the like with less variation in arrangement and characteristics. Further, by laminating and connecting the film-like coils formed on one side or both sides, the characteristic value can be adjusted and the coil can be easily bent. By aligning each laminated film coil with an adhesive or a pressure-sensitive adhesive, it is possible to prevent positional deviation of each laminated film coil.

When the flexible coil is used in the power receiving device or biological information acquisition device / system, characteristics can easily adjusted, characteristics reproducibility and productivity becomes good, and bending becomes easily. Therefore, there is no performance variation. In more detail, it is as follows.

The biometric information acquisition system has the following advantages.

Embodiments of the present invention are described below in detail with reference to the figures.

The secondary coil part <NUM> shown in <FIG> includes a magnetic core <NUM> having a circular cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of spiral coils 40a and 40b formed by winding a conductor so that the outer shape is substantially square. The plurality of spiral coils 40a and 40b are arranged in a ring in the circumferential direction of the magnetic core <NUM> so that their sides (40a1 and 40b1) and (40a2 and 40b2) are close to each other so as to cover the entire circumferential surface of the magnetic core <NUM> (to form a ring).

<FIG> shows an example different from the invention using two spiral coils 40a and 40b.

The spiral coils 40a and 40b are each formed to have a substantially square shape. The planar spiral coils formed so that its outer shape is formed in a substantially quadrangular shape by winding are bent to have a shape along the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic core <NUM>. Because the cross-sectional shape of the magnetic core <NUM> shown in <FIG> is circular, the spiral coils are bent so as to have a curvature radius corresponding to this radius. The spiral coils 40a and 40b having a shape along the outer peripheral surface are arranged on the outer periphery of the magnetic core with their sides close to each other and arranged in an annular shape. One side 40a1 of the spiral coil 40a and one side 40b <NUM> of the spiral coil 40b are brought close to each other, and other side 40a2 of the spiral coil 40a and other side 40b2 of the spiral coil 40b are arranged adjacent to each other. Thus, the spiral coils 40a and 40b are arranged in a ring shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the magnetic core <NUM>. In the present specification, this is called an annular coil array <NUM>.

The portion covering the magnetic core <NUM> contributes to the induced electromotive force, and the portion not covering does not contribute. By arranging a plurality of spiral coils so as to cover without gaps, it is possible to increase the induced electromotive force as compared with the case, where a spiral coil having a circular outer shape is arranged.

When the magnetic field distribution of <FIG> in the present configuration is considered, the polarity depends on the direction, in which the coil is wound, and the direction of the magnetic field, but both coils generate the induced electromotive force. The state, where electric power cannot be transmitted even if the two coils are rotated around the magnetic core axis <NUM>, is only when the positions of the sides of the two coils are in the upward and downward directions. Therefore, the occurrence of an extreme decrease in the amount of power supply can be suppressed.

When the magnetic field distribution shown in <FIG> is considered, it can be understood that the direction of the magnetic field entering the magnetic core <NUM> is opposite in the upper half <NUM> and the lower half <NUM> of the cross section, so that the induced electromotive forces cancel and are not outputted. However, in the present configuration, in the process of moving to the magnetic field distribution shown in <FIG> due to the rotation of the axis <NUM> itself of the magnetic core <NUM>, the induced electromotive force can be understood to be generated until the angle formed between the direction of the magnetic field near the magnetic core <NUM> and the axis <NUM> of the magnetic core <NUM> is about <NUM> degrees.

An example, in which an annular coil array is formed using three spiral coils, is described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>. Further, <FIG> is a sectional view in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic core <NUM> in <FIG>.

<FIG> shows an example of the present invention using three spiral coils 40a, 40b, and 40c. Each spiral coil 40a, 40b, 40c is formed to have a substantially square shape.

The planar spiral coils formed by winding so as to form a substantially quadrangular shape are bent to form a shape along the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic core <NUM>. Because the cross-sectional shape of the magnetic core <NUM> shown in <FIG> is a round shape, the spiral coils are bent so as to have a curvature radius corresponding to the round shape. Spiral coils 40a, 40b, and 40c having a shape along the outer peripheral surface are arranged on the outer periphery of the magnetic core in such a manner that their respective sides are close to each other and arranged in an annular shape. One side 40a1 of the spiral coil 40a is arranged close to one side 40b1 of the spiral coil 40b, the other side 40b2 of the spiral coil 40b is arranged close to one side 40c1 of the spiral coil 40c, and the other side 40c2 of the spiral coil 40c is arranged close to the other side of the spiral coil 40a. Thereby, when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the magnetic core <NUM>, the spiral coils 40a, 40b, and 40c have a ring-like arrangement, that is, an annular coil array <NUM>.

When the magnetic field distribution of <FIG> in the present configuration is considered, the polarity depends on the direction of winding the coil and the direction of the magnetic field, but all three coils generate the induced electromotive force. A state where power cannot be transmitted even if the three coils are rotated around the magnetic core axis <NUM> does not occur unless the positions of the three coils are symmetrical to the left and right, so that an excessive decrease in the amount of power supply can be suppressed.

In the example shown in <FIG>, the dimensions and shapes of the plurality of spiral coils are the same. However, the spiral coils need not necessarily be the same, and may have different dimensions and shapes.

<FIG> is a schematic configuration diagram of the secondary coil part <NUM> according to another embodiment. Examples of a plurality of coils having various configurations and various magnetic cores <NUM> are shown. <FIG> show embodiments with a number of spiral coils different from three and therefore different from the present invention.

In <FIG>, as described in <FIG>, the magnetic core <NUM> has the circular cross-sectional shape, and the three spiral coils 40a, 40b and 40c are curved along the peripheral surface of the magnetic core <NUM>.

In <FIG>, different from the invention, four spiral coils are used, and the spiral coils 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d are also along the peripheral surface of the magnetic core <NUM>.

When the magnetic field distribution shown in <FIG> in the present configuration is considered, at least two or more coils generate induced electromotive force, so that a large decrease in the amount of power supply is eliminated.

Further, in each of two or more coils constituting the secondary coil part <NUM> shown in <FIG>, by referring the magnetic field distribution shown in <FIG>, it can be understood that the direction of the magnetic field entering the magnetic core <NUM> is opposite in the upper half <NUM> and the lower half <NUM> of the cross section, so that the induced electromotive forces cancel and are not outputted. However, in the process of moving to the magnetic field distribution shown in <FIG> due to the rotation of the axis <NUM> itself, the induced electromotive force can be understood to be generated until the angle formed between the direction of the magnetic field near the magnetic core <NUM> and the axis <NUM> of the magnetic core <NUM> is about <NUM> degrees.

As shown above, by arranging two spiral coils <NUM> in a ring around the magnetic core <NUM> to form the secondary coil part <NUM>, even if the secondary coil part <NUM> is rotated around the magnetic core axis <NUM>, extreme reduction in power supply can be suppressed. Therefore, when the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is configured, rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM> is possible, and a round cross-sectional shape with good biocompatibility can be obtained.

In addition, by arranging three or more spiral coils or solenoid coils <NUM> around the magnetic core to form a secondary coil part <NUM>, even if the secondary coil part <NUM> is rotated around the magnetic core axis <NUM>, the power supply amount is not greatly reduced. Therefore, when the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is configured, rotation around the core axis is possible, and a round cross-sectional shape with good biocompatibility can be obtained. The shape of the magnetic core <NUM> is not limited to the configuration shown in <FIG>. For example, a cylindrical shape, a cylindrical shape, a triangular prism shape, a triangular cylindrical shape, a quadrangular prism shape, a quadrangular cylindrical shape, a polygonal cylindrical shape, a polygonal cylindrical shape, and the like are possible, but not limited thereto.

Further, the shape of the coil can be configured to be flat so as to be along the outer surface of the core as illustrated in <FIG>, or can be configured to be curved so as to form a part of a circular cross section.

Moreover, it may be comprised so that the conductor parts, which comprise coil, may overlap. However, when the effect of the secondary coil part <NUM> in the same volume (linkage magnetic flux to the coil) is considered, it is most volume efficient to have the configuration along the outer surface of the magnetic core <NUM> (<FIG>). In the case where the magnetic core <NUM> has a polygonal cross section, if a spiral coil having the same number of sides is used, it is not necessary to bend the spiral coil (<FIG>). However, in this case, because the portion of the side where the spiral coils are adjacent coincides with the position of the vertex of the polygon, the magnetic flux from that portion may not be able to be taken in depending on the position and angle of the magnetic core. On the other hand, even in the case of the polygon, if the spiral coils are bent as shown in <FIG>, it becomes possible that the adjacent sides of the spiral coils are shifted from the position where the apex angle of the polygon is located.

In addition, the magnetic core <NUM> can be formed by using a soft magnetic material typified by ferrite to form a columnar shape or a cylindrical shape by a method such as molding or cutting. For Example, the magnetic core <NUM> can be formed in a cylindrical shape using a magnetic sheet. Also, the magnetic core <NUM> is made of a material having magnetic anisotropy, for example, flat magnetic fine particles, and a material with its magnetic easy-axis oriented almost perpendicular to the outer surface of the magnetic core is used. At this time, there is an effect of improving the magnetic field distribution (Magnetic flux is perpendicular to the outer surface of the magnetic core, and the flux linkage to the coil is increased) shown in <FIG>, and a larger induced electromotive force can be generated.

There are no particular restrictions on the magnetic permeability of the materials, which make up the magnetic core. But, as the magnetic permeability of the core material is higher, the end of the core has a different magnetic field distribution from the other locations due to the influence of the demagnetizing field, so that an appropriate configuration of the position of the coil constituting the secondary coil part is required. If the magnetic permeability is large, for example <NUM>,<NUM> or more, the performance is better when the coil outer shape is separated from the outer end of the core material inward. And, if the magnetic permeability is small, for example <NUM> or less, the performance is better when the outer shape of the coil is constructed up to the end position of the core material. In terms of the interlinkage magnetic flux to the coil effective opening, which is the source of the induced electromotive force, the performance is better when the magnetic permeability is increased.

Next, <FIG> shows an embodiment different from the present invention, in which a secondary coil part <NUM> is configured using a plurality (two in this example) of annular coil arrays 51A and 51B on the circumferential surface of the magnetic core <NUM>.

By the present configuration, in addition to the rotation of the magnetic core axis <NUM>, a large decrease in the amount of power supply due to the rotation of the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself can be eliminated.

In <FIG>, the secondary coil part <NUM> is configured by using the annular coil array 51A comprising two spiral coils 40a and 40b, and the annular coil array 51B comprising two spiral coils 41a and 41b on the circumferential surface of the magnetic core <NUM>. The spiral coils <NUM> a, <NUM> b, 41a, 41b shown in this example all have a substantially square shape and are curved so as to correspond to the outer peripheral surface of the magnetic core <NUM>. By bringing one side of the spiral coil 40a and one side of the spiral coil 40b close to each other, and bringing the other opposite side of the spiral coil 40a close to the other opposite side of the spiral coil 40b, the spiral coils 40a and 40b constitute the ring-shaped annular coil array 51A and cover half of the magnetic core <NUM>.

Similarly, by bringing one side of the spiral coil 41a and one side of the spiral coil 41b close to each other, and bringing the other opposite side of the spiral coil 41a close to the other opposite side of the spiral coil 41b, the spiral coils 41a and 41b constitute the ring-shaped annular coil array 51B and cover the other half of the magnetic core <NUM>.

In this example, the terminals of the spiral coils 40a and 40b are provided on the left side in the figure, and the terminals of the spiral coils 41a and 41b are provided on the right side in the figure. The arrangement of the terminals may be determined as appropriate.

When the magnetic field distribution shown in <FIG> in the present configuration is considered, it can be understood that an induced electromotive force is generated in any state, and the power supply amount is not greatly reduced with respect to the rotation of the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself. When configured with a single set of coils as shown in <FIG>, it can be understood that the induced electromotive force is generated in the magnetic field of <FIG>, and no induced electromotive force is generated only with respect to the magnetic field of <NUM>(b).

There is a further effect in <FIG>. In the configuration of <FIG>, regarding the rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM>, when the position of each side of the two coils is in the vertical direction, the power supply amount greatly decreases. But, in the configuration of <FIG>, unless the coils of the annular coil arrays 51A and 51B are arranged in exactly the same positional relationship, one of the coils has an effect that the induced electromotive force is generated. The two sets of annular coil arrays 51A and 51B are configured so as to be shifted by an angle, from which the outer shape of each coil is expected from the magnetic core axis <NUM>. In the case of two coils, this angle is at least <NUM>/<NUM> of an angle of about <NUM> degrees, which is <NUM> degrees or more, preferably <NUM>/<NUM> of an angle, which is <NUM> degrees. When two sets of coils having such an angular relationship are comprised, fluctuations in the induced electromotive force can be minimized with respect to rotation around the magnetic core axis.

An embodiment of the present invention is shown in <FIG>.

<FIG> shows an embodiment, in which a secondary coil part <NUM> is configured by using an annular coil array 51A comprising three spiral coils 40a, 40b and 40c, and an annular coil array 51B comprising three spiral coils 41a, 41b and 41c on the circumferential surface of the magnetic core <NUM>.

As with <FIG>, it can be understood that the present configuration also has little reduction in power supply with respect to the rotation of the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself.

When the magnetic field distribution of <FIG> in the present configuration is considered, there is little decrease in power supply. But, the two sets of annular coil arrays 51A and 51B are configured so as to be shifted by an angle, from which the outer shape of each coil is expected from the magnetic core axis <NUM>. In the case of three coils, this angle is at least <NUM>/<NUM> of an angle of about <NUM> degrees, which is <NUM> degrees or more, preferably <NUM>/<NUM> of an angle, which is <NUM> degrees.

When two sets of coils having such an angular relationship are comprised, fluctuations in the induced electromotive force can be minimized with respect to rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM>. Various configurations are possible as shown in the present embodiment. The configuration of the coil is not limited to the configuration of three coils, and it is clear from the description of the present invention that the same effect can be obtained if two sets of coils are formed of three or more coils.

Furthermore, other embodiment of the present invention is shown in <FIG>. In the present configuration, a secondary coil part <NUM> is configured by arranging an annular coil array 51A comprising three spiral coils, and one coil comprising a solenoid coil <NUM>, which includes a magnetic core, on the peripheral surface of the magnetic core. With the present configuration, it can be understood that there is no decrease in power supply with respect to the rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM>, and there is little decrease in power supply with respect to the rotation of the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself.

The difference between the example different from the invention shown in <FIG> and the example different from the present invention shown in <FIG> is the arrangement of the terminals of the spiral coils. In the example shown in <FIG>, the spiral coil terminal <NUM> of 51A and that of 51B are arranged on the opposite sides. But, in the example shown in <FIG>, the spiral coil terminals <NUM> in both 51A and 51B are arranged on the right side of the figure. The take-out directions may be determined as appropriate in consideration of assembly productivity.

As described above, according to the present invention, the secondary coil part <NUM> is configured by two sets of annular coil arrays comprising a plurality of coils arranged on the circumferential surface of the magnetic core <NUM>. By configuring in this way, it can be set as the structure with little decrease in power supply not only for the rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM> but also for the rotation of the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself. Therefore, when the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is configured, rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM> is possible, and a round cross-sectional shape with good biocompatibility can be obtained. And, the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself can also be rotated, and power can be supplied regardless of the position and posture.

Further, as shown, the secondary coil part is configured by arranging one set of the annular coil array comprising three or more spiral coils, and the coil comprising the solenoid coil, which includes a magnetic core. By configuring in this way, it can be set as the structure with little decrease in power supply not only for the rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM> but also for the rotation of the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself. Therefore, when the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is configured, rotation around the magnetic core axis <NUM> is possible, and a round cross-sectional shape with good biocompatibility can be obtained. And, the magnetic core axis <NUM> itself can also be rotated, and power can be supplied regardless of the position and posture.

In addition, the magnetic core <NUM> may be integrated, but the coils configured in a separately configured magnetic core can be configured to be magnetically strongly coupled using a magnetic adhesive or the like. Producing convenience such the integrated magnetic core or the strong coupling of the separate magnetic cores is increased.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the circuit of the present invention is described with reference to the figures.

<FIG> is a schematic circuit block diagram of the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>, the power transmission device <NUM>, and the laboratory animal biological information acquisition system <NUM>.

The laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> includes circuit blocks of a power receiving circuit <NUM> having a secondary coil part <NUM> constituting the power receiving device, an adder circuit <NUM>, a power supply circuit <NUM>, and a power consuming device <NUM>. Embodiments of each circuit block is described below.

The power receiving circuit <NUM> includes the secondary coil part <NUM> and includes parallel, series, or series-parallel resonant circuits as necessary.

The adder circuit <NUM> adds the outputs of the power receiving circuit <NUM> from the induced electromotive force of a plurality of coils constituting the secondary coil part <NUM>, and supplies necessary power to the power consuming device <NUM> through the power supply circuit <NUM>.

As an example of the embodiment of the adder circuit <NUM>, <FIG> show a circuit, in which the capacitance <NUM> is connected in parallel to the rectifier circuit <NUM>, in parallel connection, series connection, or series-parallel connection. As the rectifier circuit <NUM>, a half-wave rectifier circuit or a full-wave rectifier circuit can be used. The capacitance <NUM> is about <NUM> to <NUM> pF, preferably <NUM> to <NUM> pF.

The configuration of the connection of the adder circuit <NUM> depends on the characteristics of the power supply circuit <NUM> and power consuming device <NUM> connected to the adder circuit <NUM>. When the power supply circuit <NUM> and later circuits are viewed as a load, parallel connection is suitable if the load is heavy at <NUM> kΩ or less, serial connection is suitable if the load is light at <NUM> kΩ or more, and series-parallel connection is suitable if the load is in the middle.

In the case of the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> of the present invention, the load is <NUM> to <NUM>,<NUM> Q, and a parallel connection type adder circuit <NUM> is suitable. When the upper of the input voltage of the power supply circuit <NUM> is limited, a limit circuit <NUM> is configured at the final stage of the adder circuit <NUM>.

As shown in <FIG>, the limit circuit <NUM> is used, for example, as the power supply circuit by using a Zener diode and a transistor, or is carried out by using a Zener diode. By doing so, the received power from the secondary coil part <NUM> of the present invention can be used effectively.

The power supply circuit <NUM> is a circuit block, which supplies suitable power for the power consuming device <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the voltage and current at the input of the power consuming device <NUM>. The power consuming device <NUM> often consumes power intermittently as digitalization progresses in recent years.

<FIG> is a <NUM>-second diagram describing the current <NUM> and the voltage <NUM> in the power consuming device <NUM>. The current <NUM> of about <NUM> mA for about <NUM> milliseconds is consumed intermittently at intervals of about <NUM> seconds (details are shown in <FIG>). In addition, the current <NUM> of about <NUM> mA for about <NUM> milliseconds is consumed at intervals of about <NUM> milliseconds (details are shown in <FIG>). During the other time, the current <NUM> is hardly consumed, and the current <NUM> of about <NUM> mA is consumed on the time average. Therefore, a power supply <NUM> related to intermittent power consumption and a power supply <NUM> related to time-average power consumption are configured separately. With this configuration, the power supplied from the power receiving circuit <NUM> and the adder circuit <NUM> to the power supply circuit <NUM> does not need to correspond to intermittent power consumption, and may correspond to time average power consumption. Therefore, the configuration of the power receiving circuit <NUM>, the adder circuit <NUM>, and the power supply circuit <NUM> can be easily and miniaturized.

The power supply circuit <NUM> can be realized by using, for example, a low-loss linear regulator or a DC-DC converter. The power supply <NUM> related to intermittent power consumption is supplied with a capacitor having a small equivalent series resistance, for example, a multilayer ceramic capacitor. The equivalent series resistance is preferably <NUM> mΩ or less. For example, if the power peak of intermittent power consumption is <NUM> to <NUM> mW, a capacitor of <NUM> to <NUM> pF is suitable. A power supply <NUM> related to time-average power consumption is supplied with a capacitor having a large capacitance. For example, an electric double layer capacitor having a small equivalent series resistance is suitable. For example, if the time average power consumption is about <NUM> mW, the equivalent series resistance is preferably <NUM> Q or less and the capacitance is preferably <NUM> to <NUM> mF.

<FIG> shows changes in voltage and current at the input of the power consuming device <NUM> when power supply to the power consuming device <NUM> is stopped. When the power supply to the power supply device <NUM> is interrupted, an instantaneous voltage drop may occur during intermittent power supply, and a defect may be caused in the operation of the power consuming device <NUM>. In order to avoid such a state, it is desirable that the equivalent series resistance of the electric double layer capacitor is <NUM> Q or less. Furthermore, with this configuration, even when the power supply from the adder circuit <NUM> to the power supply circuit <NUM> is interrupted, for example, for about <NUM> seconds, the power consumption of the power consuming device <NUM> causes power supply related to intermittent power consumption. it can be understood that the decrease in the electrical energy can be compensated from the power supply <NUM> related to the time-average power consumption, so that continuous power supply can be realized and operation without stopping can be realized.

Hereinafter, an embodiment relating to laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is described with reference to the figures. In <FIG>, the power consuming device <NUM> includes one or more sensors for acquiring biological information of a laboratory animal, such as a temperature sensor, an acceleration sensor, a pulsation sensor (such as a heart rate sensor or a pulse sensor), a pressure sensor, and bioelectricity. It also includes at least a measurement / calculation / processing circuit for biological information, a control circuit, a communication circuit for the biological information and control signals, and a communication antenna. The communication circuit is carried out by, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) with low power consumption.

Hereinafter, an unclaimed embodiment related to the capsule configuration of the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is described with reference to the figures.

<FIG> shows a capsule configuration. As shown in <FIG>, a secondary coil part <NUM> may be formed around a cylindrical magnetic core <NUM>, and various circuits may be arranged inside the cylindrical core. Further, as shown in <FIG>, a secondary coil part <NUM> is formed around a columnar magnetic core <NUM>, and various circuits for forming a laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> may be arranged around the secondary coil part <NUM>. The capsule <NUM> can be made of biocompatible materials such as glass, ceramics, biocompatible plastics, and the like.

When the capsule is made of glass or ceramics, it can be configured by dividing the capsule <NUM> into two or more, enclosing the secondary coil part or various circuits, etc., and then bonding with biocompatible epoxy or the like. When the capsule <NUM> is composed of biocompatible plastic, it is divided into two or more in the same manner, and after enclosing the secondary coil part <NUM> and various circuits, it is adhered with biocompatible epoxy or the like. Alternatively, the capsule <NUM> can be configured by a method such as joining by ultrasonic fusion.

Furthermore, when the secondary coil part <NUM> is configured on the cylindrical magnetic core <NUM> and various circuits are arranged inside the core, a cap having a dome shape or the like is attached to at least one end of the cylindrical core. In addition, the whole can be coated with a liquid biocompatible plastic by a method such as dipping or spraying, and then cured by a method such as dry curing, heat curing, ultraviolet curing, or electron beam curing to form the capsule <NUM>.

In addition, the coating method using the liquid biocompatible plastic is effective even when used for joining the capsule <NUM> divided in two. In this case, the material of the capsule <NUM> need not be biocompatible. With such a configuration, the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>, which is not affected by body fluid of a laboratory animal, does not adversely affect the laboratory animal, and can have a round cross-sectional shape with high biocompatibility, can be obtained.

Hereinafter, embodiments of laboratory animal biological information acquisition system <NUM> is described with reference to the figures.

<FIG> shows the overall structure of the laboratory animal biological information acquisition system. A power transmission device <NUM> including a primary coil <NUM> is under a breeding cage <NUM>, in which there is a secondary coil part <NUM>, and laboratory animals with the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> are bred. The upper surface of the power transmission device <NUM> is substantially flat and constitutes a mounting table <NUM> of a breeding cage. Further, the power transmission device <NUM> includes a reception device for data transmitted by the laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM>, and includes a device for transmitting and receiving control signals.

With this configuration, the following laboratory animal biological information acquisition system <NUM> can be configured. The power can be received regardless of the orientation and position of the secondary coil part <NUM>. And, because the power transmission side does not cover the breeding cage <NUM> where multiple experimental animals are bred, the behavior of the experimental animal can be observed from the outside. The strength of the magnetic field in the breeding cage by the primary coil <NUM> is desirably <NUM>µT (Tesla) or less.

An example of the present invention and an example different from the present invention is shown below.

This is an example, in which the adder circuit is parallel connection.

Example of characteristics - <NUM>: The secondary coil part is configured by two sets of the two coils, different from the present invention.

Example of characteristics - <NUM>: The secondary coil part is configured by two sets of the three coils.

The laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> of the present invention has an intermittent power consumption of about <NUM> mW at the peak and about <NUM> mW on the average of the intermittent consumption time. The overall average power consumption is about <NUM> mW. Therefore, according to the present invention, non-contact power transmission to the implantable laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> is possible, and the implantable laboratory animal biological information acquisition device <NUM> and the implantable laboratory animal biological information acquisition system <NUM> can be realized.

Claim 1:
A power receiving device including a secondary coil part (<NUM>), which receives power transmitted from a primary coil part (<NUM>) of a power transmission device (<NUM>) in a contactless manner, wherein
the secondary coil part (<NUM>) has a magnetic core (<NUM>) having a circular or polygonal cross section perpendicular to an axis (<NUM>) of the magnetic core (<NUM>) and a plurality of spiral coils (40a, 40b, 40c, 41a, 41b, 41c) constructed by winding a conductor so that the outer shape is square,
wherein
the plurality of spiral coils (40a, 40b, 40c, 41a, 41b, 41c) are arranged in an annular coil array (<NUM>) in the circumferential direction of the magnetic core (<NUM>) so that the sides thereof are close to each other and cover the entire peripheral surface of the magnetic core (<NUM>),
and wherein
the number of spiral coils (40a, 40b, 40c, 41a, 41b, 41c) is three.