Patent Description:
Communication and power charging system in a medical field are known from the prior art and especially used to submit energy and communication signals transcutaneously.

For example <CIT> relates to a medical device for providing a stimulation therapy including a call configurator to receive both inductive charging and telemetric signals. Inductive charging signals are in a first frequency band. The telemetric signals are in a second frequency band higher than the first frequency band. The medical device includes inductive charging circuitry configured to provide electrical power to the medical device via the inductive charging signals. The medical device includes telemetric circuitry configured to conduct telecommunications with the external device via the telemetric signals. The medical device includes a first component electrically coupled between the coil and the inductive charging circuitry. The first component is configured to allow the inductive charging signals to pass through. The medical device includes a second component electrically coupled between the coil and the telemetric circuitry. The second component is configured to substantially drop the inductive charging signals while allowing telemetric signals to pass through.

Alternative solutions are for example disclosed by <CIT>, <CIT> <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

It is an object of the present description to combine communication and wireless-charging within one electronic circuit especially for a medical device, in particular in that that the electronic circuit may be simplified and is easier in handling.

Accordingly, the present description pertains to a communication and powering system, i.e. power transfer/charging system, especially a medical communication and power transfer/charging system is provided, comprising:.

The systems according to the present description are based on the basic principle that there is one communication transmitter and one energy charging and/or powering transmitter, which communicate with the same receiver. With the communication transmitter communication signals of any kind may be transmitted. With the energy charging and/or powering transmitter, energy may be transferred from the transmitter via the receiver to a power and/or energy source like a battery or even more simple, just to provide energy more or less online. By this, less elements for the whole communication and power charging systems are needed and the function of receiving communication signals and charging energy by one common receiver allows easier and simpler design of electronics on the receiving side. Especially in medical cases at least the receiver is implanted. If the receiver comprises only a low number of elements than the construction of the circuit is less power consuming and more reliable.

By providing power "online" also power to an implanted device can be supplied to to enable communications so it can report its issue and maybe even to initiate a recovery procedure. So, with the charging and/or powering module power can be supplied and with the communication module and the receiver signals can be exchanged, also vice versa. Then, the receiver could not only receive, but also send and transmit signals back to the communication module and thus work as a transceiver.

It is possible that the first status and the second status are enabled at the same time. In such a way of operation concurrent communication signal and charging energy transmission may be provided.

Alternatively, it is possible that the first status and the second status are alternating and/or not enabled at the same time. By this, it is possible to have a well-defined transmission of communication signals followed by transmission of charging energy and vice versa.

Moreover, it is possible that the communication transmitter is configured and arranged to transmit and send communication signals within a first frequency range and that the energy charging transmitter is configured and arranged to provide and/or transmit charging energy within a second frequency range, wherein the first and second frequency range are different from each other. By using different frequency ranges for the communication signals and for the charging energy it is possible to have only one receiver on the receiving side. This helps to simplify the circuit design and the electronic design on the receiving side.

The communication transmitter may be also embodied as transceiver, i.e. a combined module, which has transmitting capabilities and receiving capabilities. This way, the communication transmitter is then a transmitter and a receiver.

Furthermore, it is possible that the receiver is implantable or implanted into a subject and the communication module and/or the charging and/or powering module are not implanted into a subject. Generally it is possible that the communication module and in particular the communication transmitter may be implanted as well. In general, it is intended to have at least partially a transcutaneous transmission of communication signals from outside of the body to the inside of the body and vice versa. And there shall be also a transmission of charging energy transcutaneously at least from the outside of the body to the inside of the body. In other words, the system has parts that are arranged externally and outside of the human body and parts of the system that are arranged within, that is implanted into the human body.

Moreover, at least one of the communication transmitter and the energy charging and/or powering transmitter may be embodied as antenna or antenna coil. By this, for example magnetic induction may be used and transmitted by means of the antenna or antenna coil. In particular, there may be one antenna or antenna coil for the communication module and another, second antenna or antenna coil for the charging module.

Furthermore, the receiver may comprise an antenna, especially an antenna coil, and a communication and a charging diplexer (hereinafter also diplexer or C/C-diplexer). With the antenna communication signals and energy may be received. By means of the diplexer frequency-domain multiplexing is possible. These joint frequency bands may be occupied by two parts of the diplexer. So, signals with different frequencies can coexist without interfering with each other. By this, the design of the receiver can be very simple as only a single antenna for the receiver is necessary. No further antenna is needed. Generally speaking, a further antenna may be used for redundancy reasons. However, such a further antenna or further antennas are no longer necessary, as a single antenna is sufficient.

The antenna may be an inductor and the diplexer may comprise a switch to ground or reference, at least one capacitor, especially a first capacitor and a second capacitor connected to the antenna, wherein the antenna and the second capacitors form a resonant tank. Such a tank circuit may be also called LC-circuit or resonant circuit and be an electric circuit consisting of a conductor, and a capacitor, which are connected together. The circuit can act as an electrical resonator, an electrical analogue of a tuning fork, storing energy oscillating at the circuit resonance frequency. LC circuits are used either for generating signals at the particular frequency or picking out a signal at the particular frequency from a more complex signal. This function may be called bandpass filter. By such a tank circuit it is possible to receive charging energy and communication signals very easily and reliable. Moreover, all components may be formed by passive electronic components. No battery is needed for the receiver. The basic idea of this concept may be described as follows:.

When the switch is open in this embodiment, then the inductor resonates with the parallel capacitance of the com port, and this capacitance is dominantly determining the resonance frequency, with little influence of the series capacitors.

When the switch is closed in this embodiment, then the resonance is determined by the net capacitance of the <NUM> series connected capacitors and the inductance. The series capacitors are now parallel resonating capacitors.

In this example, the purpose of the switch is two-fold: On the one side it is protecting the com port input against too high voltages and create a lower resonance frequency path using the two series capacitors. On the other side, the <NUM> series capacitors are forming a voltage divider when the switch is closed and their ratio can be adapted to a required impedance matching to the subsequent rectifier.

Specifically, in the connection between the first capacitor and the second capacitor a branch-off line is connected, wherein the branch-off line is connected to a connection point, the connection point being connection to a charging line and a communication line, wherein in the communication line a third capacitor and a connection to a switch to ground or reference is arranged. This specific arrangement allows a very easy passive arrangement of electronic components forming the resonant tank / LC-circuit. Also only a very low number of electronic components is needed.

Moreover, it is possible that the third capacitor is arranged between the connection point and the connection to the switch to ground.

Additionally, it is possible that in the connection line connecting the second capacitor and the antenna a connection to ground or reference is provided. By this alternative an additional embodiment may be realized.

It is also possible that from the antenna a branch-off line is connected, wherein the branch-off line is connected to a connection point, the connection point being in connection to a charging line and a communication line, wherein in the communication line a capacitor and a connection to a switch to ground is arranged. Again, only a single antenna at the receiving side is needed.

Additionally, the capacitor may be arranged between the connection point and the connection to the switch to ground.

Also, it is possible that the antenna may be connected to a circuit with a capacitor and connection to ground, wherein the capacitor and the connection to ground are arranged in series. In this embodiment still only one antenna on the receiving side is needed, like a deep whole antenna. The individual elements will not act as a similar antenna on the same frequency.

Moreover, the receiver may be connected to a separate implantable medical device (IMD).

In particular, the implantable medical device may be an implantable pulse generator (IPG).

By separating the implantable medical from the system of the communication and power charging system specific advantage is may be achieved.

In particular, the communication and charging and/or powering system may be well defined and consist of only very few passive components. Also, no complete revision of an already implanted and existing implantable medical device is needed. So, the charging and communication system may be added to existing implanted medical devices. By separating the IMD with the system, it is also possible to design a platform independent communication and charging system, which is not directly and necessarily linked to the implantable medical device. The range of use is thereby increased.

The implantable medical device (IMD) may be rechargeable or powered (online) via the receiver by means of the charging module and that via the receiver communication signals may be exchanged between the implantable medical device (IMD) and the communication module. By this recharging and the exchange of communication signals, e.g. for telemetry, monitoring or re-programming of the IMD may be exchanged and transmitted.

Further details and advantages of the present invention shall now be disclosed in connection with the drawings.

<FIG> shows a communication and powering system <NUM> in a first example embodiment according to the present description.

The communication and powering system <NUM> comprises an external body part <NUM> and an implanted in-body part <NUM>.

The external body part <NUM> is near-/on-body and for example embodied as wearable.

The external body part <NUM> comprises at least one communication module <NUM>, comprising a communication electronics <NUM> and an antenna coil <NUM>.

The communication module <NUM> is a communication module <NUM> with a communication transmitter, here the antenna coil <NUM>, which is configured in a range to transmit and send communication signals.

It is possible that the communication module <NUM> is not only acting as a transmitter, but also as a receiver and thus forms a transceiver.

Furthermore, the external part <NUM> also comprises a charging and/or powering module <NUM> comprising a charger <NUM> and an energy charging and/or powering transmitter <NUM>.

The energy charging and/or powering transmitter <NUM> is also embodied as an antenna coil <NUM>.

The skin barrier of the patient is also shown in <FIG> and denoted with reference sign S.

In the shown embodiment in <FIG>, the communication and powering system <NUM> is a medical communication and powering system <NUM> for transcutaneously transmitting communication signals and also energy / power for charging the energy source of an implantable medical device (IMD).

Also, this way power may be supplied online (when there is no communication, i.e. no communication signals are exchanged).

The in-body part <NUM> comprises a receiver <NUM>.

The receiver <NUM> is a receiver <NUM> for communication signals and (charging) power.

The receiver <NUM> comprises an antenna / coil <NUM>, a C/C-diplexer <NUM> (i.e. communication and charging diplexer <NUM>), a communication line COMM <NUM> and a charging line CHARGE <NUM>.

The communication line COMM <NUM> and the charging line CHARGE <NUM> are connected to an implantable medical device (IMD) <NUM>, here an implantable pulse generator (IPG) <NUM>.

<FIG> shows further details of the C/C-diplexer <NUM>.

The C/C-diplexer <NUM> has an C/C-diplexer circuit comprising the antenna coil <NUM>, which acts as an inductor L.

The inductor L is connected on one side to ground G and on its other end to a first capacitor C1. Following this route there is a further line coming from the capacitor C1 to the communication line COMM <NUM>, which is denoted with reference number <NUM>.

Within this line <NUM> there is a capacitor C2 and a capacitor C3.

The capacitor C2 is arranged in a branch-off line <NUM>, which is connected to line <NUM> at the connection point <NUM>.

The capacitor C3 is in between in line <NUM> of the connection point <NUM> and the capacitor C1.

Between capacitor C1 and capacitor C3 there is another connection point <NUM>, from which a branch-off line to the charging line CHARGE <NUM> is connected. This branch-off line is, as long as it is arranged within the C/C-diplexer circuit <NUM> denoted with reference number <NUM>.

After capacitor C2, there is a line to the ground G, which is denoted with reference number <NUM>.

In line <NUM> and between communication line <NUM> and the connection point <NUM>, there is another branch-off line <NUM>.

In this branch-off line <NUM>, there is a switch <NUM> arranged, which also leads to ground G, if switch <NUM> is closed.

The functionality of the C/C-diplexer circuit <NUM> of <FIG> and also of the system <NUM> may be described as follows:
In <FIG>, L represents the inductor of the receiver <NUM>.

This inductor L forms, together with capacitor C2 a resonant tank or a so-called LC-circuit.

The capacitor C2 is the dominant capacitor determining the resonance frequency, while the capacitors C1 and C3 act as coupling capacitors, not strongly determining the resonance frequency.

For communication, the switch (S) <NUM> will be open.

Capacitor C3 forms a connection to the communication part (COMM), i.e. the communication line <NUM>, of the system in the IPG <NUM>.

L/C2 resonate at frequency range f1 or a specific frequency selected from this first frequency range, see also <FIG>.

As the signal levels are small during communication, the connected rectifier circuit to the charge output will not reach its functional state. Therefore, the circuit will have a high input impedance.

During charging/powering, the switch (S) <NUM> is closed and connects capacitor C3 to ground G. This results in no signal at the communication (COMM) port <NUM>. Capacitor C3 is now placed in series to capacitor C1, resulting in a lower resonance frequency range f2 (cf. <FIG>) of the L/C1/C3 resonant tank or a specific frequency selected from this second frequency range.

The first frequency range f1 and the second frequency range f2 are different from each other.

The output signal is applied to the CHARGE output <NUM>, connected to a rectifying circuit, which is used to charge a rechargeable battery. The capacitor C1 and C3 form a capacitive divider intended to create low impedance source for the rectifier circuit.

Therefore, C3 has a large value compared to C2 and has little influence on the resonance when used as a serious element.

A specific advantage of the system is the usage of a single antenna / coil <NUM>, which acts as an inductor L, which uses design and construction of that part of the system. The system of <FIG> and <FIG> is described in an a-symmetric, un-balanced form. The actual implementation can also be made in a symmetric, balanced form, showing equal functionality.

Generally, it is possible that the first status and the second status of the system are enabled at the same time (not done in the shown embodiment of <FIG> and <FIG>).

Here, the receiver <NUM> is a receiver <NUM> for communication signals and (charging) power, wherein the receiver <NUM> has and/or can be switched into a first status for receiving communication signals provided by the communication module <NUM> and wherein the receiver <NUM> has and/or can be switched into a second status for receiving charging energy provided by the charging module <NUM> the first status and the second status are alternating and/or are not enabled at the same time.

The communication transmitter <NUM> is configured and arranged to transmit and send communication signals within a first frequency range f1 and the energy charging transmitter <NUM> is configured and arranged to transmit and send charging energy within a second frequency range f2, the first and second frequency f1, f2 range being different from each other.

<FIG> shows now a flow chart of the communication and charging/powering procedure conducted with the embodiment of the system <NUM> according to <FIG> and <FIG>.

In the first step S1 the switch (S) <NUM> is closed and via the communication module <NUM> at the frequency f1 communication signals are transcutaneously transmitted to the antenna coil <NUM> of the in-body part <NUM>. Via the inductor L and lines <NUM> and <NUM> the communication signals are transferred to the communication line COMM <NUM> and may be used to program or re-program the IPG <NUM>.

The communication exchange may be vice versa in this state from the external body part <NUM> to the internal body part <NUM>.

For example by using a clock signal specific periods for transmitting signals into the body and also for receiving signals out of the body may be defined.

In second step S2 then the switch (S) <NUM> may be closed and so capacitor C3 may be connected to ground G.

Then in the third step S3 energy may be transmitted via the charging and/or powering module <NUM> and the antenna coil <NUM> at the frequency F2 to the antenna coil <NUM> and then transmitted via line <NUM> to the charge line <NUM> for charging the battery of the IPG <NUM>.

Steps S1 to S3 may be repeated, continuously follow each other or may be arranged periodically, on demand or the like.

<FIG> shows an alternative embodiment of a communication and powering system <NUM>' in a second example embodiment according to the present description.

The system <NUM>' comprises the same structural and functional features as the system <NUM> described above and shown in <FIG>. However, there are some differences, which shall be described and explained below:
The system <NUM>' also comprises a receiver <NUM>' a C/C-diplexer <NUM>'.

Here, also an inductor coil <NUM>' is present.

The inductor coil <NUM>' is connected to a first capacitor C1'.

Furthermore, there is a branch-off line <NUM>', which is connected to the CHARGE port and charge line <NUM>'.

The branch-off line <NUM>' is directly connected to a winding of the antenna coil <NUM>'.

Moreover, in a connection line to the capacitor C1' a line to ground G' is arranged.

The branch-off line <NUM>' is connected to a connection point 34a', wherein the connection point 34a' is in connection to the charging line <NUM>' and a communication line <NUM>', wherein in the communication line <NUM>' a capacitor C3' and a connection to a switch to ground G' with a switch (S) <NUM>' is arranged.

The antenna <NUM>' is connected to a circuit with a capacitor and a connection to ground G', wherein the capacitor and the connection to ground G' are arranged in series.

The functionality of the embodiment shown in <FIG> is equivalent to the one shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>.

This circuit serves for the same purposes shown and described in <FIG>, by using an inductive impedance transmission instead of a capacitive one.

Claim 1:
A communication and powering system (<NUM>; <NUM>'), especially a medical communication and powering system comprising
- at least one communication module (<NUM>) with a communication transmitter, which is configured and arranged to transmit and send communication signals,
- at least one charging and/or powering module (<NUM>) with an energy charging and/or powering transmitter, which is configured and arranged to provide and/or transmit charging and/or powering energy,
- at least one receiver (<NUM>; <NUM>') being a receiver (<NUM>; <NUM>') for communication signals and energy, wherein the receiver (<NUM>; <NUM>') is configured to be switched into a first status for receiving communication signals provided by the communication module (<NUM>) and a second status for receiving energy provided by the charging and/or powering module (<NUM>),
wherein the first status and the second status are alternating,
wherein the receiver (<NUM>; <NUM>') comprises an antenna (<NUM>; <NUM>'), especially an antenna coil, and a communication and charging diplexer (<NUM>; <NUM>'),
wherein the diplexer (<NUM>; <NUM>') comprises a switch (<NUM>, <NUM>') to ground (G) and at least one capacitor (C2; C3') connected to the antenna (<NUM>; <NUM>'), the antenna (<NUM>; <NUM>') being an inductor (L) and the capacitor (C2, C3') being positioned between the antenna (<NUM>; <NUM>') and the switch (<NUM>, <NUM>') to ground (G), and
wherein the antenna (<NUM>; <NUM>') and the capacitor (C2, C3') form a resonant tank.