Patent ID: RE42378

Claim:
A surgical An implant, comprising: a sensor for measuring intra-body diagnostic data; a controller configured for generating that generates an electrical communication signal containing the measured diagnostic data; one or more acoustic transducers; circuitry for collectively configuring the one or more acoustic transducers to convert acoustic energy received from a location external to the implant into electrical energy used to support operation of the implant, and to convert the electrical communication signal received generated by the controller into an acoustical acoustic communication signal for transmission transmitted to a location external to the implant; and an energy storage device configured for storing the electrical energy converted from acoustic energy by the one or more transducers, wherein the energy storage device comprises a first relatively fast-charging capacitor and a second relatively slow-charging capacitor, the first and second capacitors being coupled to the one or more acoustic transducers such that the first capacitor is charged first and the second capacitor is charged only upon substantially substantial charging of the first capacitor.