DEVICE FOR INDUCTIVE ENERGY TRANSMISSION INTO A HUMAN BODY AND USE THEREOF

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (10; 10a) for inductive energy transfer into a human body (1), having a transmitter unit (11) with a housing (12), in which at least one transmitter coil (14) is arranged, wherein the housing (12) comprises a contact surface (23), which is configured in order to be brought into surface contact with the body (1), and a receiver unit (20) that can be positioned in the body (1) with a receiver coil (21), wherein a heat-insulating element (26) and a heat-conducting element (30; 30a) are arranged between the transmitter coil (14) and the body.

Claims

1.-11. (canceled)

12. An apparatus for inductive energy transmission, the device comprising: a transmitter unit comprising: a housing comprising a contact surface configured to contact a body of a user; at least one transmitter coil positioned within the housing; an insulating element configured to be arranged between the at least one transmitter coil and the contact surface, wherein the insulating element is configured to have a poorer thermal conductivity than a base of the housing; and a conductive element configured to be arranged on an outer side of the housing at least in a region of the contact surface on a side of the insulating element opposite from the at least one transmitter coil, the conductive element comprising a material having a thermal conductivity of 1 W/mK or greater; and a receiver unit configured to be positioned in the body of the user and comprising a receiver coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the insulating element comprises a heat-insulating film.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the insulating element comprises a film of aerogel.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the insulating element is configured to be separate from the housing and is arranged on an inner surface of the housing.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the insulating element comprises a multi-layered textile comprising fine woven structures.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductive element is configured to be arranged outside of the contact surface on the housing separate from the body of the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the conductive element extends along sidewalls of the housing in a direction away from the body of the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the housing is configured to be injection-molded and made out of plastic, and wherein the conductive element is configured to be inserted into a molding tool, such that the plastic is molded onto the conductive element as the base of the housing.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductive element is configured to be positioned on the body of the user, separate from the housing.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductive element is configured to be flexible and configured to cling to an outer contour of the body of the user.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductive element comprises ceramic-filled polyurethane.

23. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the conductive element comprises a non-metallic material and a non-electrically conductive material, and wherein the conductive element has a permeability of less than 100.

24. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the insulating element extends upwards along sidewall regions of the housing and completely overlaps the at least one transmitter coil.

25. A cardiac assist system comprising: a cardiac assist device comprising a pump configured to assist blood flow through a heart of a patient; and an inductive energy transmission device comprising: a receiver unit configured to be positioned in a body of the patient and comprising a receiver coil; a transmitter unit comprising: a housing comprising at least one transmitter coil; a contact surface configured to contact the body of the user; an insulating element configured to have a poorer thermal conductivity than a base of the housing; and a conductive element configured to be positioned between the body of the patient and at least the contact surface of the transmitter unit, the conductive element comprising a material having a thermal conductivity of 1 W/mK or greater.

26. The cardiac assist system of claim 25, wherein the insulating element is configured to be separate from the housing and is arranged on an inner surface of the housing.

27. The cardiac assist system of claim 25, wherein the insulating element extends upwards along sidewall regions of the housing and completely overlaps the at least one transmitter coil.

28. The cardiac assist system of claim 25, wherein the insulating element is a multi-layered textile comprising fine woven structures.

29. The cardiac assist system of claim 25, wherein the conductive element is configured to be arranged outside of the contact surface on the housing separate from the body of the patient.

30. The cardiac assist system of claim 28, wherein the conductive element extends along sidewalls of the housing in a direction away from the body of the patient.

31. The cardiac assist system of claim 25, wherein the conductive element is configured to be positioned on the body of the patient, separate from the housing.

Description

[0018] The following are shown:

[0019] FIG. 1 a simplified schematic illustration of a device according to the invention for inductive energy transfer in a first structural design of a heat-conducting element, in which it is completely arranged in the region of a housing of the device, and

[0020] FIG. 2 a view similar to that of FIG. 1, in which the heat-conducting element projects over the housing of the device laterally and is arranged in surface contact with a human body.

[0021] The same element(s) having the same function are given the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a first device 10 for inductive energy transfer into a human body 1 in a highly simplified manner. The device 10 is, in particular, a component of a VAD system 100 not shown, which is used to drive a pump supporting the heart function of a patient by means of a battery. The battery not shown in FIG. 1 is charged by means of the device 10. The battery can be either a part of the device 10 or arranged locally separated from the device, for example near the heart.

[0023] The device 10 comprises a transmitter unit 11 with a housing 12, preferably made of plastic and embodied as an injection molded part, typically consisting of multiple parts. In the interior of the housing 12, which comprises a cup-shaped base body 13, a simplified transmitter coil 14 consisting of a disk-shaped magnetic core 16 and wire windings 18 is arranged, among other things. Of course, further components are arranged within the housing 12, but these are not shown for the sake of simplicity.

[0024] The transmitter coil 14 cooperates with a receiver unit 20 arranged within the body 1, said receiver unit being implanted in the body 1. The receiver unit 20 comprises, inter alia, a receiver coil 21, which is only symbolically shown and in which energy is induced by means of the transmitter coil 14 in order to charge the battery.

[0025] The transmitter unit 11 and the housing 12 comprise a contact surface or a contact region 23, respectively, in which the housing 12 is arranged at least indirectly in contact with the body 1 of the patient, wherein human tissue 2 or skin is located between the receiver unit 20 and the transmitter unit 11.

[0026] The housing 12 of the transmitter unit 11 is closed by a housing cover 24 preferably consisting of a highly heat-conducting material in order to improve the heat generated by the self-heating of the transmitter unit 11 through heat dissipation to the environment, which is clarified by the arrows 3. Further, by way of example, a heat-insulating element 26 is arranged between the transmitter coil 14 and the contact region 23 on an inner surface 25 of the housing 12. The heat-insulating element 26 is preferably configured in the form of a heat-insulating film, particularly preferably on the basis of an aerogel. It is arranged on the side facing the contact region 23 in complete overlap with the transmitter coil 14 and, for example, projects laterally into side wall regions of the housing 12. It is provided in particular that the material of the heat-insulating element 26 has a poorer thermal conductivity than the base or wall material of the housing 12 consisting of plastic.

[0027] In addition, a heat-conducting element 30 is arranged between the housing 12 and the body 1 on the outer side of the housing 12. The heat-conducting element 30, which is in direct surface contact with the body 1 in the contact region 23, consists of a material having a thermal conductivity of greater than 1 W/mK. The heat-conducting element 30 serves to dissipate heat from the body 1 that is generated in the body 1 or the tissue 2 during the inductive charging process. For this purpose, it is provided in the device 10 that the heat-conducting element 30, which consists, for example, of a ceramic-filled polyurethane, laterally projects over the regions in which it is in direct surface contact with the body 1. Specifically, it is provided that the heat-conducting element 30 is guided outside to side walls 32 of the housing 12 projecting from the body. From there, a direct heat transfer or convection to the ambient air is possible, which is also clarified by the arrows 3. In addition, through modifications (not shown) of the element 30, its surface can be enlarged, which improves the convection to the ambient air.

[0028] The device 10a shown in FIG. 2 differs from the device 10 in that a heat-conducting element 30a is used, which projects laterally over the contact region 23 or the housing 12 and is arranged in direct surface contact with the body 1 or clings to the body 1. As a result, a direct heat transfer and convection from the tissue 2 outside of the contact region 23 of the housing 12 to the ambient air is possible.

[0029] The device 10, 10a as described thus far can be changed or modified in many ways without departing from the idea of the invention.

[0030] In summary, the following is reiterated: The invention relates to a device (10; 10a) for inductive energy transfer into a human body (1), having a transmitter unit (11) with a housing (12), in which at least one transmitter coil (14) is arranged, wherein the housing (12) comprises a contact surface (23), which is configured in order to be brought into surface contact with the body (1), and a receiver unit (20) that can be positioned in the body (1) with a receiver coil (21), wherein a heat-insulating element (26) and a heat-conducting element (30; 30a) are arranged between the transmitter coil (14) and the body.