Sleep Disordered Breathing Treatment Apparatus
Patent No. US11253712 (titled "Sleep Disordered Breathing Treatment Apparatus") was filed by Nyxoah Sa on Feb 16, 2015.
What is this patent about?
’712 is related to the field of wirelessly powering implanted medical devices, specifically for treating sleep-disordered breathing. The background involves using an external unit with a primary antenna to transmit power to an implanted unit containing a secondary antenna. A key challenge is maintaining efficient power transfer despite variations in the resonant frequencies of the antennas, which can be affected by implantation effects, body conditions, and antenna bending.
The underlying idea behind ’712 is to dynamically adjust the resonant frequency of the external transmitting antenna to match the resonant frequency of the implanted receiving antenna. This is achieved by monitoring the coupling between the two antennas and using that information to select different capacitor combinations in the external unit's circuit. By switching capacitors in and out of the circuit, the resonant frequency of the external antenna can be tuned to maximize power transfer efficiency.
The claims of ’712 focus on a device for treating sleep-disordered breathing that includes a primary antenna, a circuit with selectable capacitors, a switch, a storage capacitor, and a processor. The processor determines the degree of coupling between the primary and secondary antennas by monitoring a signal component on the primary antenna. Based on this, it determines the mismatch between the resonant frequencies, alters the primary antenna's resonant frequency by selectively including or excluding capacitors, and then alters the driving frequency of the circuit by alternating the switch between a first state in which energy is stored in the storage capacitor and a second state in which the stored energy is released to the primary antenna.
In practice, the device operates by continuously monitoring the signal on the primary antenna to assess the coupling with the implanted antenna. If the coupling decreases, indicating a frequency mismatch, the processor cycles through different capacitor combinations in the circuit. For each combination, it evaluates the frequency match and selects the combination that provides the best match, exceeding a predetermined threshold. The processor then adjusts the driving frequency of the circuit based on the altered resonant frequency, using the switch and storage capacitor to efficiently deliver power to the primary antenna.
This approach differs from prior solutions that rely on fixed resonant frequencies or manual adjustments. By dynamically adjusting the resonant frequency of the external antenna based on real-time feedback, ’712 can maintain efficient power transfer even as the resonant frequency of the implanted antenna changes. The use of a storage capacitor and switch to alter the driving frequency further optimizes the power delivery, ensuring that the implanted device receives sufficient energy for effective neuromodulation to treat sleep-disordered breathing.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the early 2010s when ’712 was filed, wireless power transfer was typically implemented using inductive coupling between coils. At a time when systems commonly relied on fixed-frequency operation, dynamically adjusting the resonant frequency of the transmitting coil to maximize power transfer efficiency was non-trivial. When hardware or software constraints made real-time impedance matching difficult, maintaining optimal power delivery across varying distances and misalignments posed a significant engineering challenge.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner allowed the claims because the applicant amended claim 1 and provided persuasive arguments that overcame previous obviousness rejections. Specifically, the examiner agreed that the prior art did not teach the combination of elements added to claim 1, including a circuit with a switch and storage capacitor, and a processor configured to alter the driving frequency based on the altered first resonant frequency by alternating the switch between states for energy storage and release to the primary antenna. The examiner also noted that amendments to the claims overcame potential lack of antecedent basis and/or clarity issues.
Claims
This patent contains 7 claims, with claim 1 being independent. Independent claim 1 is directed to a device for treating sleep disordered breathing by wirelessly powering an implant, focusing on adjusting the primary antenna's resonant frequency to optimize coupling with the implant's antenna. Dependent claims 2-7 elaborate on specific features and implementations of the device described in independent claim 1, such as adjustable capacitors, trimming capacitors, frequency difference limits, energy transfer efficiency, and switch types.
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Date
Description
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US11253712
- Application Number
- US14623190
- Filing Date
- Feb 16, 2015
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Jul 26, 2033
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents