WO2025223269A1 - Charging apparatus, charging device, and charging system - Google Patents

Abstract

A charging apparatus, a charging device, and a charging system. The charging apparatus is used for charging an implantable device. The implantable device is configured to be implanted into the skull of a user. The implantable device comprises a receive coil. The charger comprises a transmit coil (2). The transmit coil (2) is configured to be coupled to the receive coil. At least a partial region of the transmit coil (2) is arc-shaped, and the arc is at least adapted to the skull of the user.

Description

Charging device, charging equipment and charging system

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202410483386.X, filed on April 22, 2024, Chinese Patent Application No. 202420834433.6, and Chinese Patent Application No. 202410482361.8, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Technical Field

This application relates to the field of medical device technology, such as a charging device, charging equipment, and charging system.

Background Technology

Type III active implantable neurostimulators are medical devices used to stimulate the nervous system. They are implanted in the body to provide electrical stimulation to specific nerves or nerve bundles in order to treat or improve certain nervous system diseases.

The power sources for the three types of active implantable neurostimulators are divided into disposable non-rechargeable power sources and rechargeable power sources.

When a Class III active implantable neurostimulator with a non-rechargeable power source is implanted in the human body, a large-capacity battery is required to ensure continuous use within the system's effective lifespan. The large size of the battery increases the overall size of the Class III active implantable neurostimulator, raising the risk of trauma to the patient during surgery. Furthermore, using a larger Class III active implantable neurostimulator reduces patient comfort.

When Class III active implantable neurostimulators using rechargeable power sources are implanted in the human body, they can be recharged, so the system only needs to be able to be used continuously within a limited period of time. Therefore, the size of the battery can be greatly reduced, making the overall size of the Class III active implantable neurostimulator smaller and reducing the trauma and discomfort to patients during the surgical process.

Traditional Class III active implantable neurostimulators are typically implanted in the chest and transmit stimulation signals to the brain nuclei via leads. However, with prolonged use, the leads may shift position, inevitably affecting the effectiveness of the Class III active implantable neurostimulator. On the other hand, directly implanting a Class III active implantable neurostimulator into the skull would significantly reduce the neurostimulator's charging efficiency due to the unique structure of the brain.

After a neurostimulator is implanted in a user's body, it needs to be wirelessly charged regularly using a wireless charging device to ensure its normal use.

In related technologies, wireless charging devices mainly consist of a housing containing a charging coil. The charging coil is connected to a power source via a wire to provide power. During charging, the housing needs to be placed against the site where the user has implanted a neurostimulator to ensure that the charging coil aligns with the neurostimulator.

However, when charging the neurostimulator implanted in the user's head, the shape of the user's skull makes it difficult for the outer shell to effectively match the user's head, resulting in poor correspondence between the charging coil and the neurostimulator, leading to poor charging efficiency and stability.

Summary of the Invention

This application provides a charging device, charging equipment, and charging system, which solves the problem in related technologies where the outer shell of the charging device is difficult to fit the user's head during the charging process. Furthermore, it ensures that the distance from the surface of the receiving coil to the surface of the transmitting coil is equal or substantially the same everywhere in the receiving area, thereby increasing the amount of magnetic flux change in the receiving area and thus improving charging efficiency and charging stability.

This application provides a charger for charging an implantable device configured to be implanted into a user's skull. The implantable device includes a receiving coil, and the charger includes a transmitting coil configured to be coupled to the receiving coil. At least a portion of the transmitting coil is arc-shaped, and the arc shape is adapted to at least the user's skull.

In one embodiment, the transmitting coil includes at least one layer of planar structure formed by winding wires, the planar structure being curved.

In one embodiment, the length of the arc or chord of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil is greater than or equal to 80 mm, and the radius of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil is greater than or equal to 60 mm and less than or equal to 100 mm.

In one embodiment, the radius of the uniform region of the transmitting coil is greater than or equal to the sum of the radius of the receiving coil and a preset fault tolerance offset.

In one embodiment, the ratio of the maximum field strength difference to the average field strength in the uniform region of the transmitting coil does not exceed 0.3.

In one embodiment, the ratio of the area of the transmitting coil to the area of the receiving coil is between 8 and 20.

In one embodiment, the orthographic projection shape of the transmitting coil is circular or elliptical, and the length of the arc or chord of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil is less than or equal to 160 mm.

In one embodiment, the charging device further includes at least one of the following: a magnetic shielding sheet disposed on the side of the transmitting coil opposite to the receiving coil, the magnetic shielding sheet having a curved surface structure that matches the arc of the transmitting coil.

In one embodiment, the charging device further includes a housing; the housing has a first receiving space and a second receiving space.

In one embodiment, the charging device further includes a circuit board; a first accommodating space is used to accommodate the transmitting coil, and a second accommodating space is used to accommodate the circuit board; the first accommodating space is at least adapted to the transmitting coil; the orthophoto projection of the transmitting coil and the orthophoto projection of the circuit board do not overlap.

In one embodiment, the circuit board is a flexible circuit board.

In one embodiment, the housing includes an upper cover and a lower cover, the lower cover snapping onto the upper cover, the lower cover being disposed on the side of the transmitting coil facing the receiving coil, and the lower cover having a curved structure that matches the user's skull.

In one embodiment, the upper cover has an mounting side, and the curved structure of the lower cover has a fitting side for fitting with the user's skull. The fitting side has a fitting position corresponding to the implantable device and a plurality of fitting arc surfaces distributed around the fitting side.

In one embodiment, the charging device further includes at least one of the following: a heat sink disposed on the mounting side of the housing and corresponding to the transmitting coil; and a magnetic shielding sheet disposed on the side of the transmitting coil away from the implanted device.

In one embodiment, the lower cover has a groove, the orthographic projection of the geometric center of the groove overlapping the orthographic projection of the geometric center of the transmitting coil, the groove matching the implanted device that partially protrudes from the user's skull.

In one embodiment, the depth of the groove is less than the height of the implanted device protruding from the user's skull.

In one embodiment, the bottom wall of the groove is a positioning arc surface that can fit with the protruding part of the implantable device.

In one embodiment, the radius of curvature of the fitting arc surface is not less than the radius of curvature of the positioning arc surface.

In one embodiment, the side of the transmitting coil closest to the mating side is filled with a first fixing adhesive.

In one embodiment, the side of the transmitting coil near the mounting side is filled with a second fixing adhesive, which is a thermally conductive adhesive.

In one embodiment, the thickness of the lower cover is less than or equal to 2 mm.

This application provides a charging device, including: a charging apparatus as described above; and a charger electrically connected to the transmitting coil of the charging apparatus to supply power to the transmitting coil.

This application provides a charging system comprising: an implantable device configured to be implanted into a user's skull; and a charging device as described above, the charging device being used to charge the implantable device.

Attached Figure Description

Figure 1 is an exploded view of a charging device according to Embodiment 1 of this application.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the charging device according to Embodiment 1 of this application.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the orthophoto projection of the transmitting coil in Embodiment 1 of this application.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil in Embodiment 1 of this application.

Figure 5 is an exploded view of another structure of the charging device according to Embodiment 1 of this application.

Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the charging shell of the charging device in Embodiment 2 of this application.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the fitting side of the charging device in Embodiment 2 of this application.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the charging device in Embodiment 2 of this application.

Figure 9 is an enlarged view of part A in the implementation shown in Figure 8.

In the diagram: 1. Housing; 11. Fitting side; 111. Fitting arc surface; 112. Groove; 113. Positioning arc surface; 12. Mounting side; 14. Top cover; 141. Abutment ring; 142. Connecting part; 143. Locking block; 13. Bottom cover; 131. Connecting ring; 132. Locking hole; 2. Transmitting coil; 3. Heat sink; 4. Second fixing adhesive; 5. Magnetic shielding sheet; 6. First fixing adhesive; 7. Circuit board; 8. Cable.

Detailed Implementation

The present application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of the application. For ease of description, only the parts relevant to the present application are shown in the drawings, not the entire structure.

In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "linked," and "fixed" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the meaning of the above terms in this application according to the circumstances.

In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

In the description of this embodiment, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," and "right," etc., refer to the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for ease of description and simplification of operation, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used only for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

Example embodiments will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided to make this application more complete and comprehensive, and to fully convey the concept of example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted.

The terms describing position and direction used in this application are illustrated with examples from the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the scope of protection of this application. The bottom of existing charging devices is a flat plane. Generally, it is impossible to accurately locate the position of the neurostimulator implanted in the brain using the structure of the charging device. The charging process, which couples the charging device to the neurostimulator, essentially relies on guesswork regarding accurate coupling. This leads to users failing to ensure that the transmitting coil 2 and the receiving coil are coaxial and concentric each time (in this application, coaxial and concentric means the orthographic projection of the geometric center of the transmitting coil 2 and the convergent center of the receiving coil overlaps). This results in low charging efficiency; a 60mW charging device requires more than 15 hours to complete one neurostimulator charging cycle. This lengthy charging time severely impacts the user experience.

In order to improve the coupling between the transmitting coil 2 of the charging device and the receiving coil of the neurostimulator, increase the fault tolerance of the receiving coil 2, and reduce the charging time of the neurostimulator, this application provides a charging device, charging equipment, and charging system suitable for implantable neurostimulators.

Example 1

The charging device of this application includes a transmitting coil 2 and may also include a magnetic shielding sheet 5, as shown in FIG1. In some alternative embodiments, it may also include a housing 1 and a circuit board 7, as shown in FIG2 and FIG1.

The transmitting coil 2 of this application is configured to be coupled to the receiving coil of an implantable device, which may be a neurostimulator implanted in the brain or not. To match the curvature of the human skull, neurostimulators implanted in the brain are generally designed to be curved, with a surface structure matching the curvature of the human skull. In application, to minimize the overall volume of the neurostimulator, the receiving coil of the neurostimulator has a curved surface structure matching the curvature of the human skull. In practical applications, the neurostimulator is implanted at the top of the human brain at a depth of 5mm-15mm.

In the embodiments of this specification, the neurostimulator is fixed to the human skull, wherein the neurostimulator at least partially protrudes from the surface of the skull. In order to match the curvature of the human skull and the protruding shape of the neurostimulator, at least a portion of the transmitting coil 2 is set as an arc shape, which is adapted to the user's skull at least. The inner arc surface of the arc faces the neurostimulator, so that the changing magnetic field generated by the transmitting coil 2 when powered is more concentrated in the orientation of the inner arc surface, thereby increasing the magnetic flux change of the receiving coil in the neurostimulator and improving the coupling relationship between the transmitting coil 2 and the receiving coil. Optionally, the entire plane of the transmitting coil 2 is a uniform arc structure.

In the embodiments described in this specification, referring to FIG3, the orthographic projection shape of the transmitting coil 2 is circular or elliptical. Of course, it can also be other shapes, as long as it can achieve a high coupling relationship between the transmitting coil 2 and the receiving coil or be compatible with the internal structure of the charging device.

In application, the arc length of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil 2 is greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 160 mm. Those skilled in the art can set the chord length D of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil 2 to be greater than or equal to 80 mm and less than or equal to 160 mm according to actual needs, as shown in Figure 4. Optionally, the arc or chord length of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil 2 can be set to 80 mm, 90 mm, 100 mm, 110 mm, 120 mm, 130 mm, 140 mm, 150 mm, or 160 mm according to the user's actual situation. In practical applications, the radius R of the maximum cross-section of the transmitting coil 2 is in the range of 40-120 mm. R can be set in the range of 60-100 mm. Those skilled in the art can set R to 60 mm, 70 mm, 80 mm, 90 mm, or 100 mm according to the actual size of the user's skull, as shown in Figure 4.

In some optional embodiments, the transmitting coil 2 includes at least one layer of planar structure formed by winding wire, the planar structure being curved. In application, the transmitting coil 2 is a curved surface formed by concentric circles of copper wire wound in turns; it can be completely planar or annular. Since increasing the number of turns of the coil can enhance the strength and stability of the magnetic field, and improve the efficiency and stability of energy transmission, the inner circle of the annular transmitting coil 2 should be made as small as possible to ensure that the number of turns of the coil is sufficient to generate a sufficiently strong magnetic field, thereby ensuring the charging efficiency of the stimulator. In addition, reducing the inner circle of the annular transmitting coil 2 can also effectively control the concentration of the magnetic field, making the magnetic field more uniformly cover the receiving coil, thereby helping to improve the power supply efficiency.

In the above technical solution: because the receiving coil has a curved surface structure that matches the curvature of the human skull, and the transmitting coil 2 is adapted to the curvature of the human skull, it can better match the curvature of the human skull and the shape of the neurostimulator. This ensures that the distance from the surface of the receiving coil to the surface of the transmitting coil 2 is equal everywhere in the receiving area, thereby increasing the change in magnetic flux in the receiving area, increasing the coupling coefficient between the transmitting coil 2 and the receiving coil, and increasing the induced voltage and current of the receiving coil, thus improving the charging efficiency. Furthermore, the magnetic field generated by the curved transmitting coil 2 is more concentrated on the inner curved surface of the transmitting coil 2, further improving the charging efficiency of the charging device.

The use of a transmitting coil 2 adapted to the curvature of the human skull not only improves charging efficiency but also increases user comfort, allowing the charging device to better adapt to the head contour during use and reduce discomfort and pressure.

Taking into account the size of the receiving coil, the weight of the charging device, the fault tolerance offset, and the size of the skull, the length of the arc or chord of the maximum cross section of the transmitting coil 2 is set to 80mm-160mm. This ensures that there is sufficient contact area between the transmitting coil 2 and the receiving coil of the implanted device, thereby improving charging efficiency and stability, while avoiding excessive weight of the charging device due to the excessive size of the transmitting coil, which would reduce user comfort.

Considering the differences in the size of different implantable devices and the differences in the skull of different people, those skilled in the art can adjust the radius of the maximum cross-section within the range of 60mm-100mm, which ensures the coverage of the transmitting coil 2 and avoids the inconvenience caused by the excessively large or small arc angle of the transmitting coil 2.

This application takes into account the alignment errors that users may experience when coaxially and centrally aligning the charging device with the neurostimulator. To improve power supply efficiency, it is necessary to reasonably increase the area of the uniform region of the transmitting coil 2. The uniform region of the transmitting coil refers to the area where the magnetic field strength is relatively uniformly distributed in the electromagnetic field generated by the coil. During wireless charging, the uniform region of the transmitting coil directly affects whether the receiving coil can effectively receive energy. Due to differences in user posture and the need for error tolerance, the transmitting coil 2 of the charging device in this application requires a larger uniform region to reasonably expand the error tolerance range, thereby ensuring the stability and safety of charging.

In application, the size of the receiving coil, the weight of the charging device, the fault tolerance offset, and the size of the skull were comprehensively considered. The area ratio of the transmitting coil 2 to the receiving coil was set to be greater than or equal to 8 and less than or equal to 20. The range of the coverage area ratio of the transmitting coil 2 to the receiving coil was set to 8-20 to ensure that the radius of the uniform area of the transmitting coil 2 is greater than or equal to the sum of the radius of the receiving coil and the preset fault tolerance offset. The preset fault tolerance offset refers to the fault tolerance range set in advance according to actual needs during the charging process. The fault tolerance range refers to the deviation range between the geometric center of the orthographic projection of the transmitting coil 2 and the geometric center of the orthographic projection of the receiving coil when the transmitting coil 2 and the receiving coil are coupled.

When the area of the receiving coil is 600 mm², and the area ratio of the transmitting coil 2 to the receiving coil is set to 8.37, the preset fault tolerance offset is ±10 mm. Furthermore, when the charging distance between the charging device and the neurostimulator is 5 mm, the minimum effective average charging current is 25–30 mA within an offset distance of 0–±10 mm; when the charging distance between the charging device and the neurostimulator is 15 mm, the minimum effective average charging current is 20–30 mA within an offset distance of 0–±10 mm. It can be seen that within an offset distance of 0–±10 mm, the effective average charging current is greater than or equal to 20 mA.

In practical applications, the ratio of the difference between the maximum and minimum electric field strength in the uniform region of transmitting coil 2 to the average electric field strength is no greater than 0.3. Optionally, the ratio of the maximum electric field strength difference to the average electric field strength in the uniform region of transmitting coil 2 can range from 0 to 0.3. Those skilled in the art can set the ratio of the maximum electric field strength difference to the average electric field strength in the uniform region of transmitting coil 2 to 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, or 0, depending on the actual situation. Using Maxwell 3D simulation in Ansys Electronics Desktop, the receiving coil radius is designed to be 10mm, the area ratio of the transmitting coil to the receiving coil is 8, and the preset fault tolerance offset is ±10mm. Therefore, the radius of the uniform region of transmitting coil 2 is 20mm. At a distance of 10mm from transmitting coil 2, with a radius of 20mm, the electromagnetic field of the uniform region of transmitting coil 2 is obtained. Multiple samples are taken at any radius of the uniform region of transmitting coil 2, and the field strength at the sampling points is recorded. The maximum field strength Bmax = 354.751uTesla, the minimum field strength Bmin = 93.520uTesla, and the average field strength Baverage = 263.820uTesla are obtained. (Bmax-Bmin)/Baverage≤0.3.

In the above technical solution: In order to solve the alignment error problem that may occur when the user aligns the charging device and the neurostimulator coaxially and centrally, multiple factors such as the size of the receiving coil, the weight of the charging device, the fault tolerance offset, and the size of the skull are comprehensively considered. By reasonably setting the size of the transmitting coil 2, the area of the uniform region of the transmitting coil 2 is expanded, that is, the fault tolerance range is expanded. This allows the charging device to effectively supply power to the neurostimulator even if there is a certain alignment deviation, greatly improving the charging efficiency.

Maintaining the area ratio of the transmitting coil 2 to the receiving coil within the range of greater than or equal to 8 and less than or equal to 20 ensures both a large uniform area for the transmitting coil 2 (i.e., a certain fault tolerance rate) to guarantee charging efficiency, and avoids the adverse effects of an excessively large or small area ratio. For example, if the area ratio of the transmitting coil 2 to the receiving coil is too large, it will increase the weight and size of the transmitting coil 2, reducing user comfort; if the area ratio of the transmitting coil 2 to the receiving coil is too small, it will result in a smaller preset fault tolerance offset for the charging device, reducing the user experience.

The radius of the uniform region of the transmitting coil 2 is set to be greater than or equal to the sum of the radius of the receiving coil and the preset fault tolerance offset. This ensures that even in the event of alignment deviation, the receiving coil can be completely within the uniform region of the transmitting coil 2, thereby guaranteeing the stability and safety of charging.

The circuit board 7 of this application is connected to the transmitting coil 2, enabling precise control of the operating parameters of the transmitting coil 2, such as current and frequency, thereby achieving precise management of the charging process and improving charging safety and stability. In application, the circuit board is a flexible circuit board and is curved to match the curved internal structure of the charging device, thus reducing the size of the charger. In practical applications, the orthophoto projection of the transmitting coil 2 and the orthophoto projection of the circuit board 2 do not overlap. Referring to Figure 5, the circuit board 7 is positioned on the side of the transmitting coil 2, at least not obstructing the side of the transmitting coil 2 facing the receiving coil, to avoid the circuit board causing magnetic field distortion and signal interference to the transmitting coil 2. In some optional embodiments, to meet the requirements of miniaturization and lightweight design, the circuit board 7 is set in an L-shape to adapt to the shape of the transmitting coil 2. The L-shaped circuit board 7 is connected to an external power supply via a cable 8, as shown in Figure 2.

The magnetic shielding sheet 5 of this application is disposed on the side of the transmitting coil 2 facing away from the receiving coil, that is, on the outer arc surface of the transmitting coil 2. The magnetic shielding sheet 5 has a curved surface structure that matches the arc shape of the transmitting coil 2. In application, the orthographic projection shape of the magnetic shielding sheet 5 is circular or elliptical.

In the above technical solution: a magnetic shielding sheet 5 is provided on the outer arc surface of the transmitting coil 2, which can shield the magnetic field outside the outer arc surface of the transmitting coil 2 when the transmitting coil 2 is working, and prevent the transmitting coil 2 from generating a magnetic field in the direction of the outer arc surface. That is, all the magnetic field generated by the transmitting coil 2 is guided to the inner arc surface of the transmitting coil 2, that is, towards the receiving coil, thereby increasing the magnetic field strength of the nerve stimulator and thus improving the charging efficiency.

The magnetic shielding sheet 5, circuit board 7, and transmitting coil 2 of this application are housed within a housing 1, which has a curved surface structure that matches the arc shape of the transmitting coil 2. Referring to FIG5, the housing 1 includes a first receiving space for accommodating the transmitting coil 2 and a second receiving space for accommodating the circuit board 7. The first receiving space is adapted to at least the transmitting coil 2, and the second receiving space is adapted to at least the circuit board 7. In application, the housing 1 includes an upper cover 14 and a lower cover 13 that interlock with each other. The upper cover 14 has a curved surface structure that matches the arc shape of the magnetic shielding sheet 5, and is disposed on the side of the magnetic shielding sheet 5 facing away from the transmitting coil 2, and is connected to the magnetic shielding sheet 5 by a second fixing adhesive 4; the lower cover 13 has a curved surface structure that matches the arc shape of the user's skull or the transmitting coil 2, and is disposed on the side of the transmitting coil 2 facing the receiving coil, and is connected to the transmitting coil 2 by a first fixing adhesive 6. In practical applications, a neurostimulator implanted in the brain may cause a protrusion in the shape of the neurostimulator to form at the top of the brain. Therefore, a groove 112 is provided on the lower cover 13. The orthographic projection of the geometric center of the groove 112 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the geometric center of the transmitting coil 2. The groove 112 has a curved surface structure that matches the arc of the neurostimulator. The neurostimulator can be a neurostimulator that has been implanted in the brain or a neurostimulator that has not been implanted in the brain. In some optional embodiments, to ensure optimal charging efficiency, the thickness of the lower cover 13 is set to be less than or equal to 2 mm.

In the above technical solution, the housing 1 is set as a curved surface structure that matches the arc of the transmitting coil 2. This not only enhances the stability of the overall structure, but also makes full use of the internal space of the housing 1 to accommodate the magnetic shielding sheet 5, the circuit board 7 and the transmitting coil 2, forming a compact and complete charging device. This minimizes the size and weight of the charging device, which not only improves the ease of use of the charging device, but also maximizes the area and weight of the transmitting coil 2 within a reasonable space and weight.

The housing 1 adopts a design where the upper and lower covers interlock, making the assembly and disassembly of the charging device more convenient. The upper cover 14 is connected to the magnetic shielding sheet 5, and the lower cover 13 is connected to the transmitting coil 2 with adhesive, ensuring a stable connection between multiple components.

To address the potential protrusion at the top of the brain caused by the neurostimulator, this application incorporates a groove 112 on the lower cover 13. This allows the charging device to better adapt to the shape of the brain with the implanted neurostimulator, ensuring a tight fit between the transmitting coil 2 and the receiving coil, thereby further improving charging efficiency. Furthermore, the geometric center of the groove 112 overlaps with the geometric center of the transmitting coil 2, ensuring accurate alignment during charging and optimizing the charging effect.

While ensuring structural strength and stability, the thickness of the lower cover 13 is controlled to be less than or equal to 2mm. This reduces the overall weight of the charging device, decreases the pressure on the head, and reduces the distance between the charging device and the head, which helps to improve the transmission efficiency of the magnetic field and thus improves the charging performance.

In summary, this technical solution improves the stability, convenience, and charging efficiency of the charging device by optimizing the shell structure and design, providing users with a more comfortable and efficient charging experience. Furthermore, this technical solution demonstrates innovation and practicality in medical device design, providing strong support for the long-term use of implantable devices such as neurostimulators.

Example 2

This application discloses a charging device.

Referring to Figures 6 to 9, the charging device is used for wirelessly charging a pulse generator implanted in a user's head, and includes a housing 1. The housing 1 contains a charging coil 2 for wireless charging. The housing 1 has opposing fitting sides 11 and mounting sides 12. The mounting sides 12 are used to connect to a fixing sleeve (not shown in the figures), and the fitting sides 11 are used to fit against the user's head. The fitting sides 11 have fitting positions corresponding to the pulse generator and multiple fitting arc surfaces 111 distributed around the fitting positions.

The housing 1 includes a lower cover 13 and an upper cover 14, which can be snapped together or glued together. In this embodiment, the top wall and edge of the lower cover 13 have at least two annular connecting rings 131, and the bottom wall and edge of the upper cover 14 have abutting rings 141 that can abut against both connecting rings 131. The abutting rings 141 also have connecting portions 142 that can be inserted between the two connecting rings 131. Multiple locking blocks 143 can be spaced around the connecting portions 142, and locking holes 132 can be formed on the connecting rings 131 to engage with the locking blocks 143, thereby achieving the snap-fit fixation of the lower cover 13 and the upper cover 14. Adhesive can also be filled at the connection between the upper cover 14 and the lower cover 13 for sealing. Through the cooperation of the connecting rings 131 and the abutting rings 141, a cavity for accommodating the charging coil 2 can be formed between the lower cover 13 and the upper cover 14.

The top wall of the upper cover 14 can be flat or convex. In this embodiment, the top wall of the upper cover 14 is convex to form the mounting side 12, and the fixing sleeve can be a hat or similar item worn by the user. The convex mounting side 12 can better fit the fixing sleeve, so that the fixing sleeve can smoothly fix the shell 1 to the user's head when worn.

The bottom wall of the lower cover 13 can be recessed to form a fitting side surface 11 with multiple fitting arc surfaces 111. Simultaneously, a separate fitting position is provided on the fitting side surface 11 corresponding to the position of the pulse generator. The fitting position can be an arc surface with different radii of curvature, or it can have structures such as slots to achieve a suitable positioning for the pulse generator. The charging coil 2 is positioned corresponding to the fitting position so that the charging coil 2 aligns with the pulse generator when the housing 1 is placed. The radius of curvature of the fitting arc surface 111 can be set according to the radius of curvature of the user's skull, ensuring that the fitting arc surface 111 corresponds to the user's head and forms a certain gap, or directly fits the user's head, thereby effectively improving the adaptability of the housing 1. The radius of curvature can be further designed according to the actual user group; this application does not limit this.

By providing a contact position and a contact arc surface 111 on the contact side 11 of the housing 1, the housing 1 can be positioned relative to the pulse generator by utilizing the correspondence between the contact position and the pulse generator when placed on the user's head. The charging coil 2 can be preset at the position corresponding to the contact position, and the contact arc surface 111 can correspond to the user's head. By wearing a fixing sleeve and pressing it onto the mounting side 12, the entire housing 1 can be fixed to the user's head. In this way, when the charging device is in use, the pulse generator can be positioned by the contact position, and the housing 1 can be completely adapted to the user's head by the correspondence between the contact arc surface 111 and the user's head, thereby ensuring that the charging coil 2 can remain aligned with the pulse generator during charging, effectively improving charging efficiency and charging stability.

Optionally, the pulse generator portion protrudes from the skull of the user's head, and the fitting position has a positioning groove 112 that can mate with the protruding portion of the pulse generator.

According to the implantation requirements, the pulse generator protrudes from the skull of the user's head. Based on the shape of the protruding part, a positioning groove 112 is formed by recessing at the fitting position. The size of the positioning groove 112 can be slightly larger than the size of the protruding part of the pulse generator so that the protruding part of the pulse generator can be completely accommodated in the positioning groove 112.

By setting a positioning groove 112 at the fitting position, the pulse generator can be accommodated by the positioning groove 112 when the housing 1 is placed, so as to quickly achieve the positioning between the housing 1 and the pulse generator, which facilitates the user's positioning operation.

Optionally, the depth of the positioning groove 112 is less than the height of the pulse generator protrusion.

The positioning groove 112 has a relatively small depth, which allows the protruding part of the pulse generator to abut against the bottom wall of the positioning groove 112 when the positioning groove 112 accommodates the pulse generator. This results in a smaller gap between the pulse generator and the housing 1, which helps to reduce the distance between the charging coil 2 and the pulse generator, thereby further ensuring the stability of charging.

Optionally, the bottom wall of the positioning groove 112 is a positioning arc surface 113 that can fit with the protruding part of the pulse generator.

An arc-shaped positioning surface 113 is provided on the bottom wall of the positioning groove 112. The radius of curvature of the surface can be set according to the protruding part of the pulse generator, so that the protruding part of the pulse generator can form a surface contact with the bottom wall of the positioning groove 112, thereby further reducing the gap between the pulse generator and the housing 1. At the same time, the arc-shaped positioning surface 113 can also form a certain locking effect with the protruding part of the pulse generator to further improve the positioning effect.

Optionally, the radius of curvature of the conforming arc surface 111 is not less than the radius of curvature of the positioning arc surface 113.

By setting the radius of curvature of the fitting arc surface 111 to be relatively large or consistent with the radius of curvature of the positioning arc surface 133, the bending amplitude of the fitting arc surface 111 can be limited. This allows the fitting arc surface 111 to form a gap with different skulls, thereby enabling the shell 1 to adapt to different users and improving the adaptability of the shell 1. The value of the radius of curvature can be set according to the skull shape of the actual user group, and this application does not limit it in this regard.

Optionally, the charging device also includes a heat sink 3. The heat sink 3 is disposed on the mounting side 12 and corresponds to the charging coil 2.

Mounting holes can be made on the top wall of the top cover 14, and the heat sink 3 can be embedded in the mounting holes. The heat sink 3 can be made of a metal material with good thermal conductivity.

By incorporating a heat sink 3, the heat generated by the charging coil 2 during charging can be transferred to the mounting side 12, reducing the possibility of heat transfer to the user's head. Simultaneously, multiple heat dissipation holes can be provided on the mounting sleeve to facilitate rapid heat dissipation.

Optionally, the side of the charging coil 2 closest to the mounting side 12 is filled with a second fixing adhesive 4, namely thermally conductive adhesive.

Thermally conductive adhesive 4 is filled between the inner wall of the top cover 14 and the charging coil 2. On the one hand, the charging coil 2 can be fixed on the top cover 14. On the other hand, the heat generated by the charging coil 2 during charging can be quickly conducted to the top cover 14 and the heat sink 3 to reduce the possibility of heat being transferred to the user's head.

Optionally, a magnetic shielding sheet 5 is provided on the side of the charging coil 2 away from the pulse generator.

The magnetic shielding sheet 5 is located between the charging coil 2 and the thermally conductive adhesive 4. It can prevent the magnetic field generated by the charging coil 2 from spreading to the side away from the pulse generator, so as to effectively enhance the magnetic field of the charging coil 2 on the side close to the pulse generator, thereby further improving the charging efficiency of the pulse generator.

Optionally, the side of the charging coil 2 closest to the mating side 11 is filled with a first fixing adhesive 6.

By fixing the charging coil 2 to the inside of the lower cover 13 with the first fixing adhesive 6, the possibility of a gap between the charging coil 2 and the lower cover 13 is reduced. When the housing 1 is positioned relative to the pulse generator, it can be ensured that the charging coil 2 and the pulse generator are kept at the shortest distance, effectively improving the charging efficiency and stability.

In this embodiment, the charging coil 2 corresponds to the transmitting coil 2 in embodiment 1, the pulse generator corresponds to the implantable device in embodiment 1, and the positioning groove 112 corresponds to the groove 112 in embodiment 1.

Example 3

This application also discloses a charging device, including a charger and a charging apparatus as described in the above embodiments. The charger is electrically connected to the transmitting coil 2 of the charging apparatus to supply power to the transmitting coil 2.

When in use, this charging device can quickly locate the position of the implanted device and ensure that the transmitting coil and the implanted device can maintain effective correspondence during the charging process, thereby effectively improving the charging efficiency and stability.

This application also provides a charging system including an implantable device and the aforementioned charging device. The implantable device is configured to be implanted into a user's skull; the charging device is used to wirelessly charge the implantable device.

When in use, this charging system can quickly and efficiently charge implanted devices, ensuring that the implanted devices can be used effectively and stably.

Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make changes, modifications, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of the application without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, and all such changes should fall within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims (23)

A charging device for charging an implantable device configured to be implanted into a user's skull, the implantable device including a receiving coil, the charger comprising: A transmitting coil (2) configured to be coupled to the receiving coil, wherein at least a portion of the transmitting coil (2) is arc-shaped and the arc shape is adapted to at least the user’s skull. According to claim 1, the charging device wherein the transmitting coil (2) comprises at least one layer of planar structure formed by winding wires, the planar structure being an arc surface. According to claim 1, the length of the arc or chord of the maximum cross section of the transmitting coil (2) is greater than or equal to 80 mm, and the radius of the maximum cross section of the transmitting coil (2) is greater than or equal to 60 mm and less than or equal to 100 mm. According to claim 1, the radius of the uniform region of the transmitting coil (2) is greater than or equal to the sum of the radius of the receiving coil and the preset fault tolerance offset. According to the charging device of claim 1, the ratio of the maximum field strength difference to the average field strength in the uniform region of the transmitting coil (2) does not exceed 0.3. According to claim 1, the ratio of the area of the transmitting coil (2) to the area of the receiving coil is in the range of 8-20. According to claim 1, the charging device has a circular or elliptical orthogonal projection shape for the transmitting coil (2), and the length of the arc or chord of the maximum cross section of the transmitting coil (2) is less than or equal to 160 mm. The charging device according to claim 1 further includes at least one of the following: A magnetic shielding sheet (5) is disposed on the side of the transmitting coil (2) facing away from the receiving coil. The magnetic shielding sheet (5) has a curved surface structure that matches the arc of the transmitting coil (2). The charging device according to claim 1 further includes a housing (1); The housing (1) has a first accommodating space and a second accommodating space. The charging device according to claim 9 further includes a circuit board (7); The first accommodating space is used to accommodate the transmitting coil (2), and the second accommodating space is used to accommodate the circuit board (7); The first accommodating space is at least adapted to the transmitting coil (2); The orthophoto projection of the transmitting coil (2) and the orthophoto projection of the circuit board (7) do not overlap. According to claim 10, the charging device wherein the circuit board (7) is a flexible circuit board. According to claim 9, the charging device, wherein the housing (1) comprises: Top cover (14); The lower cover (13) is snapped into the upper cover (14). The lower cover (13) is disposed on the side of the transmitting coil (2) facing the receiving coil. The lower cover (13) has a curved structure that matches the user's skull. According to the charging device of claim 12, the upper cover (14) has a mounting side (12), the curved structure of the lower cover (13) has a fitting side (11), the fitting side (11) is used to fit against the user's skull, the fitting side (11) has a fitting position corresponding to the implanted device and a plurality of fitting arc surfaces (111) distributed around the fitting. The charging device according to claim 12 further includes at least one of the following: A heat sink (3) is disposed on the mounting side (12) of the housing (1) and corresponds to the transmitting coil (2); A magnetic shielding sheet (5) is disposed on the side of the transmitting coil (2) away from the implanted device. According to claim 12, the charging device has a groove (112) on the lower cover (13), the orthographic projection of the geometric center of the groove (112) overlaps with the orthographic projection of the geometric center of the transmitting coil (2), and the groove (112) matches the implanted device that partially protrudes from the user's skull. According to claim 15, the depth of the groove (112) is less than the height of the implanted device protruding from the user's skull. According to the charging device of claim 15, the bottom wall of the groove (112) is a positioning arc surface (113) that can fit with the protruding part of the implantable device. According to the charging device of claim 17, the radius of curvature of the fitting arc surface (111) is not less than the radius of curvature of the positioning arc surface (113). According to the charging device of claim 13, the side of the transmitting coil (2) near the mating side (11) is filled with a first fixing adhesive (6). According to the charging device of claim 13, the side of the transmitting coil (2) near the mounting side (12) is filled with a second fixing adhesive (4), the second fixing adhesive being a thermally conductive adhesive. According to claim 12, the thickness of the lower cover (13) is less than or equal to 2 mm. A charging device, comprising: The charging device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21; and The charger is electrically connected to the transmitting coil (2) of the charging device to supply power to the transmitting coil (2). A charging system, comprising: An implantable device configured to be implanted into a user's skull; The charging device according to any one of claims 22, wherein the charging device is used to charge the implanted device.