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Publication Number
US-10541468-B2
Publication Date
2020-01-21
Expiration Date
Abstract
An antenna assembly includes: a wearable antenna including a conductive signal layer having a radiating surface; a feed conductive layer; and an insulating layer in between the conductive signal layer and the feed conductive layer, and wherein the conductive signal layer, the feed conductive layer, and the insulating layer are fabric-based, wherein the wearable antenna is shaped and sized to be embedded in a subject's clothing with sufficient flexibility to be stretched and bent as the subject implanted with a passive implantable stimulator device maintains routine daily activities, and wherein the wearable antenna is electrically tuned and configured to have the radiating surface of the conductive signal layer facing the subject's skin and a feed point of the feed conductive layer connecting to a controller such that the wearable antenna is non-inductively coupled to the implanted passive stimulator device to supply power the passive implantable stimulator device wirelessly and non-inductively.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a wearable antenna assembly that comprises a dipole antenna array for wireless, non-inductive power delivery to an implanted passive implantable stimulator device. The wearable antenna includes a conductive signal layer comprising two or more conductor strips arranged in parallel, including an upper conductor strip and a lower conductor strip symmetrically shaped to provide rounded corners, where the lower conductor strip provides a radiating surface. A feed conductive layer comprises a feed point, and an insulating layer is disposed in between the conductive signal layer and the feed conductive layer.
The conductive signal layer, the feed conductive layer, and the insulating layer are fabric-based, and the wearable antenna is shaped and sized to be embedded in a subject's clothing. The wearable antenna has sufficient flexibility to be stretched and bent as the subject maintains routine daily activities after the subject is implanted with a passive implantable stimulator device. The radiating surface of the conductive signal layer is electrically tuned to face the subject's skin, and the feed point of the feed conductive layer is connected to a controller.
With the controller connection, the wearable antenna is configured to be non-inductively coupled to the implanted passive implantable stimulator device such that power is supplied to the passive implantable stimulator device wirelessly and non-inductively. The described implementations include dipole antenna array forms such as dipole arrays with parallel conductor strips and central gaps, together with feed arrangements and tuning/matching for an operating band. The description further addresses robustness and performance by specifying transmission loss behavior, reflection profile suppression, and power deposition variation over an implantation region/depth and by including operating tuning/matching over a frequency band from about 300 MHz to about 3 GHz.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim clm-00001 covers a fabric-based wearable dipole antenna assembly with non-inductive wireless coupling to an implanted passive implantable stimulator device, embedded in clothing while remaining flexible for daily activities. The claim coverage further specifies conductive ink fabric construction, symmetric geometry features, particular feed-layer trace geometries, quantitative RF behavior limits, and an operating tuning/matching band.
Fabric-based dipole antenna array for non-inductive wireless coupling
A wearable antenna comprising a dipole antenna array with a fabric-based conductive signal layer, a fabric-based feed conductive layer comprising a feed point, and a fabric-based insulating layer disposed between the conductive signal layer and the feed conductive layer, wherein the wearable antenna is shaped and sized to be embedded in a subject's clothing with sufficient flexibility to be stretched and bent as the subject maintains routine daily activities after being implanted with a passive implantable stimulator device, and wherein the wearable antenna is electrically tuned and configured to have the radiating surface facing the subject's skin and the feed point connecting to a controller such that the wearable antenna is non-inductively coupled to the implanted passive implantable stimulator device to supply power wirelessly and non-inductively.
Conductive ink on fabric conductor strips
The conductive signal layer comprising the two or more conductor strips is made by printing conductive ink on fabric material.
Central gap splitting symmetric halves around the feed point
The two or more conductor strips include a central gap that evenly splits the strip into symmetric halves on both sides of the feed point.
X-shaped conductor trace in the feed conductive layer with a central gap
The feed conductive layer includes an X-shaped conductor trace with a central gap that splits the feed conductive layer into symmetric halves.
Transmission loss profile limited over the implanted region
The wearable antenna has a transmission loss profile that varies by no more than 1 dB over the region where a passive implantable stimulator device has been implanted.
Tuned and impedance-matched operating band of about 300 MHz to about 3 GHz
The wearable antenna assembly is tuned and impedance-matched across an operating frequency band from about 300 MHz to about 3 GHz.
The claim set centers on a fabric-based wearable dipole antenna array embedded in clothing, configured with the radiating surface facing skin and a feed point connected to a controller to non-inductively couple wirelessly to an implanted passive implantable stimulator device. Dependent features specify conductive ink on fabric, symmetric conductor geometry via central gaps, an X-shaped feed trace structure, transmission-loss variation over the implanted region, and an operating tuning/matching band of about 300 MHz to about 3 GHz.
Stated Advantages
Provides power to the passive implantable stimulator device wirelessly and non-inductively.
Maintains routine daily activities by using a wearable antenna sufficiently flexible to be stretched and bent while embedded in clothing.
Transmission loss profile varies by no more than 1 dB over the implanted region.
Uses tuning and impedance matching over an operating frequency band from about 300 MHz to about 3 GHz.
Documented Applications
Wireless, non-inductive RF power delivery to an implanted passive implantable stimulator device using electrical radiative coupling between a wearable TX antenna and an implanted RX antenna [procedural detail omitted for safety].
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