Multi-element coupler for generation of electromagnetic energy

摘要

Implantable devices and/or sensors can be wirelessly powered by controlling and propagating electromagnetic waves in a patient's tissue. Such implantable devices/sensors can be implanted at target locations in a patient, to stimulate areas such as the heart, brain, spinal cord, or muscle tissue, and/or to sense biological, physiological, chemical attributes of the blood, tissue, and other patient parameters. The propagating electromagnetic waves can be generated with sub-wavelength structures configured to manipulate evanescent fields outside of tissue to generate the propagating waves inside the tissue. Methods of use are also described.

主权项

1. An apparatus configured to transfer wireless power through tissue, comprising:
a substrate; multiple sub-wavelength structures disposed on the substrate; multiple radio-frequency ports respectively coupled to the multiple sub-wavelength structures; a voltage or current source coupled to the multiple radio-frequency ports; and a controller configured to manage excitation of the radio-frequency ports and sub-wavelength structures with the voltage or current source to manipulate evanescent fields outside of tissue to generate propagating fields inside the tissue and thereby generate a spatially focused field in the tissue.