Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power Transfer

Implantable electronic devices are powerful tools to alleviate a range of medical conditions. To minimize the risk of infections and increase patient comfort, no wires should penetrate the skin. For devices with a relatively high power consumption and located right under the skin, wireless power tra...

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Main Authors: Maarten Schelles, Ward Lievens, Laurens Goyvaerts, Frederik Ceyssens, Rikky Muller, Michael Kraft
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IEEE 2025-01-01
Series:IEEE Access
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Online Access:https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11044355/
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author Maarten Schelles
Ward Lievens
Laurens Goyvaerts
Frederik Ceyssens
Rikky Muller
Michael Kraft
author_facet Maarten Schelles
Ward Lievens
Laurens Goyvaerts
Frederik Ceyssens
Rikky Muller
Michael Kraft
author_sort Maarten Schelles
collection DOAJ
description Implantable electronic devices are powerful tools to alleviate a range of medical conditions. To minimize the risk of infections and increase patient comfort, no wires should penetrate the skin. For devices with a relatively high power consumption and located right under the skin, wireless power transfer through an inductive link is the most reliable method to ensure robust and long-term functionality. However, the efficiency of these inductive links highly depends on the size, location and variable power consumption of the implant. Here, we developed a functional prototype for the application of a neurostimulator implant located subcutaneously in a recess in the skull. Keeping all geometric constraints constant, we investigated the differences between a two-coil and three-coil inductive link, showing that the two-coil system has a higher peak efficiency of the inductive link of 84%, while the three-coil system displays a flatter efficiency curve with a peak of 78%, as a function of the variable power consumption. Furthermore, we have developed a closed-loop electronic system to drive the link at a fixed frequency of 27.12 MHz, with an overall system efficiency of 30%. Our results demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of using two-coil and three-coil inductive links, as well as the possibility to use these to transmit 60 mW to a subcutaneous implant. Such efficient and robust transcutaneous power transfer will allow for the development of safer and more patient-friendly implantable devices.
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issn 2169-3536
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spelling doaj-art-20a8a229fd7a49fc871f67fc78a9d1bd2025-08-20T03:28:10ZengIEEEIEEE Access2169-35362025-01-011310921910923310.1109/ACCESS.2025.358146011044355Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power TransferMaarten Schelles0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3024-4869Ward Lievens1Laurens Goyvaerts2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2881-9291Frederik Ceyssens3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9381-3398Rikky Muller4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3791-1847Michael Kraft5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7213-1072Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumReVision Implant, Haasrode, BelgiumDepartment of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumReVision Implant, Haasrode, BelgiumDepartment of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USADepartment of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumImplantable electronic devices are powerful tools to alleviate a range of medical conditions. To minimize the risk of infections and increase patient comfort, no wires should penetrate the skin. For devices with a relatively high power consumption and located right under the skin, wireless power transfer through an inductive link is the most reliable method to ensure robust and long-term functionality. However, the efficiency of these inductive links highly depends on the size, location and variable power consumption of the implant. Here, we developed a functional prototype for the application of a neurostimulator implant located subcutaneously in a recess in the skull. Keeping all geometric constraints constant, we investigated the differences between a two-coil and three-coil inductive link, showing that the two-coil system has a higher peak efficiency of the inductive link of 84%, while the three-coil system displays a flatter efficiency curve with a peak of 78%, as a function of the variable power consumption. Furthermore, we have developed a closed-loop electronic system to drive the link at a fixed frequency of 27.12 MHz, with an overall system efficiency of 30%. Our results demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of using two-coil and three-coil inductive links, as well as the possibility to use these to transmit 60 mW to a subcutaneous implant. Such efficient and robust transcutaneous power transfer will allow for the development of safer and more patient-friendly implantable devices.https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11044355/Biomedical circuitsinductive power transmissioninductive couplingneural prosthesisvisual prosthesiselectrical stimulation
spellingShingle Maarten Schelles
Ward Lievens
Laurens Goyvaerts
Frederik Ceyssens
Rikky Muller
Michael Kraft
Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power Transfer
IEEE Access
Biomedical circuits
inductive power transmission
inductive coupling
neural prosthesis
visual prosthesis
electrical stimulation
title Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power Transfer
title_full Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power Transfer
title_fullStr Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power Transfer
title_full_unstemmed Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power Transfer
title_short Comparison and System Development of a Two-Coil and Three-Coil Inductive Link for Transcutaneous Power Transfer
title_sort comparison and system development of a two coil and three coil inductive link for transcutaneous power transfer
topic Biomedical circuits
inductive power transmission
inductive coupling
neural prosthesis
visual prosthesis
electrical stimulation
url https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/11044355/
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