Inductance coil with varied geometry
An inductance communication coil, including a conductor having at least one conductive turn, wherein a width of the conductor is wider at a first location relative to that at a second location. The conductor can be made out of metal. In some embodiments, the first location and the second location are on the same turn. In some embodiments, the conductor includes a plurality of turns, wherein the first location is at a first turn and the second location is at a second turn.
1 . An inductance communication coil, comprising:
a coiled conductor including at least two turns on a first layer, wherein
a maximum outer diameter of the highest diameter turn is about 40 mm, and
the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 75.
2 . The inductance communication coil of claim 1 , wherein:
the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 80.
3 . The inductance communication coil of claim 1 , wherein:
the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 94.
4 . The inductance communication coil of claim 1 , wherein:
the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 85.
5 . The inductance communication coil of claim 1 , wherein:
the coiled conductor is of a configuration where a bare winding thereof, when subjected to an electrical current having a frequency of 5 MHz, has a Q factor of at least 90.
6 . A method, comprising:
transcutaneously transmitting, using a first coiled inductance antenna located outside the skin of the recipient, an inductance signal to an implanted second coiled inductance antenna, wherein
a current is applied to the first coiled inductance antenna to generate a magnetic field, thereby transmitting the inductance signal, and
an average current density at least one of increases or decreases with distance from a geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over at least a portion of the distance from the geometric center.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the action of transmitting the inductance signal transfers at least data to the implanted second coiled inductance antenna.
8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
evoking a sensory percept based on the inductance signal transmitted to the second coiled inductance antenna.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one of powering an implanted functional component that evokes the sensory percept or recharging an implanted battery that powers the implanted functional component based on the inductance signal transmitted to the second coiled inductance antenna.
10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, after transcutaneously transmitting the inductance signal:
transcutaneously transmitting, using the first coiled inductance antenna, a second inductance signal to the implanted second coiled inductance antenna; and
at least one of recharging an implanted battery or powering an implanted functional component based on a third signal from the second coiled inductance antenna, the third signal being generated by the second inductance signal.
11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the average current density at a given cross-section of a given turn of the fist coiled inductance antenna decreases with distance from the geometric center for a portion of the distance from the geometric center and then increases with distance from the geometric center for another portion of the distance from the geometric center.
12 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the average current density decreases over a first distance from the geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over at least a portion of the distance from the geometric center, and the average current density increases over a second distance from the geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over a second portion of the distance from the geometric center, wherein the portion of the distance from the geometric center corresponding to the first distance is located between the geometric center and the second portion.
13 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the average current density decreases over a first distance from a geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over at least a portion of the distance from the geometric center, and the average current density increases over a second distance from the geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over a second portion of the distance from the geometric center, wherein the portion of the distance from the geometric center corresponding to the second distance is located between the geometric center and the first portion.
14 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the average current density decreases over a first distance from a geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over at least a portion of the distance from the geometric center.
15 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the average current density increases over a first distance from a geometric center of turns of the first coiled inductance antenna over a portion of the distance from the geometric center.
16 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
the at least one of the first coiled inductance antenna or the second coiled inductance antenna is substantially identical to at least 500 others previously provided to other recipients and used to transcutaneously communicate an inductance signal.