Bio-implantable ultrasound energy capture and storage assembly including transmitter and receiver cooling

1. A bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly, comprising:

an acoustic energy transmitter configured to transmit acoustic energy at a power level rate between about 0.1 watt and about 50 watts;

an acoustic energy receiver, said acoustic energy receiver also being an energy converter for converting acoustic energy to electrical energy;

an energy storage device connected to said energy converter, wherein said acoustic energy receiver-converter is contained within a biocompatible implant configured to be implanted in a tissue, and said acoustic energy transmitter is separate from said implant; and

a thermoelectric, disposable or reusable cooler in thermal contact with both the transmitter and the tissue, wherein said acoustic energy transmitter is contained in a case, and said cooler is disposed directly between the transmitter case and the tissue when in use.

2. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising circuitry interconnecting said receiver and said energy storage device, wherein said circuitry provides recharging power to said energy storage device.

3. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the charging current and adjusts the frequency of the transmitter toward the resonant frequency of the receiver.

4. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the charging current and adjusts the alignment of the transmitter relative to the receiver to maximize power transfer.

5. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said implant further comprises a sensor, a pump, a USID tag, a pacemaker, a defibrillator, micro-muscles or a neurostimulator.

6. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter and receiver operate at the same frequencies.

7. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transmitter and receiver operate at different frequencies.

8. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the acoustic energy transmitter is in contact with an impedance-matching material that is suitable for skin contact.

9. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an alignment system for aligning the transmitter over the receiver.

10. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the alignment system comprises a pulse-echo ultrasound system.

11. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the alignment system comprises an ultrasound imaging system.

12. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the alignment system comprises four ultrasound sensors disposed on said acoustic energy receiver, and each of said sensors is equally spaced from its respective adjacent sensors.

13. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further including a phase change cooling material, implanted adjacent the receiver for cooling the receiver.

14. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the phase change material comprises lanolin or a wax having a phase change temperature no greater than about 2° C. above body temperature.

15. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the power transfer and adjusts the frequency of the transmitter toward the resonant frequency of the receiver.

16. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the power transfer and adjusts the alignment of the transmitter relative to the receiver to maximize power transfer.

17. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the frequency of the transmitter or the receiver is between about 20 kHz and 2 MHz.

18. A bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly, comprising:

an acoustic energy transmitter;

an acoustic energy receiver, said acoustic energy receiver also being an energy converter for converting acoustic energy to electrical energy; and

an energy storage device connected to said energy converter, wherein said acoustic energy receiver-converter is contained within a biocompatible implant, and said acoustic energy transmitter is separate from said implant, and

a phase change cooling material implanted adjacent the receiver to cool the receiver, wherein the phase changing material changes phase from a solid state to a liquid state at a temperature greater than a normal temperature of the tissue, but no more than about 2° C. above the normal temperature of the tissue.

19. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the phase change material comprises lanolin or a wax.

20. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising circuitry interconnecting said receiver and said energy storage device, wherein said circuitry provides recharging power to said energy storage device.

21. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 20 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the charging current and adjusts the frequency of the transmitter toward the resonant frequency of the receiver.

22. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 20 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the charging current and adjusts the alignment of the transmitter relative to the receiver to maximize power transfer.

23. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said implant further comprises a sensor, a pump, a USID tag, a pacemaker, a defibrillator, micro-muscles, or a neurostimulator.

24. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the transmitter and receiver operate at the same frequencies.

25. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the transmitter and receiver operate at different frequencies.

26. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the acoustic energy transmitter is in contact with an impedance-matching material that is suitable for skin contact.

27. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising an alignment system for aligning the transmitter over the receiver.

28. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the alignment system comprises a pulse-echo ultrasound system.

29. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the alignment system comprises an ultrasound imaging system.

30. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the alignment system comprises four ultrasound sensors disposed on said acoustic energy receiver, and each of said sensors is equally spaced from its respective adjacent sensors.

31. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the power transfer and adjusts the frequency of the transmitter toward the resonant frequency of the receiver.

32. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , further comprising a servocontrol or feedback loop that detects the amplitude of the power transfer and adjusts the alignment of the transmitter relative to the receiver to maximize power transfer.

33. The bio-implantable energy capture and storage assembly as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the frequency of the transmitter or the receiver is between about 20 kHz and 2 MHz.