Wireless Power Transfer in Titanium Implants

Abstract

This work addresses the problem of applications that require wireless power transfer to devices embedded within conductive blocks. The emergence of eddy currents tends to generate a magnetic field opposing that of the transmitter, drastically reducing the coupling coefficient and, consequently, the efficiency of the process. A case study involving a titanium implant is presented and analyzed with a load designed to ensure a constant current of 1 mA. An experimental setup is assembled and evaluated to compare differences in the measured electrical parameters when the receiver is embedded in the implant, considering several solutions that mitigate or avoid the effects of eddy currents. The results show that such a system may be technically unfeasible if careful attention is not paid to the geometry of the cavity in which the receiver is positioned.