Research Article
A Fundamental Study of Inductive/Capacitive Hybrid WPT for Implantable Devices: Coupler Misalignment Tolerance
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-032-38657-1_10, author={Miyu Kodama and Dairoku Muramatsu}, title={A Fundamental Study of Inductive/Capacitive Hybrid WPT for Implantable Devices: Coupler Misalignment Tolerance}, proceedings={Body Area Networks. 20th EAI International Conference, BodyNets 2025, Okayama, Japan, December 2--4, 2025, Proceedings}, proceedings_a={BODYNETS}, year={2026}, month={10}, keywords={Implantable Medical Device Wireless Power Transfer Electromagnetic Field Simulation}, doi={10.1007/978-3-032-38657-1_10} }- Miyu Kodama
Dairoku Muramatsu
Year: 2026
A Fundamental Study of Inductive/Capacitive Hybrid WPT for Implantable Devices: Coupler Misalignment Tolerance
BODYNETS
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-38657-1_10
Abstract
Implantable medical devices require stable and efficient power delivery systems. Conventional approaches employ either inductive or capacitive wireless power transfer (WPT), but each has limitations. To overcome these limitations, we propose and evaluate a hybrid WPT coupler that combines inductive and capacitive coupling. In this study, we conducted electromagnetic field simulations with a numerical human body model at 13.56 MHz to evaluate the misalignment tolerance of the proposed design. The coupler was modeled as a double-sided printed circuit board containing both coils and comb-shaped electrodes, and its performance was compared with coil-only and electrode-only couplers. Results showed that the hybrid coupler exhibited the smallest efficiency degradation under displacement and achieved higher efficiency values than the other designs. These findings demonstrate that hybrid WPT can provide efficient and stable power transfer even under practical clinical conditions, where device positioning varies. The proposed approach has strong potential to enhance patient quality of life.