A power supply system using a transcutaneous transformer to power an artificial heart through intact skin has been designed. In order to realize both high-voltage gain and minimum circulating current, compensation of leakage inductances on both sides of a transcutaneous transformer is proposed. A frequency region which realizes the robustness against coupling coefficient and load variation is identified. In this region, the converter has inherent advantages such as zerovoltage switching (ZVS) or zero-current switching (ZCS) of the switches, high-voltage gain, minimum circulating current, and high efficiency.
Artificial heart, energy transmission system, high efficiency, high-frequency converter, high-power density, high-voltage gain, inductance compensation, soft-switched converter, transcutaneous transformer, zero-current switching (ZCS), zero-voltage switching (ZVS).