External coil assembly for a transcutaneous system

• US 20060030905A1
• Filed: 08/31/2005
• Published: 02/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Medina Malaver, Evelia Ysabel
• Granted Patent: US 8,428,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 17/02 Preventing deposition of fouling or of dust

Abstract

An external coil assembly for a transcutaneous system is disclosed. The assembly comprises: a housing having a skin-adjacent surface, an opposing exposed surface and a threaded shaft open to the exposed surface and extending toward the skin-adjacent surface; an external coil secured within the housing; and a magnet with a threaded exterior surface to threadingly engage the threaded shaft, wherein at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread has at least one transverse channel forming discontinuities in the thread.

Claims

1. An external coil assembly for a transcutaneous system comprising:

a housing having a skin-adjacent surface, an opposing exposed surface and a threaded shaft open to the exposed surface and extending toward the skin-adjacent surface;

an external coil secured within the housing; and

a magnet with a threaded exterior surface to threadingly engage the threaded shaft,

wherein at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread has at least one transverse channel forming discontinuities in the thread.

2. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the transverse channel is substantially perpendicular to the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

3. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the shaft thread and the magnet thread are one of either a triangle-shaped, square-shaped and trapezoid-shaped threads.

4. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the shaft thread and the magnet thread are configured to be compliant with metric thread standards.

5. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the shaft and magnet thread each have an inner diameter and an outer diameter,

wherein the transverse channel comprises a bottom wall and opposing side walls, and

wherein the side walls are formed by the threads of the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread, and the bottom wall is formed by the surface defining the outer diameter of the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

6. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the shaft thread and magnet thread each have an inner diameter and an outer diameter,

wherein the transverse channel comprises a bottom wall and opposing side walls, and

wherein the transverse channel is recessed in a wall defining the outer diameter of the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one transverse channel comprises a plurality of transverse channels.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein at least some of the plurality of transverse channels are radially distributed around the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

9. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the at least one transverse channel opens to the exterior surface of the housing.

10. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the threaded shaft and magnet each have a length, and

wherein the at least one transverse channel extends along substantially the length of one of either the threaded shaft or magnet.

11. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the transcutaneous system is an element of a prosthetic hearing implant.

12. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the magnet comprises a housing having the magnet threads and an interior configured to retain magnetic material.

13. The assembly of claim 1,

wherein the skin-adjacent surface comprises a peripheral region adapted to be positioned immediately adjacent to the skin, and a raised interior region adapted to be offset from the skin,

wherein the threaded shaft is located in the interior region, and

wherein the at least one transverse channel opens to the skin-adjacent surface.

14. A magnet comprising:

an exterior surface having a thread configured to engage a threaded shaft in an external coil assembly of a transcutaneous system,

wherein the magnet thread has at least one transverse channel forming discontinuities in the thread.

15. The magnet of claim 14, wherein the external coil assembly comprises a housing having a skin-adjacent surface, an opposing exposed surface, and wherein the threaded shaft is open to the exposed surface and extends toward the skin-adjacent surface, and wherein an external coil is located within the housing.

16. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the transverse channel is substantially perpendicular to-the magnet thread.

17. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the shaft thread and the magnet thread are one of either a triangle-shaped, square-shaped and trapezoid-shaped threads.

18. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the shaft thread and the magnet thread are configured to be compliant with metric thread standards.

19. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the magnet thread has an inner diameter and an outer diameter,

wherein the transverse channel comprises a bottom wall and opposing side walls, and

wherein the side walls are formed by the threads of the magnet thread, and the bottom wall is formed by the exterior surface of the magnet that defines the outer diameter of the magnet thread.

20. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the magnet thread has an inner diameter and an outer diameter,

wherein the transverse channel comprises a bottom wall and opposing side walls, and

wherein the transverse channel is recessed in the exterior wall of the magnet that defines the outer diameter of the magnet thread.

21. The magnet of claim 14, wherein the at least one transverse channel comprises a plurality of transverse channels.

22. The magnet of claim 21, wherein at least some of the plurality of transverse channels are radially distributed around the magnet thread.

23. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the at least one transverse channel extends to an edge of the exterior surface.

24. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the magnet has a length, and

wherein the at least one transverse channel extends along substantially the length of the magnet.

25. The magnet of claim 14,

wherein the transcutaneous system is an element of a prosthetic hearing implant.

26. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the magnet further comprises:

a housing comprising the exterior surface having the magnet threads; and

an interior configured to retain magnetic material.

27. An external coil assembly for a transcutaneous system comprising:

housing means for housing an external coil of a transcutaneous system, the housing means having a skin-adjacent surface, an opposing exposed surface and a threaded shaft open to the exposed surface and extending toward the skin-adjacent surface; and

magnet means having a threaded exterior surface for threadingly engaging the threaded shaft,

wherein at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread has at least one transverse channel forming discontinuities in the thread.

28. The assembly of claim 27,

wherein the transverse channel is substantially perpendicular to the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

29. The assembly of claim 27,

wherein the shaft thread and magnet thread each have an inner diameter and an outer diameter,

wherein the transverse channel comprises a bottom wall and opposing side walls, and

wherein the side walls are formed by the threads of the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread, and the bottom wall is formed by the surface defining the outer diameter of the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

30. The assembly of claim 27,

wherein the shaft and magnet each have an inner diameter and an outer diameter,

wherein the transverse channel comprises a bottom wall and opposing side walls, and

wherein the transverse channel is recessed in a wall defining the outer diameter of the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

31. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the at least one transverse channel comprises a plurality of transverse channels radially distributed around the at least one of either the shaft thread or the magnet thread.

32. The assembly of claim 27, further comprising:

collection means for collecting debris accumulating between neighboring portions of the magnet thread.

33. A method facilitating removal of debris accumulating between a magnet and a housing of an external coil assembly of a transcutaneous system, comprising:

providing at least one transverse channel in the housing; and

collecting debris which accumulates between the housing and the magnet in one or more of the at least one transverse channel.