IMPLANTABLE VIBRATORY DEVICE USING LIMITED COMPONENTS

• US 20170318399A1
• Filed: 05/24/2016
• Published: 11/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Meskens, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 11,368,802 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/10 Resonant transducers, i.e. adapted to produce maximum output at a predetermined frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A prosthesis including an implantable component including an LC circuit, wherein a piezoelectric material forms at least a part of the capacitance portion of the LC circuit, the piezoelectric material expands and/or contracts upon the application of a variable magnetic field to the inductor of the LC circuit, the LC circuit has an electrical self-resonance frequency below 20 kHz, and the piezoelectric material forms part of an actuator configured to output a force to tissue of a recipient in which the implantable component is implanted.

Claims

1. A prosthesis, comprising:

an implantable component including an LC circuit, wherein a piezoelectric material forms at least a part of the capacitance portion of the LC circuit, the piezoelectric material expands and/or contracts upon the application of a variable magnetic field to an inductor of the LC circuit, and the piezoelectric material forms part of an actuator configured to impart energy into tissue of a recipient in which the implantable component is implanted.

2. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein:

the LC circuit has an electrical self-resonance frequency below 20 kHz.

3. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein:

the piezoelectric material forms the entirety of the capacitance portion of the LC circuit.

4. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein:

the piezoelectric material expands and/or contracts due to direct application of the current induced at the inductor by the alternating magnetic field.

5. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein:

the piezoelectric material expands and/or contracts at a frequency and amplitude corresponding to a frequency and amplitude of a magnetic field to which the inductor is exposed.

6. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein:

the LC circuit is entirely contained and hermetically sealed in a biocompatible housing without openings through the biocompatible housing.

7. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein:

the prosthesis is a hearing prosthesis; and

the piezoelectric material is configured to generate vibrations to evoke a hearing percept.

8. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein:

the LC circuit is entirely contained and hermetically sealed in a titanium housing without openings through the titanium housing.

9. The prosthesis of claim 2, wherein:

the LC circuit is entirely contained and hermetically sealed in a housing made of PEEK without openings through the housing.

10. The prosthesis of claim 1, wherein:

the piezoelectric material forms the entirety of the capacitance portion of the LC circuit.

11. An auditory prosthesis, comprising:

an external assembly, including;

a first inductance coil,

an active electronic device in signal communication with the first inductance coil; and

an implantable component made up of passive electronic components including a transducer configured to output mechanical energy when an electrical current is applied thereto, and a second inductance coil that is part of a first LC resonant circuit tuned to a frequency in the audio spectrum, wherein the first and second inductance coils form a transcutaneous coupled link.

12. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the first inductance coil is energized by a signal outputted by active electronic device to generate an alternating magnetic field.

13. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the implantable component is an implantable component of an active transcutaneous bone conduction device.

14. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the transducer is a piezoelectric actuator.

15. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the second inductance coil is a copper coil.

16. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the transcutaneous coupled link is a closely coupled magnetic near field link.

17. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the second inductance coil is configured to receive an alternating magnetic field having frequencies in the audio spectrum; and

the transducer is configured to vibrate at the frequencies and amplitudes of the alternating magnetic field received by the second inductance coil.

18. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the second inductance coil is configured to receive an electromagnetic radiated field having frequencies in the audio spectrum;

the transducer is configured to vibrate at the frequencies and amplitudes of the electromagnetic radiated field received by the second inductance coil; and

the transcutaneous coupled link operates to supply the electromagnetic radiation received by the second inductance coil.

19. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the active electronic device is a consumer electronic device.

20. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the first inductance coil is part of a second LC resonant circuit tuned to a frequency in the audio spectrum.

21. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the active electronic device is a smartphone.

22. The prosthesis of claim 11, wherein:

the active electronic device is a BTE device.

23. A hearing prosthesis, comprising:

an implantable passive resonant component including a vibratory electrical capacitive apparatus and an inductance coil, wherein

the vibratory apparatus and the inductance coil are encased in a titanium housing, and

the implantable component is configured such that a transcutaneous signal received by the inductance coil through the titanium housing activates the vibratory apparatus to evoke a hearing percept.

24. The hearing prosthesis of claim 23, wherein:

the implantable component is devoid of any integrated circuits.

25. The hearing prosthesis of claim 23, wherein:

the housing entirely and completely encompasses the coil and the vibratory apparatus, thus being devoid of any feedthrough passages.

26. The hearing prosthesis of claim 23, wherein:

the implantable inductance coil is substantially entirely devoid of precious metals.

27. The hearing prosthesis of claim 23, further comprising:

an external component including a second inductance coil, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to establish an electromagnetic link entirely at audio frequencies to operate the vibratory apparatus to evoke a hearing percept.

28. The hearing prosthesis of claim 23, wherein:

the vibratory apparatus is configured to vibrate when the inductance coil is exposed to a transcutaneous magnetic link and/or electromagnetic link of very low frequencies and lower.

29. The hearing prosthesis of claim 28, wherein:

the vibratory apparatus is powered entirely and solely by the magnetic and/or electromagnetic link.

30. The hearing prosthesis of claim 23, wherein:

the inductance coil is a copper coil.