Hair clip retention system for headpiece of cochlear implant system

• US 6,275,736 B1
• Filed: 05/14/1999
• Issued: 08/14/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Smith, Lani A., Kuzma, Janusz A., Malmgren, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US09/312,158
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 607/55-57, 128/903
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A hair clip for use with a cochlear implant system retains a headpiece assembly, including a transmitting coil, in an aligned position relative to an implanted stimulator. In one embodiment, the hair clip provides a retention system that uses a magnet which forms part of the transmitting coil. A comb or plurality of prongs forms part of the retention system. In another embodiment, the comb has central teeth that are made from ferromagnetic material, and typically also has a non-central teeth that are made from non-ferromagnetic material. The comb is placed and secured in the patient'"'"'s hair over the area where a cochlear implant is implanted. The transmitting coil is then placed next to the comb, and the magnet within the transmitting coil attaches to the ferromagnetic teeth of the comb. In another embodiment, the transmitting coil is housed in a headpiece, and the headpiece and comb or hair clip are fastened together, along an edge of the comb or hair clip where the teeth or prongs are bonded, with a hinge attachment spring. In a further embodiment, the hair clip is formed from a single sheet of stainless steel, and a plurality of prongs engage a lower surface of the headpiece while a retaining band, with an integral spring, securely holds the headpiece in place against the prongs. The hair clip is opened by applying a manual force against the spring and retaining band.

Claims

1. Apparatus for holding an external transmitting coil against the skin of a patient in an aligned position proximate an implanted receiving coil, comprising:

a comb, with a plurality of central teeth, made from ferromagnetic material, and with a number of other teeth made from a non-ferromagnetic material;

a headpiece assembly having an external transmitting coil and a magnet therein;

whereby hair of the patient may be trapped between the teeth of the comb in order to position and hold the comb in a desired position relative to the implanted receiving coil, and

wherein the magnet in the transmitting coil attaches to the ferromagnetic central teeth of the comb, thereby holding the headpiece assembly in a desired position relative to the comb.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a hinge attachment for joining the headpiece assembly and the comb along an edge of the comb where the teeth are bonded.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the hinge attachment holds the headpiece assembly and comb together with a compression force.

4. Apparatus for holding an external transmitting coil against the skin of a patient in an aligned position proximate an implanted receiving coil, comprising:

a comb having a plurality of teeth;

a headpiece assembly having an external transmitting coil; and

a spring attached to the headpiece and to the comb along an edge of the comb where the teeth are bonded that provides compression between the comb and headpiece assembly.

5. A comb, comprising:

a plurality of central teeth, the central teeth being made from a ferromagnetic material, and

a plurality of non-central teeth, the non-central teeth being made from a non-ferromagnetic material;

whereby a magnet may be attached to the central teeth and held in position against such ferromagnetic teeth.

6. A clip, comprising:

a plurality of prongs made from a ferromagnetic material, and

a flexible hinge fixed to the clip for receiving a headpiece,

whereby a magnet within the headpiece may be detachably held in position against the ferromagnetic prongs.

7. Apparatus for holding an external transmitting coil against the skin of a patient in an aligned position proximate an implanted receiving coil, comprising:

a hair clip having a plurality of prongs;

a headpiece assembly having an external transmitting coil; and

a spring attached to the headpiece and to the clip that provides compression between the clip and headpiece assembly.

8. A headpiece hair clip for holding a headpiece assembly of a cochlear implant system against the skin of a user in an aligned position proximate an implanted stimulator, the headpiece assembly comprising a circular or oval shaped housing defining a volume wherein electrical and other components of the cochlear implant system may be housed, the headpiece assembly having a pigtail portion extending from one edge thereof, the hair clip comprising:

a plurality of prongs extending from and integrally joined with a base portion;

first and second side arms extending from and integrally joined with the base portion, wherein the first and second arms are folded upwardly and inwardly from the base portion to define a receiving band, wherein when the headpiece assembly is mounted on the hair clip the pigtail of the headpiece assembly may be inserted into the receiving band while a bottom surface of the headpiece assembly is positioned against an upper edge of the plurality of prongs;

a tab cut from the base portion and bent upwardly to extend generally towards the receiving band;

wherein the bent tab engages the pigtail of the headpiece assembly when the headpiece assembly is mounted on the hair clip, and wherein the bent tab functions as a spring that holds the plurality of prongs against the bottom surface of the headpiece assembly, and further wherein a pressing force applied between the base portion and an upper edge of the receiving band opens the hair clip by moving the plurality of prongs away from the bottom surface of the headpiece assembly.

9. The headpiece hair clip of claim 8 wherein the number of prongs comprises three, a center prong that engages the bottom surface of the headpiece assembly generally in the middle thereof, and two side prongs, each of which engages opposing edges of the bottom surface of the headpiece assembly, when the headpiece assembly is mounted on the hair clip.

10. The headpiece hair clip of claim 9 wherein the bottom surface of the headpiece assembly has a ridge around its periphery, thereby defining a cavity surrounded by the ridge, and further wherein the center prong of the hair clip includes an offset portion, the offset portion being adapted to engage a bottom surface of the cavity of the headpiece assembly at the same time that the two side prongs engage the ridge around the periphery of the bottom surface of the headpiece assembly.

11. The headpiece hair clip of claim 9 wherein the hair clip, including its three prongs, tab, first and second side arms, and base portion, is made from a single sheet of stainless steel that has been stamped into a hair clip pattern, and wherein the first and second side arms and tab are bent and folded upwardly from a plane defined by the single sheet of stainless steel.