Cochlear implant with deactivation system

• US 8,583,246 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Money, David, Nygard, Tony, Seligman, Peter, Ibrahim, Ibrahim, Zhang, Andy L.
• Primary Examiner(s): EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US12/025,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20080147144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,108 Days
• Field of Search: 607 55- 57, 607/136, 607/137, 623/10
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation

Abstract

A totally implantable cochlear implant system forming a single implantable unit (40). The unit (40) has an implantable power source (43) that provides the power requirements of the implantable unit (40). The unit (40) also has an on board microphone (42) that detects external sounds, such as speech, and outputs acoustic signals representative of the detected sounds. The unit further includes speech processor circuitry (44) that directly receives the acoustic signals from the microphone (42) and converts the signals into stimulation signals representative of the detected sounds. An electrode array (20) suitable for insertion of the cochlea (42) of an implantee receives the stimulation signals and transmits electrical stimulations to the implantee'"'"'s auditory nerve (9).

Claims

1. An implantable unit for a cochlear implant system, the implantable unit comprising:

a plurality of operational components, comprising;

a processor configured to generate electrical stimulation signals; and

an electrode array configured to deliver the electrical stimulation signals to an implantee'"'"'s auditory nerve; and

a deactivation system including;

a circuit configured to be periodically excited, wherein the deactivation system is configured to shut down operation of one or more of the operational components in response to detecting a change in a response to the periodic excitation of the circuit resulting from the positioning of an electrically isolated external metallic object in proximity to the deactivation system; and

a waveform generator configured to provide the periodic excitation, wherein the circuit'"'"'s response to the excitation by the waveform generator changes when the metallic object is positioned in proximity to the deactivation system.

2. The implantable unit of claim 1, wherein the circuit configured to be periodically excited is a resonance circuit, and wherein the deactivation system further includes:

a waveform monitoring device configured to detect the change in the response of the resonance circuit, wherein the resonance circuit'"'"'s response to the excitation by the waveform generator changes when the metallic object is positioned in proximity to the deactivation system.

3. The implantable unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a hermetically sealed housing, wherein the processor and the deactivation system are each disposed in the housing.

4. The implantable unit of claim 1, wherein the deactivation system is further configured to re-activate, in response to the metallic object being re-positioned in proximity to the deactivation system, the one or more of the operational components when the one or more of the operational components are shut down.

5. The implantable unit of claim 1, further comprising:

a wire antenna receiver coil configured to form a bidirectional radio frequency (RF) link between the implantable unit and a coil positioned external to the implantee.

6. The implantable unit of claim 1, wherein the deactivation system is further configured to prevent the delivery of the electrical stimulation signals to the auditory nerve in response to the metallic object being positioned in proximity to the deactivation system.

7. The implantable unit of claim 1, wherein the deactivation system is further configured to shut down the one or more of the operational components in response to the metallic object being positioned in proximity to the deactivation system such that the one or more of the operational components may only be re-activated through the use of an external controller.

8. The implantable unit of claim 1, wherein:

the metallic object is a metal object.

9. A cochlear implant comprising:

an implantable hermetically sealed housing;

a processor disposed in the housing and configured to convert acoustic signals received from a microphone into electrical stimulation signals;

an electrode array configured to deliver the electrical stimulation signals to an implantee'"'"'s auditory nerve; and

a deactivation system including;

a circuit configured to be periodically excited, wherein the deactivation system is configured to halt the delivery of the electrical stimulation signals to the auditory nerve in response to detecting a change in a response to the periodic excitation of the circuit resulting from the positioning of an electrically isolated external metallic object in proximity to the deactivation system; and

a waveform generator configured to provide the periodic excitation, wherein the circuit'"'"'s response to the excitation by the waveform generator changes when the metallic object is positioned in proximity to the deactivation system.

10. The cochlear implant of claim 9, wherein the circuit configured to be periodically excited is a resonance circuit, and wherein the deactivation system further includes:

a waveform monitoring device configured to detect the change in the response of the resonance circuit, wherein the resonance circuit'"'"'s response to the excitation by the waveform generator changes when the metallic object is positioned in proximity to the deactivation system.

11. The cochlear implant of claim 9, further comprising:

an implantable microphone configured to detect sounds and to provide acoustic signals representative of the sounds to the processor.

12. The cochlear implant of claim 9, further comprising:

a power source disposed in the housing and configured to provide power to operational components of the system.

13. The cochlear implant of claim 9, wherein the deactivation system is further configured to re-activate, in response to the metallic object being re-positioned in proximity to the deactivation system, the cochlear implant to deliver the electrical stimulation signals when the delivery of electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve is halted.

14. The cochlear implant of claim 9, further comprising:

a wire antenna receiver coil configured to form a bidirectional radio frequency (RF) link between the cochlear implant and a coil positioned external to the implantee.

15. The cochlear implant of claim 9, wherein the deactivation system is further configured to halt the delivery of the electrical stimulation signals in response to the metallic object being positioned in proximity to the deactivation system such that delivery may only be re-activated through the use of an external controller.

16. An implantable unit for a cochlear implant system, the unit comprising:

a processor configured to generate electrical stimulation signals;

an electrode array configured to provide the electrical stimulation signals to an implantee'"'"'s auditory nerve; and

a deactivation system having;

a resonance circuit configured to be excited at regular intervals, wherein the deactivation system is configured to detect a first change in a response of the resonance circuit to the excitation, and to halt the delivery of the electrical stimulation signals in response to the detected first change; and

a waveform generator configured to provide the excitation at regular intervals.

17. The implantable unit of claim 16, wherein the deactivation system further comprises:

a waveform monitoring device configured to detect the change in the response of the resonance circuit.

18. The implantable unit of claim 17, wherein the response of the resonance circuit to the excitation changes when an electrically isolated external metallic object is positioned in proximity to the deactivation system.

19. The implantable unit of claim 16, further comprising a hermetically sealed housing, wherein the processor and the deactivation system are each disposed in the housing.

20. The implantable unit of claim 16, wherein the deactivation system is further configured to re-activate, in response to the detection of a second change in the response of the resonance circuit, the cochlear implant system to deliver the electrical stimulation signals when the delivery of the electrical stimulation signals is halted.

21. The implantable unit of claim 16, further comprising:

a wire antenna receiver coil configured to form a bidirectional radio frequency (RF) link between the implantable unit and a coil positioned external to the implantee.

22. The implantable unit of claim 16, wherein the deactivation system is further configured to halt delivery of the electrical stimulation signals such that the delivery may only be re-activated through the use of an external controller.

23. The implantable unit claim 16, further comprising:

an implantable power source configured to provide power to components of the implantable unit; and

a microphone configured to detect sounds and to generate acoustic signals representative of the detected sounds, wherein the processor is configured to utilize the acoustic signals to generate the electrical stimulation signals.

24. An implantable unit for a cochlear implant system, the implantable unit comprising:

a plurality of operational components, comprising;

a processor configured to generate electrical stimulation signals; and

an electrode array configured to deliver the electrical stimulation signals to an implantee'"'"'s auditory nerve; and

a deactivation system including;

a circuit configured to be periodically excited, wherein the deactivation system is configured to shut down operation of the electrode array in response to detecting a change in a response to the periodic excitation of the circuit resulting from the positioning of an electrically isolated external metal object in proximity to the deactivation system; and

a waveform generator configured to provide the excitation, wherein the circuit'"'"'s response to the excitation by the waveform generator changes when the metallic object is positioned in proximity to the deactivation system.

25. The implantable unit of claim 24, wherein the circuit configured to be periodically excited is a resonance circuit, and wherein the waveform generator is configured to excite the resonance circuit.