RETENTION MAGNET SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20180270591A1
• Filed: 03/13/2018
• Published: 09/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Patrik Kennes
• Original Assignee: Patrik Kennes
• Inventors: KENNES, Patrik
• Granted Patent: US 10,880,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• 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: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

An external portion of an auditory prosthesis includes an external magnet that interacts with an implantable magnet to hold the external portion against the skin. Magnetic force generated by the stray field of these magnets can disturb the operation of a vibrating element of the auditory prosthesis. The technologies described herein utilize additional magnets disposed within portions of the auditory prosthesis to redirect the magnetic flux, which allows the vibrating element to be disposed more closely to the magnets, reducing the overall height profile of the prosthesis.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an auditory prosthesis housing; and

a magnet group disposed in the auditory prosthesis housing, the magnet group generating a group magnetic field, the magnet group having;

a first magnet that generates a first magnetic field;

a second magnet that generates a second magnetic field; and

a third magnet that generates a third magnetic field, wherein each of the first magnet, the second magnet, and the third magnet are substantially aligned so as to reduce a stray magnetic field of the magnet group, wherein the first magnetic field, the second magnetic field, and the third magnetic field define the group magnetic field.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third magnet is disposed substantially between the first magnet and the second magnet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a magnetization direction of the first magnet is disposed substantially parallel and opposed to a magnetization direction of the second magnet.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a magnetization direction of the third magnet is substantially orthogonal to both the first magnetization direction and the second magnetization direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a north pole of the third magnet is disposed proximate a south pole of the second magnet, and wherein a south pole of the third magnet is disposed proximate a north pole of the first magnet, so as to divert a magnetic flux generated by the first magnet to the second magnet.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first magnet and the second magnet each contact the third magnet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third magnet comprises two discrete magnets disposed between the first magnet and the second magnet.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first magnet, the second magnet and the third magnet are a unitary disc, and the first magnet and second magnet are axially magnetized, and the third magnet is diametrically magnetized.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third magnet is disposed so as to divert a magnetic flux of the first magnet to the second magnet.

10. A medical device comprising a group of transcutaneous retention magnets disposed in a circuit that defines a substantially continuous flux path within the medical device.

11. The medical device of claim 10, wherein the magnets define a group magnetic field with an asymmetric distribution of magnetic flux on opposing sides of the medical device.

12. The medical device of claim 11, wherein the magnets are arrayed to produce a flux concentration adjacent a skin barrier.

13. The medical device of claim 10, wherein each of the magnets has a magnetization direction that defines a localized section of the flux path.

14. The medical device of claim 13, wherein the magnets defining adjacent sections of the circuit are in physical contact to form a continuous flux path within the medical device.

15. The medical device of claim 13, wherein the magnet group comprises:

a first end magnet with a magnetization direction that extends normal to a transcutaneous interface,

a second end magnet with a magnetization direction extending parallel to the magnetization direction of the first end magnet in an opposite direction, and

a intermediate magnet that is disposed between the first and second end magnets, the intermediate magnet having a magnetization direction that is transverse to magnetization direction of the first and second end magnets.

16. The medical device of claim 15, wherein the intermediate magnet has a south pole disposed adjacent a north pole of the first end magnet and a north pole disposed adjacent a south pole of the second end magnet.

17. The medical device of claim 16, wherein the group of transcutaneous retention magnets consists of the first end magnet, the second end magnet and the intermediate magnet.

18. The medical device of claim 10, further comprising an implantable housing that encloses the group of transcutaneous retention magnets.

19. The medical device of claim 18, further comprising an external component having a reciprocal group of magnets that forms a transcutaneous coupling with the group of retention magnets disposed in the implantable housing, the respective magnet groups forming a closed magnetic circuit.

20. An apparatus comprising:

an auditory prosthesis housing; and

a magnet group disposed in the auditory prosthesis housing, the magnet group having;

a first magnet having a first magnetization direction;

a second magnet having a second magnetization direction substantially parallel and opposed to the first magnetization direction; and

a third magnet having a third magnetization direction substantially orthogonal to both the first magnetization direction and the second magnetization direction.

21-30. -30. (canceled)