A portable NRD neural response signal generator

Abstract

This invention provides a portable NRD neural response signal generator, comprising: a shell, a display screen, a microcontroller control circuit board, side control buttons, and an input / output connector; the display screen shows the current amplitude of the neural response signal, the output status of the neural response signal, and the battery level; the microcontroller control circuit board acquires the output voltage signal of the electrodes of the cochlear implant and outputs a corresponding simulated neural response signal based on the output voltage signal; the side control buttons are used for power-on operation and selection and confirmation of the neural response signal waveform; the input / output connector is used for programming, battery charging, and signal output. This invention provides equipment support for verifying the accuracy of measuring neural response signals in cochlear implants, solving the problems of high signal interference and insufficient amplitude in existing general-purpose telemetry equipment for measuring neural responses; the waveform shape can be customized, the minimum output waveform amplitude reaches ±50μV, and the waveform is stable and free from external interference.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of NRD (Neural Response Telemetry) equipment, and more specifically, to a portable NRD neural response signal generator. Background Technology

[0002] Neural response signals are weak electrical signals that an organism responds to external stimuli. When a cochlear implant is placed in the ear, it stimulates the cochlea, prompting a corresponding electrophysiological response.

[0003] In actual testing of cochlear implant devices, specialized equipment is needed to generate a neural response signal that simulates the biological response to electrical stimulation in order to verify whether the cochlear implant can accurately measure the electrophysiological response of the biological response to electrical stimulation.

[0004] Existing telemetry devices for measuring neural responses do not yet have dedicated equipment that provides electrical signals for neural responses to stimulation of cochlear implants. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to develop a portable device that provides neural response electrical signals only in response to cochlear implant stimulation, and to provide a simulated neural response signal of a biological organism to electrical stimulation of a cochlear implant, in order to verify whether the cochlear implant can accurately measure the neural response signal.

[0006] This invention provides a portable NRD neural response signal generator, comprising: a housing, a display screen, a microcontroller control circuit board, side control buttons, and input / output connectors; the housing is used to house the microcontroller control circuit board, the display screen, and a battery;

[0007] The display screen is mounted on the front of the housing and is used to display the amplitude of the current neural response signal, the output status of the neural response signal, and the battery level.

[0008] Preferably, the display screen is a liquid crystal display screen, which has low power consumption, small size and low radiation;

[0009] The microcontroller control circuit motherboard is used to acquire the output voltage signal of the electrodes of the cochlear implant and to provide a corresponding simulated neural response signal for the output voltage signal.

[0010] The side control buttons are located on the front side of the housing and are used for power-on operation and selection and confirmation of neural response signal waveforms;

[0011] The input / output connectors are located on the side of the housing and are used for programming, battery charging, and signal output.

[0012] Furthermore, the mainboard of the microcontroller control circuit includes a charging circuit, a signal conditioning circuit, a DAC analog signal output circuit, an ADC signal acquisition circuit, and a one-button power-on circuit.

[0013] Furthermore, the output states of the neural response signal include: output in progress, output stopped, and output after waveform switching.

[0014] Furthermore, the side control buttons are located on the front side of the housing, including: a power button, a confirmation button, a "previous" button, and a "next" button; the power button is used to control the power-on and power-off of the portable NRD neural response signal generator, and a long press of the power button turns the device on; pressing and holding the power button and the "previous" button simultaneously turns the device off; the "previous" button and the "next" button are used to select the amplitude and waveform of the neural response signal waveform; the confirmation button is used to confirm the currently output waveform and the output status after waveform switching.

[0015] Furthermore, the battery is a lithium battery, and the signal pulse voltage amplitude emitted by the lithium battery reaches a minimum of ±50μV, which is used to simulate the neural response signal emitted by the human cochlea when receiving stimulation.

[0016] Lithium batteries can isolate electromagnetic interference from mains power equipment, making them convenient for measurement during the commissioning phase of cochlear implant NRD.

[0017] Furthermore, the input / output connector includes an input port and an output port. The input port uses a universal Type-C interface for online programming and is a charging port for the lithium battery. The output port is used to output the NRD waveform under test. It uses two SMA female connectors. Because the output signal is a weak electrical signal, an SMA female connector with shielding and grounding is used as the output pin of the neural response signal to reduce signal interference. The ground wire is led out separately for easy grounding and to reduce interference.

[0018] Furthermore, the output port is a two-way SMA interface, one of which is the NRD waveform before attenuation (which can be connected to an external oscilloscope to detect the current working status of the neural response signal generator), and the other is the NRD waveform after attenuation for detection and analysis by the cochlear implant device.

[0019] Furthermore, in order to accommodate cochlear implants with different detection capabilities, the amplitude of the provided neural response signal includes eight selectable waveform amplitude ranges, with the waveform amplitude of the neural response signal being gradually reduced to improve the detection accuracy of the cochlear implant.

[0020] Furthermore, the main board of the microcontroller control circuit also includes: an output status indicator light, a lithium battery charging and discharging management indicator light, and a buzzer for outputting operation feedback prompts.

[0021] Furthermore, when connected to a cochlear implant device, the portable NRD neural response signal generator automatically outputs neural response waveforms based on the stimulation of the cochlear implant, realistically simulating actual biological responses.

[0022] The procedure for operating the portable NRD neural response signal generator includes the following steps:

[0023] Press and hold the power button to turn on the device. The display screen shows the initial neural response signal waveform and the current lithium battery level information.

[0024] Users can output the default neural response waveform displayed in the current interface state through the confirmation key; and / or, as needed, adjust and switch the waveform shape and amplitude of the current neural response signal through the "Previous" and "Next" keys.

[0025] This invention simulates the neural response signals generated by biological organisms, which can produce weak voltage signals for detection by cochlear implants. The waveform can be arbitrarily adjusted through programming and can be displayed on a screen, making it convenient for the implant to compare the read signal with the actual waveform after analysis and processing. The large-capacity lithium battery can work for a long time and isolates noise interference to the greatest extent.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0027] This invention provides equipment support for telemetry of NRD (Neural Response Distance) in cochlear implants, and for verifying the accuracy of NRD signal measurement in cochlear implants. It solves the problems of existing telemetry methods for measuring neural responses lacking dedicated equipment and general-purpose equipment having large signal interference and insufficient amplitude. The waveform shape can be customized, and the minimum output waveform amplitude reaches ±50μV. The waveform is stable and free from external interference, making it convenient for measurement during the commissioning phase of cochlear implant NRD. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0029] In the attached diagram:

[0030] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a portable NRD neural response signal generator according to the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 This is a diagram of the main operation interface of the neural response signal generator according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 3This is a system structure diagram of the internal circuit functional module of the neural response signal generator in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Explanation of markings in the attached diagram:

[0034] 1. Power button; 2. Buzzer; 3. "BOOT" button; 4. Output status indicator light; 5. Confirm button;

[0035] 6. "Next" button; 7. "Previous" button; 8. Lithium battery charge / discharge management indicator; 9. 1.8-inch LCD. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description relates to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this disclosure. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and products consistent with some aspects of this disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0037] The terminology used in this disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. The singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” as used in this disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term “and / or” as used herein refers to and includes any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0038] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish information of the same type from one another. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "when," "when," or "in response to determination."

[0039] The embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] This invention provides a portable NRD neural response signal generator, see [link to documentation]. Figure 1 , 2 As shown, it includes: a housing, a display screen, a microcontroller control circuit motherboard, side control buttons, and input / output connectors; the housing is used to house the microcontroller control circuit motherboard, the display screen, and the battery;

[0041] The display screen is mounted on the front of the housing and is used to display the amplitude of the current neural response signal, the output status of the neural response signal, and the battery level.

[0042] The output states of the neural response signal include: outputting state, stopped outputting state, and outputting state after waveform switching.

[0043] In this embodiment, the display screen is a 1.8-inch LCD 9, which has low power consumption, small size, and low radiation.

[0044] The microcontroller control circuit motherboard is used to acquire the output voltage signal of the electrodes of the cochlear implant and to provide a corresponding simulated neural response signal for the output voltage signal.

[0045] The side control buttons are located on the front side of the housing and are used for power-on operation and selection and confirmation of neural response signal waveforms;

[0046] The input / output connectors are located on the side of the housing and are used for programming, battery charging, and signal output.

[0047] The microcontroller control circuit motherboard includes a charging circuit, a signal conditioning circuit, a DAC analog signal output circuit, an ADC signal acquisition circuit, a one-button power-on circuit, an output status indicator 4, a lithium battery charging and discharging management indicator 8, and a buzzer 2 for outputting operation feedback prompts.

[0048] See Figure 3 The diagram shows the system structure of the internal circuit functional module of the neural response signal generator in this embodiment.

[0049] The side control buttons are located on the front side of the housing and include: a power button 1, a "BOOT" button 3, an OK button 5, a "Previous" button 7, and a "Next" button 6. The power button is used to control the power-on and power-off of the portable NRD neural response signal generator. Press and hold the power button 1 to power on; press and hold the power button 1 and the "Previous" button 7 simultaneously to power off the device. The "Previous" button 7 and the "Next" button 6 are used to select the amplitude and waveform of the neural response signal waveform. The OK button 5 is used to confirm the currently output waveform and the output status after waveform switching.

[0050] The battery is a lithium battery, and the signal pulse voltage amplitude emitted by the lithium battery reaches a minimum of ±50μV, which is used to simulate the neural response signal emitted by the human cochlea when receiving stimulation.

[0051] Lithium batteries can isolate electromagnetic interference from mains power equipment, making them convenient for measurement during the commissioning phase of cochlear implant NRD.

[0052] The input / output connector includes an input port and an output port. The input port uses a universal Type-C interface for online programming and is a charging port for the lithium battery. The output port is used to output the NRD waveform under test. It uses two SMA female connectors. Because the output signal is a weak electrical signal, an SMA female connector with shielding and grounding is used as the output pin of the neural response signal to reduce signal interference. The ground wire is led out separately for easy grounding and to reduce interference.

[0053] The output port is a two-way SMA interface. One way is the NRD waveform before attenuation (which can be connected to an oscilloscope to detect the current working status of the neural response signal generator), and the other way is the attenuated NRD waveform for detection and analysis by the cochlear implant device.

[0054] To accommodate cochlear implants with different detection capabilities, the amplitude of the provided neural response signal includes eight selectable waveform amplitude ranges, progressively reducing the waveform amplitude of the neural response signal to improve the detection accuracy of the cochlear implant.

[0055] When connected to a cochlear implant device, the portable NRD neural response signal generator automatically outputs neural response waveforms based on the stimulation of the cochlear implant, realistically simulating actual biological responses.

[0056] In this embodiment, the operation process of using the portable NRD neural response signal generator includes the following steps:

[0057] Press and hold the power button 1 to turn on the device. The display screen shows the initial neural response signal waveform and the current lithium battery power information.

[0058] Users can output the default neural response waveform displayed in the current interface state through the confirmation key 5; and / or, as needed, adjust and switch the waveform shape and amplitude of the current neural response signal through the "Previous" key 7 and the "Next" key 6.

[0059] This invention simulates the neural response signals generated by biological organisms, which can produce weak voltage signals for detection by the cochlear implant. The waveform can be arbitrarily adjusted through programming and can be displayed on a screen, making it convenient for the implant to compare the read signal with the actual waveform after analysis and processing. The large-capacity lithium battery can work for a long time and isolates noise interference to the greatest extent.

[0060] This invention provides equipment support for telemetry of NRD (Neural Response Distance) in cochlear implants, and for verifying the accuracy of NRD signal measurement in cochlear implants. It solves the problems of existing telemetry methods for measuring neural responses lacking dedicated equipment and general-purpose equipment having large signal interference and insufficient amplitude. The waveform shape can be customized, and the minimum output waveform amplitude reaches ±50μV. The waveform is stable and free from external interference, making it convenient for measurement during the commissioning phase of cochlear implant NRD.

[0061] The technical solution of the present invention has been described above with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the scope of protection of the present invention is obviously not limited to these specific embodiments. Without departing from the principles of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the relevant technical features, and the technical solutions after these changes or substitutions will all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0062] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention. Various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A portable NRD neural response signal generator, characterized by, The portable NRD nerve response signal generator comprises a shell, a display screen, a single-chip microcomputer control circuit mainboard, side control buttons, and an input / output connector. The shell is used to carry the single-chip microcomputer control circuit mainboard, the display screen, and a battery. The display screen is installed on the front face of the shell and is used to display the amplitude of the current nerve response signal, the output state of the nerve response signal, and the battery capacity. The single-chip microcomputer control circuit mainboard is used to collect the output voltage signal of the electrode of the cochlear implant and give the corresponding analog nerve response signal for the output voltage signal. The side control buttons are arranged on the front side of the shell and are used for power-on operation and selection and confirmation of the nerve response signal waveform. The input / output connector is arranged on the side of the shell and is used for program burning, battery charging, and output signal. The single-chip microcomputer control circuit mainboard comprises a charging circuit, a signal conditioning circuit, a DAC analog signal output circuit, an ADC signal collection circuit, and a one-key power-on circuit. The battery is a lithium battery, and the signal pulse voltage amplitude emitted by the lithium battery reaches ±50μV at the lowest, which is used to simulate the nerve response signal emitted by the human cochlea when receiving stimulation. The input / output connector comprises an input port and an output port. The input port adopts a Type-C interface and is used for online program burning and lithium battery charging. The output port is used for outputting the NRD waveform to be tested and adopts an SMA female seat with a shielding package as the output pin of the nerve response signal to reduce signal interference. The output port is a two-way SMA interface, one way is the NRD waveform before attenuation, and the other way is the NRD waveform after attenuation for detection and analysis of the cochlear implant device.

2. The portable NRD neural response signal generator of claim 1, wherein, The output state of the nerve response signal comprises an output state, a stop output state, and a waveform switching output state.

3. The portable NRD neural response signal generator of claim 1, wherein, The side control buttons arranged on the front side of the shell comprise a power-on key, a confirmation key, a "previous" key, and a "next" key.

4. The portable NRD neural response signal generator of claim 1, wherein, The power-on key is used to control the power-on and power-off of the portable NRD nerve response signal generator, and the device is powered off by simultaneously pressing the power-on key and the "previous" key.

5. The portable NRD neural response signal generator of claim 1, wherein, The "previous" key and the "next" key are used to select the amplitude and waveform of the nerve response signal waveform.

6. The portable NRD neural response signal generator of claim 1, wherein The confirmation key is used to confirm the current output waveform and the output state after waveform switching. The amplitude of the nerve response signal provided comprises eight selectable waveform amplitude ranges, and the waveform amplitude of the nerve response signal is gradually reduced to improve the detection accuracy of the cochlear implant. The single-chip microcomputer control circuit mainboard further comprises an output state indicator light, a lithium battery charging and discharging management indicator light, and a buzzer for operation feedback prompt sound output. When connected to the cochlear implant device, the portable NRD nerve response signal generator automatically outputs the nerve response waveform according to the stimulation of the cochlear implant, simulating the actual biological response.

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