Implantable microphone and artificial cochlea prosthesis

Abstract

The invention relates to an implantable microphone and an artificial cochlea prosthesis. The implantable microphone comprises a housing, one end of the housing is provided with a recessed part, and the bottom wall of the recessed part is provided with a through hole; the diaphragm is arranged on the shell and seals the concave part; the sensor is arranged in the shell and located at the position of the through hole, and a closed containing cavity is defined by the sensor, the concave part and the diaphragm; the port circuit is arranged in the shell and is electrically connected with the sensor; and the functional element is arranged on at least one side of the diaphragm and is electrically connected with the port circuit, and the functional element can drive the diaphragm to deform after being electrified. When the pressure of the environment where the implantable microphone is located changes, the functional element can generate bending deformation opposite to the deformation of the diaphragm after being electrified, so that the stability of a signal generated by the implantable microphone is ensured, the working reliability and stability of the implantable microphone are improved, and the use performance is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of medical auxiliary equipment, and in particular to an implantable microphone and a cochlear implant. Background Art

[0002] The human ear is the main organ of hearing and is usually composed of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear. The sound waves captured by the outer ear are guided by the external auditory canal to the eardrum, which transmits its vibration to the system formed by the three ossicles of the middle ear: the malleus, incus, and stapes. The ossicular chain further transmits the signal to the organs of the inner ear. The cochlea converts the signal into nerve stimulation that is transmitted to the brain by the auditory nerve and interpreted as sound.

[0003] Dysfunction of one or more parts of the ear can cause hearing loss, leading to partial or complete deafness. Hearing aids are a common means for hearing-impaired patients to improve their hearing, including: air conduction hearing aids, bone conduction hearing aids, middle ear implants, cochlear implants, etc. Hearing aids are generally composed of external and implanted parts, and realize functions including sound collectors, signal processors, signal communication (transmission, transmission and reception, etc.), signal amplification (hearing aids) or coded stimulation (cochlear implants), and must have an energy source to provide energy.

[0004] The sound signal is usually picked up by sound sensors and sensor arrays, most commonly microphones or microphone arrays. In order to achieve good sound collection effects and taking into account the capacity and life of the battery, sound sensors and batteries are usually integrated in external devices to obtain more realistic sounds and facilitate battery replacement. The existence of external devices brings a lot of inconvenience to patients using hearing aids. The solution to these problems is to develop fully implantable alternatives, including implantable microphones.

[0005] Current implantable microphones contain two chambers and sensors, and obtain pure sound signals through signal processing of two sensors. However, when the pressure (such as air pressure) around the patient changes, such as the altitude is significantly lower or higher than sea level. Especially when the ambient pressure increases, the diaphragm of the microphone will sink inward under the pressure of the external ambient pressure and may hit the bottom, which may cause the microphone to lose response, the wearer cannot hear the sound, and the microphone signal is unstable or even fails, affecting its use. Summary of the invention

[0006] Based on this, it is necessary to provide an implantable microphone and cochlear implant that can balance pressure and ensure signal stability when the ambient pressure changes, thereby ensuring performance, in order to address the problem that the current microphone loses response when the ambient pressure changes.

[0007] An implantable microphone, comprising:

[0008] A housing, wherein one end of the housing has a recessed portion, and a bottom wall of the recessed portion has a through hole;

[0009] a diaphragm, disposed on the housing and sealing the recessed portion;

[0010] A sensor is disposed in the housing and located at the through hole, wherein the sensor, the recessed portion and the diaphragm form a closed cavity;

[0011] a port circuit, disposed in the housing and electrically connected to the sensor; and

[0012] The functional element is arranged on at least one side of the diaphragm and is electrically connected to the port circuit. The functional element can drive the diaphragm to deform after being energized.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present application, the housing includes an outer shell and a partition plate, one side of the outer shell has an opening, the partition plate is recessed and sealed in the opening, and the recessed portion is formed after the partition plate is recessed;

[0014] The outer shell and the partition plate are an integral structure or are separately arranged.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present application, the functional element is made of a material having an electromechanical coupling effect.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present application, the functional element is made of piezoelectric material or electrostrictive material.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present application, the functional element is arranged in a film shape, a block shape or a strip shape.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present application, the functional element is disposed on the inner side of the diaphragm and is located in the cavity;

[0019] And / or, the functional element is arranged on the outside of the diaphragm and is insulated and isolated from the target tissue.

[0020] In one embodiment of the present application, the functional element has a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged on opposite surfaces of the functional element, the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected to the port circuit, and the first electrode and the second electrode can apply voltage to the functional element after being energized, and the first electrode and the second electrode can also collect deformation signals of the functional element and transmit them to the port circuit.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present application, the depth dimension of the cavity ranges from 20 μm to 100 μm.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present application, the cavity is cylindrical, funnel-shaped, boss-shaped, a straight line splicing shape, a curve splicing shape, or a straight line and a curve splicing shape.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present application, the port circuit includes a circuit interface and a feedthrough, the circuit interface and the feedthrough are arranged in the shell and located on the outside of the cavity, the circuit interface is electrically connected to the sensor and the functional element, the feedthrough seals the circuit interface and the shell, and electrically connects the signal and power management system.

[0024] In an embodiment of the present application, the sensor is a microphone unit, including a digital or analog silicon microphone, an electret microphone, a laser microphone or a piezoelectric microphone.

[0025] A cochlear implant comprises a stimulation electrode, a signal and power management system and an implantable microphone as described in any one of the above technical features, wherein the signal and power management system and the implantable microphone are signal-connected to the signal and power management system, and the signal and power management system processes the sound signal collected by the implantable microphone and transmits it to the stimulation electrode;

[0026] The signal and power management system and the implanted microphone and the stimulation electrode are independently arranged, or the signal and power management system and the implanted microphone are integrated into one and are separately arranged from the stimulation electrode, or the signal and power management system and the stimulation electrode are integrated into one and are separately arranged from the implanted microphone.

[0027] In one embodiment of the present application, the signal and power management system has a comparison unit, which compares the actual deformation of the diaphragm with the preset deformation to control the signal and power management system to supply power to the functional element;

[0028] And / or, the signal and power management system has an operating component, and the operating component controls the signal and power management system to supply power to the functional element.

[0029] After adopting the above technical solution, this application has at least the following technical effects:

[0030] The implantable microphone and cochlear implant of the present application, in the implantable microphone, the top of the housing has a recessed portion, the diaphragm is arranged on the housing and seals the recessed portion, the bottom of the recessed portion has a through hole, the sensor is arranged at the through hole, so that the sensor, the recessed portion and the diaphragm form a closed cavity. The functional element is arranged on at least one side of the diaphragm, and the functional element and the sensor are electrically connected to the port circuit, the functional element can generate corresponding deformation after being energized, and the sensor can detect the deformation of the diaphragm.

[0031] The implantable microphone is provided with a functional element on the diaphragm. When the environmental pressure of the implantable microphone changes, the diaphragm will drive the functional element to produce a bending deformation that bulges outward or sinks inward. At this time, the port circuit can be controlled to power the functional element, so that the functional element produces a bending deformation opposite to that of the diaphragm, that is, when the functional element produces a bending deformation, it can offset the diaphragm deformation caused by the external environmental pressure. In this way, after the functional element is powered on, it can produce a bending deformation opposite to the diaphragm deformation, which solves the problem of unstable or even invalid signals of the implantable microphone under different environmental pressures, ensures the stability of the signal generated by the implantable microphone, improves the reliability and stability of the implantable microphone, and ensures the performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an implantable microphone implanted into a target tissue according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The working principle diagram of the implantable microphone is shown.

[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the deformation of the diaphragm when the ambient pressure in the cavity changes.

[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram shown is that after the functional element is energized, the functional element drives the diaphragm to generate bending deformation.

[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 1 A top view of a diaphragm-mounted functional element in an implantable microphone is shown.

[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A front view of a diaphragm mounted functional element is shown.

[0038] Wherein: 100, implantable microphone; 110, housing; 120, diaphragm; 130, recessed portion; 131, through hole; 140, sensor; 150, port circuit; 151, circuit interface; 152, feedthrough; 160, functional element; 161, first electrode; 162, second electrode; 163, first lead; 164, second lead; 200, skin; 300, signal and power management system; 400, stimulation electrode; A, cavity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] In order to make the above-mentioned purposes, features and advantages of the present application more obvious and easy to understand, the specific implementation methods of the present application are described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present application. However, the present application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar improvements without violating the connotation of the present application, so the present application is not limited by the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0040] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that if the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. appear, the orientation or position relationship indicated by these terms is based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0041] In addition, if the terms "first" or "second" appear, these terms are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, if the term "plurality" appears, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0042] In this application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like appear, these terms should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integrated connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements, unless otherwise clearly defined. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0043] In the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, if there is a description that a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, etc., or similar descriptions appear, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "above" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "below" the second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0044] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may be a central element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may be a central element at the same time. If any, the terms "vertical", "horizontal", "upper", "lower", "left", "right" and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only implementation method.

[0045] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 The present application provides an implantable microphone 100. The implantable microphone 100 is used in a cochlear implant and is suitable for patients with conductive, neural or mixed hearing loss who use a fully implanted hearing device. The implantable microphone 100 can be implanted in the patient's target tissue, such as the patient's scalp. At this time, one side of the implantable microphone 100 is the skin tissue on the body surface. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an implantable microphone 100 according to an embodiment of the present application being implanted in a target tissue (such as the scalp). Figure 1 The direction shown is used as a reference, and the skin 200 is located above the implantable microphone 100 . Figure 2 for Figure 1 The working principle diagram of the implantable microphone 100 is shown.

[0046] Understandably, current implantable microphones usually contain two chambers and sensors, and obtain pure sound signals through signal processing of two sensors. However, when the pressure (such as air pressure) around the patient changes, such as the altitude is significantly lower or higher than sea level. Especially when the ambient pressure increases, the diaphragm of the microphone will sink inward under the pressure of the external ambient pressure and may bottom out, which may cause the microphone to lose response, the wearer cannot hear the sound, and the microphone signal is unstable or even fails, affecting its use.

[0047] To this end, the present application provides a novel implantable microphone 100, which can solve the problem of unstable or even ineffective signals of the implantable microphone 100 under different environmental pressures, ensure the stability of the signals generated by the implantable microphone 100, improve the reliability and stability of the work of the implantable microphone 100, and ensure the performance. The specific structure of the implantable microphone 100 of an embodiment is introduced below.

[0048] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the implantable microphone 100 includes a housing 110, a diaphragm 120, a sensor 140, a port circuit 150, and a functional element 160. The housing 110 has a recessed portion 130 at one end, and a through hole 131 is provided at the bottom of the recessed portion 130. The diaphragm 120 is disposed in the housing 110 and seals the recessed portion 130. The sensor 140 is disposed in the housing 110 and is located at the through hole 131. The sensor 140, the recessed portion 130, and the diaphragm 120 are arranged to form a closed cavity A. The port circuit 150 is disposed in the housing 110 and is electrically connected to the sensor 140. The functional element 160 is disposed on at least one side of the diaphragm 120 and is electrically connected to the port circuit 150. When the functional element 160 is energized, it can drive the diaphragm 120 to deform.

[0049] The housing 110 is the shell of the implantable microphone 100. All components of the implantable microphone 100 are arranged in the housing 110, and the housing 110 protects all components of the implantable microphone 100. The top of the housing 110 has a recessed portion 130, which is recessed from the top of the housing 110 to the inside of the housing 110. The diaphragm 120 is arranged at the position of the recessed portion 130 and is sealed and connected to the top of the housing 110 at the edge of the recessed portion 130. In this way, the diaphragm 120 and the housing 110 can form a sealed box-like structure. When the implantable microphone 100 is implanted in the target tissue, the liquid of the target tissue will not penetrate into the interior of the housing 110, and will not corrode the components in the housing 110, thereby ensuring the reliability of the operation of the implantable microphone 100.

[0050] Moreover, the diaphragm 120 is arranged corresponding to the recessed portion 130, and the bottom of the recessed portion 130 has a through hole 131, and the bottom of the through hole 131 is connected to the sensor 140, and the sensor 140 can seal the through hole 131, so that the recessed portion 130 divides the interior of the housing 110 into two independent and non-connected chambers. The diaphragm 120, the sensor 140 and the recessed portion 130 are arranged to form a closed chamber A, and the recessed portion 130, the sensor 140 and the housing 110 are arranged to form a placement chamber, and the port circuit 150 and the sensor 140 are located in the placement chamber. The chamber A and the placement chamber are two independent and non-connected chambers.

[0051] The port circuit 150 is electrically connected to the sensor 140, and the port circuit 150 is also electrically connected to the signal and power management system 300 through the housing 110. The port circuit 150 is used to achieve electrical conduction and signal transmission. In this way, the sound signal collected by the sensor 140 can be transmitted to the signal and power management system 300 through the port circuit 150, and processed by the signal and power management system 300. Moreover, the signal and power management system 300 can also power the sensor 140 through the port circuit 150 to ensure the performance of the sensor 140.

[0052] When there is a sound signal outside the diaphragm 120, the diaphragm 120 covered by the housing 110 can contact the skin 200 outside and receive the sound energy vibration passing through the skin 200. The vibration will drive the gas in the chamber A to expand or compress, and pass through the through hole 131 to the sound receiving hole of the conductive sensor 140, so that the sensor 140 can detect the sound signal. Subsequently, the sensor 140 transmits the sound signal to the signal and power management system 300 through the port circuit 150. After the sound signal is processed by the signal and power management system 300 such as noise reduction, it is transmitted to the stimulation electrode 400, and the stimulation electrode 400 forms a neural stimulation of the brain so that the patient can hear the sound.

[0053] When the ambient pressure of the diaphragm 120 changes, the diaphragm 120 will bend and deform, and the magnitude of the deformation can be determined by the pressures Pinside and Poutside inside and outside the chamber A. Figure 3 As shown, Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the deformation of the diaphragm 120 when the ambient pressure of the cavity A changes. When the outer pressure Pouter of the cavity A is equal to the inner pressure Pinner, the diaphragm 120 does not bend and deform, and the diaphragm 120 is in a horizontal state. When the outer pressure Pouter of the cavity A is less than the inner pressure Pinner, that is, the outer pressure of the cavity A is small and the inner pressure is large, the diaphragm 120 bends and deforms, and the diaphragm 120 bulges outward. When the outer pressure Pouter of the cavity A is greater than the inner pressure Pinner, that is, the outer pressure of the cavity A is large and the inner pressure is small, the diaphragm 120 bends and deforms, and the diaphragm 120 is concave inward.

[0054] When the diaphragm 120 is bent and deformed to a certain extent, it will affect the performance of the implantable microphone 100. To this end, a functional element 160 is added to the implantable microphone 100 of the present application, and the functional element 160 is at least arranged on one side surface of the diaphragm 120. The functional element 160 is electrically connected to the port circuit 150, and the functional element 160 can be bent and deformed after being energized to resist the bending deformation of the diaphragm 120.

[0055] In order to better illustrate the deformation of the functional element 160 after being energized, the functional element 160 drives the diaphragm 120 to bend when the diaphragm 120 does not bend. Figure 4 As shown, Figure 4 for Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the functional element 160 driving the diaphragm 120 to generate bending deformation after the functional element 160 is energized is shown. When the functional element 160 is not energized, the diaphragm 120 is in an initial horizontal state. When the functional element 160 is energized and a negative pressure is applied, the functional element 160 will generate a convex bending deformation upward, thereby driving the diaphragm 120 to bulge outward. When the functional element 160 is energized and a positive pressure is applied, the functional element 160 will generate a concave bending deformation upward, thereby driving the diaphragm 120 to be concave outward.

[0056] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 It can be seen that when the environmental pressure of the diaphragm 120 changes, if the outer pressure Pouter of the cavity A is less than the inner pressure Pinner, the functional element 160 is powered on and a voltage greater than 0 is applied, so that the functional element 160 will produce a concave bending deformation that can balance the convex bending deformation of the diaphragm 120, so that the diaphragm 120 can be kept as horizontal as possible. If the outer pressure Pouter of the cavity A is greater than the inner pressure Pinner, the functional element 160 is powered on and a voltage less than 0 is applied, so that the functional element 160 will produce a convex bending deformation that can balance the concave bending deformation of the diaphragm 120, so that the diaphragm 120 can be kept as horizontal as possible. When the diaphragm 120 is in a horizontal state, the diaphragm 120 receives sound vibrations to ensure the stability of the signal of the implantable microphone 100, and ensure the reliability and stability of the operation of the implantable microphone 100.

[0057] When the diaphragm 120 bends due to the change in environmental pressure, the functional element 160 is energized, and the functional element 160 drives the diaphragm 120 to bend in the opposite direction, thereby balancing the change in environmental pressure and keeping the diaphragm 120 as horizontal as possible, thereby ensuring the performance of the implantable microphone 100. When the external pressure returns to normal, the power supply to the functional element 160 is removed, and the diaphragm 120 returns to its initial horizontal state.

[0058] In the implantable microphone 100 of the above embodiment, the functional element 160 is arranged on the diaphragm 120. When the environmental pressure of the implantable microphone 100 changes, the diaphragm 120 will drive the functional element 160 to produce a bending deformation that bulges outward or sinks inward. At this time, the port circuit 150 can be controlled to power the functional element 160, so that the functional element 160 produces a bending deformation opposite to that of the diaphragm 120, that is, when the functional element 160 produces a bending deformation, it can offset the deformation of the diaphragm 120 caused by the external environmental pressure. In this way, after the functional element 160 is powered on, it can produce a bending deformation opposite to the deformation of the diaphragm 120, which solves the problem of unstable or even failure of the signal of the implantable microphone 100 under different environmental pressures, ensures the stability of the signal generated by the implantable microphone 100, improves the reliability and stability of the work of the implantable microphone 100, and ensures the performance.

[0059] In one embodiment, the housing 110 includes an outer shell and a partition plate, one side of the outer shell has an opening, the partition plate is recessed and sealed in the opening, and the recessed portion 130 is formed after the partition plate is recessed. The top of the outer shell has an opening, and the opening passes from the top of the outer shell to the inside of the outer shell. The diaphragm 120 is disposed in the opening of the outer shell and is sealed and connected to the inner wall around the opening. In this way, the diaphragm 120 and the housing 110 can form a sealed box-like structure. The partition plate is recessed in the opening of the outer shell and is connected to the edge position where the housing 110 is connected to the diaphragm 120. In this way, the partition plate is recessed to form the recessed portion 130 and is arranged corresponding to the diaphragm 120.

[0060] Optionally, the partition plate and the external shell are an integral structure. Of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the external shell and the partition plate can also be provided separately, as long as the sealing of the connection between the partition plate and the external shell is ensured.

[0061] Optionally, when the diaphragm 120 generates bending deformation to a preset limit, the functional element 160 can collect the deformation signal and feed it back to the signal and power management system 300 through the port circuit 150, and the signal and power management system 300 controls the power supply of the functional element 160 according to the deformation signal. When the deformation of the diaphragm 120 that is concave downward exceeds a certain limit, such as touching the bottom (the diaphragm 120 contacts the inner wall of the chamber A), the diaphragm 120 will synchronously drive the functional element 160 to generate bending deformation. When the functional element 160 generates bending deformation, a certain deformation signal will be generated, and the port circuit 150 will feed back the deformation signal to the signal and power management system 300, and the signal and power management system 300 will supply power to the functional element 160. In this way, after the functional element 160 is powered, the functional element 160 drives the diaphragm 120 to bend in the opposite direction, so as to achieve the effect of balancing the change in environmental pressure. When the deformation of the diaphragm 120 that is convex upward exceeds a certain limit, the principle is essentially the same as the principle of concavity, and will not be repeated here.

[0062] Optionally, the diaphragm 120 is integrated in the housing 110. That is, the diaphragm 120 and the housing 110 are an integral structure to ensure the overall sealing of the implantable microphone 100. Optionally, the diaphragm 120 can be integrated in the housing 110 by micro-machining, or can be arranged in the housing 110 by other means.

[0063] In one embodiment, the functional element 160 is made of a material having an electromechanical coupling effect. In other words, the functional element 160 is made of a material that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. In this way, after the signal and power management system 300 supplies power to the functional element 160, the functional element 160 converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, causing the functional element 160 to bend and deform. Similarly, when the diaphragm 120 bends and deforms and drives the diaphragm 120 to bend and deform, the functional element 160 can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy to generate a deformation signal and feed it back to the signal and power management system 300.

[0064] In one embodiment, the functional element 160 is made of piezoelectric material or electrostrictive material. Optionally, the functional element 160 is made of piezoelectric material. When the functional element 160 is made of piezoelectric material, as the diaphragm 120 drives the deformation of the functional element 160 to increase, the two ends of the functional element 160 made of piezoelectric material induce charges, and show potential changes to the outside, and the potential changes are deformation signals. Optionally, the functional element 160 is made of electrostrictive material or other materials that can realize the conversion of mechanical energy and electrical energy. When the functional element 160 is made of electrostrictive material, as the diaphragm 120 drives the deformation of the functional element 160 to increase, the two ends of the functional element 160 made of electrostrictive material induce resistance changes, and the resistance changes are deformation signals.

[0065] See also Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment, the functional element 160 is arranged in a film shape, a block shape or a strip shape. Figure 5 for Figure 1 The top view of the diaphragm 120 of the implantable microphone 100 is shown. Figure 6 for Figure 5 The front view of the diaphragm 120 installed with the functional element 160 is shown. It is worth noting that the shape of the functional element 160 is not limited in principle, as long as the functional element 160 can produce a deformation that resists the bending deformation of the diaphragm 120. In this embodiment, the functional element 160 is arranged in a film shape. Of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the functional element 160 can also be in a block shape, a strip shape or other shapes.

[0066] See also Figure 1 and Figure 6In one embodiment of the present application, the functional element 160 is disposed on the inner side of the diaphragm 120 and is located in the cavity A. That is, the functional element 160 is disposed on the lower surface of the diaphragm 120. In this way, the functional element 160 can be prevented from contacting the skin 200, thereby ensuring the performance of the device. In another embodiment of the present application, the functional element 160 is disposed on the outer side of the diaphragm 120 and is insulated from the target tissue. That is, the functional element 160 may also be disposed on the upper surface of the diaphragm 120. In this case, an isolating member is required to be disposed on the outer side of the functional element 160, and the functional element 160 is insulated from the target tissue by the isolating member to prevent the electrical energy of the functional element 160 from being transmitted to the skin 200. Of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the functional element 160 may also be disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the diaphragm 120.

[0067] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 In one embodiment, the functional element 160 has a first electrode 161 and a second electrode 162, and the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162 are arranged on opposite surfaces of the functional element 160, and the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162 are electrically connected to the port circuit 150. After the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162 are energized, a voltage can be applied to the functional element 160, and the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162 can also collect deformation signals of the functional element 160.

[0068] The first electrode 161 is disposed on the upper surface of the functional element 160, the second electrode 162 is disposed on the lower surface of the functional element 160, and the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162 are electrically connected to the port circuit 150. In this way, the deformation signal generated by the functional element 160 can be collected by the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162, and transmitted to the signal and power management system 300 through the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162 via the port circuit 150. When the signal and power management system 300 supplies power to the functional element 160, the signal and power management system 300 supplies power to the first electrode 161 and the second electrode 162 to apply voltage to the functional element 160, so that the functional element 160 generates corresponding deformation.

[0069] Optionally, the first electrode 161 has a first lead 163, the second electrode 162 has a second lead 164, and the first lead 163 and the second lead 164 are electrically connected to the port circuit 150. Optionally, the first lead 163 is fixed to the first electrode 161 by printing or welding, and the second lead 164 is fixed to the second electrode 162 by printing or welding.

[0070] In one embodiment, the depth of the cavity A ranges from 20 μm to 100 μm, which can ensure the performance of the implantable microphone 100 and prevent the diaphragm 120 from bottoming out when it is bent and deformed, while also reducing the volume of the implantable microphone 100 .

[0071] In one embodiment, the cavity A is cylindrical, funnel-shaped, boss-shaped, straight-line spliced, curved-line spliced, or straight-line and curved-line spliced. It is understandable that the shape of the cavity A is not limited in principle, as long as it can form a closed cavity. Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the cavity A is funnel-shaped. Of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the cavity A may also be cylindrical or other regular or irregular shapes.

[0072] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the port circuit 150 includes a circuit interface 151 and a feedthrough 152. The circuit interface 151 and the feedthrough 152 are arranged in the housing 110 and are located outside the cavity A. The circuit interface 151 is electrically connected to the sensor 140 and the functional element 160. The feedthrough 152 seals the circuit interface 151 and the housing 110 and electrically connects the signal and power management system 300.

[0073] The circuit interface 151 is a flexible printed circuit board FPC, which is fixed to the sensor 140 through a packaging process such as reflow soldering, and the other end of the circuit interface 151 can be electrically connected to the signal and power management system 300 through a feedthrough 152. The circuit interface 151 can power the sensor 140, and the circuit interface 151 can also extract the signal of the sensor 140 with or without signal conversion such as analog-to-digital conversion ADC and digital-to-analog conversion DAC, and transmit it to the subsequent signal and power management system 300 for processing. At the same time, the circuit interface 151 provides a power supply path for the functional element 160 to resist the deformation of the diaphragm 120 caused by changes in external environmental pressure.

[0074] The feedthrough 152 can ensure the sealing between the circuit interface 151 and the housing 110, thereby preventing the liquid such as blood at the target tissue from penetrating into the housing 110, ensuring the reliability of the circuit interface 151, and thus ensuring the performance of the implantable microphone 100. Optionally, the feedthrough 152 is made of a composite structure of ceramics and metals such as titanium. The sealing between the circuit interface 151 and the housing 110 is ensured by the ceramic material. Of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the feedthrough 152 can also be made of other materials that can ensure the sealing between the circuit interface 151 and the housing 110.

[0075] Optionally, the feedthrough 152 is located at the bottom of the housing 110. Optionally, the feedthrough 152 is located at a side surface inside the housing 110. Optionally, the feedthrough includes a wire and an insulating structure, the wire is disposed in the insulating structure, and the wire electrically connects the circuit interface 151 and the signal and power management system 300.

[0076] In one embodiment, the sensor 140 is a microphone unit, including a digital or analog silicon microphone, an electret microphone, a laser microphone, or a piezoelectric microphone, etc. The sensor 140 is used to collect sound vibrations. The type of the sensor 140 is not limited, and it can be any type of microphone unit.

[0077] Optionally, the housing 110 is made of a material with good biocompatibility and high strength. Optionally, the housing 110 is made of materials such as titanium or titanium alloy. The housing 110 can provide mechanical support for the cavity, such as promoting the compatibility of the implantable microphone 100 with the organism, providing sealing protection for the sensor 140 to prevent liquid leakage, providing a physical interface for signal transmission, and ensuring performance. Optionally, the diaphragm 120 is made of a material with good biocompatibility and good elastic linearity. Optionally, the diaphragm 120 is made of materials such as titanium or titanium alloy.

[0078] See also Figures 1 to 6 The implantable microphone 100 of the present application is suitable for patients with conductive, neural or mixed hearing loss who use fully implantable hearing devices and can be implanted in the patient's body to eliminate the instability caused by wearing an external device. In addition, the implantable microphone 100 is provided with a functional element 160 on the surface of the diaphragm 120, and the functional element 160 is used to resist the deformation of the diaphragm 120 caused by the change of external pressure, thereby ensuring the stability of the sound signal and improving the reliability and stability of the implantable microphone 100.

[0079] The present application also provides a cochlear implant, comprising a stimulation electrode 400, a signal and power management system 300 and an implantable microphone 100 as in any of the above embodiments, wherein the signal and power management system 300 and the implantable microphone 100 signal are connected to the signal and power management system 300, and the signal and power management system 300 processes the sound signal collected by the implantable microphone 100 and transmits it to the stimulation electrode 400.

[0080] When there is a sound signal from the outside, the diaphragm 120 covered in the housing 110 in the implantable microphone 100 can contact the skin 200 outside to connect the sound energy vibration through the skin 200, and the vibration will drive the gas in the chamber A to expand or compress, and pass through the through hole 131 to the sound receiving hole of the conductive sensor 140, so that the sensor 140 can detect the sound signal. Subsequently, the sensor 140 transmits the sound signal to the signal and power management system 300 through the port circuit 150, and after the signal and power management system 300 performs noise reduction and other processing on the sound signal, it is transmitted to the stimulation electrode 400, and the stimulation electrode 400 forms the neural stimulation of the brain so that the patient can hear the sound. After the cochlear prosthesis of this embodiment adopts the implantable microphone 100 of the above embodiment, the problem of unstable or even failure of the signal of the implantable microphone 100 under different environmental pressures is solved, the signal generated by the implantable microphone 100 is guaranteed to be stable, the reliability and stability of the work of the implantable microphone 100 are improved, and the use performance is guaranteed.

[0081] Optionally, the signal and power management system 300 and the implantable microphone 100 and the stimulation electrode 400 are independently arranged. Optionally, the signal and power management system 300 and the implantable microphone 100 are integrated into one body, and are separately arranged from the stimulation electrode 400. Optionally, the signal and power management system 300 and the stimulation electrode 400 are integrated into one body, and are separately arranged from the implantable microphone 100.

[0082] In one embodiment, the signal and power management system 300 has a comparison unit, which compares the actual deformation of the diaphragm 120 with the preset deformation to control the signal and power management system 300 to supply power to the functional element 160; and / or, the signal and power management system 300 has an operating component, which controls the signal and power management system 300 to supply power to the functional element 160.

[0083] The signal and power management system 300 can automatically detect or manually control the power supply to the functional element 160. When the deformation of the diaphragm 120 exceeds a certain limit, such as touching the bottom, the subsequent signal and power management system 300 receives the deformation signal, and then compares the actual deformation of the diaphragm 120 with the preset deformation through the comparison unit to determine the voltage for powering the functional element 160. Of course, when the patient determines that the pressure change causes the implantable microphone 100 signal to change, the operating component is manually adjusted to adjust the power supply voltage of the functional element 160.

[0084] Optionally, the signal and the power supply voltage of the power management system 300 are adjusted according to the deformation size. That is, the signal and the output voltage of the power management system 300 are adjusted according to the bending deformation size of the diaphragm 120, so that the functional element 160 can produce a corresponding deformation size, and the functional element 160 is prevented from resisting excessive deformation of the diaphragm 120.

[0085] The technical features of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. To make the description concise, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above-described embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0086] The above-described embodiments only express several implementation methods of the present application, and the descriptions thereof are relatively specific and detailed, but they cannot be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be pointed out that, for a person of ordinary skill in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the concept of the present application, and these all belong to the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the patent application shall be subject to the attached claims.

Claims

1. An implantable microphone, characterized in that: include: A housing, wherein one end of the housing has a recessed portion, and a bottom wall of the recessed portion has a through hole; a diaphragm, disposed on the housing and sealing the recessed portion; A sensor is disposed in the housing and located at the through hole, wherein the sensor, the recessed portion and the diaphragm form a closed cavity; A port circuit is disposed in the housing and electrically connected to the sensor; as well as The functional element is arranged on at least one side of the diaphragm and is electrically connected to the port circuit. The functional element can drive the diaphragm to deform after being energized.

2. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing comprises an outer shell and a partition plate, one side of the outer shell has an opening, the partition plate is recessed and sealed in the opening, and the recessed portion is formed after the partition plate is recessed; The outer shell and the partition plate are an integral structure or are separately arranged.

3. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional element is made of a material having an electromechanical coupling effect.

4. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional element is made of piezoelectric material or electrostrictive material.

5. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional element is arranged in a film shape, a block shape or a strip shape.

6. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional element is arranged on the inner side of the diaphragm and is located in the cavity; And / or, the functional element is arranged on the outside of the diaphragm and is insulated and isolated from the target tissue.

7. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The functional element has a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged on opposite surfaces of the functional element, the first electrode and the second electrode are electrically connected to the port circuit, and the first electrode and the second electrode can apply voltage to the functional element after being energized. The first electrode and the second electrode can also collect deformation signals of the functional element and transmit them to the port circuit.

8. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The depth of the cavity ranges from 20 μm to 100 μm.

9. The implantable microphone according to claim 1, characterized in that The cavity is in the shape of a cylinder, a funnel, a boss, a straight line splicing shape, a curve splicing shape, or a straight line and a curve splicing shape.

10. The implantable microphone according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The port circuit includes a circuit interface and a feedthrough, which are arranged in the shell and located outside the cavity. The circuit interface is electrically connected to the sensor and the functional element. The feedthrough seals the circuit interface and the shell and electrically connects the signal and power management system.

11. The implantable microphone according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The sensor is a microphone monomer, including a digital or analog silicon microphone, an electret microphone, a laser microphone or a piezoelectric microphone.

12. A cochlear implant, characterized in that: It comprises a stimulation electrode, a signal and power management system and an implantable microphone according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the signal and power management system and the implantable microphone are signal-connected to the signal and power management system, and the signal and power management system processes the sound signal collected by the implantable microphone and transmits it to the stimulation electrode; The signal and power management system and the implanted microphone and the stimulation electrode are independently arranged, or the signal and power management system and the implanted microphone are integrated into one and are separately arranged from the stimulation electrode, or the signal and power management system and the stimulation electrode are integrated into one and are separately arranged from the implanted microphone.

13. The cochlear implant according to claim 12, characterized in that: The signal and power management system has a comparison unit, which compares the actual deformation of the diaphragm with the preset deformation to control the signal and power management system to supply power to the functional element; And / or, the signal and power management system has an operating component, and the operating component controls the signal and power management system to supply power to the functional element.

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