Wearable retention device for neural implant headpiece - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide a wearable holder for a nerve implant headpiece, which prevents the headpiece from coming off or shifting, and makes the headpiece comfortable to wear during sleep, other daily use, and long-term use. A wearable retention device (200) includes at least one pad (110) configured to surround at least a portion of a neural implant headpiece (205) and to be attached to the outside of the head. The at least one pad (110) defines a cavity (114) configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece (205) and to maintain stability of the neural implant headpiece (205) relative to the head. A retention fabric (216) is configured to hold the at least one pad (110) defining the cavity (114) on the head.

Description

Related Applications

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 362,794, filed April 11, 2022, the entire teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Technical field]

[0002] In the field of neural implants, current efforts are aimed at developing battery-less or rechargeable neural implants that can be powered or charged by a headpiece. [Background technology]

[0003] Such headpieces can be attached to the head, for example by magnets or adhesives, but can suffer from a number of drawbacks in everyday use. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] For example, the headpiece may become dislodged during sleep, making sleep uncomfortable. Neural implants may shift, detach, or fall off, cables may dangle or get tangled, weight or bulk may be irritating, pressure may be placed on the skin, skin may become sore, moisture may accumulate, etc. Neural implants also need to be held in place and not move relative to the wearer's head or other parts of the body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In embodiments, a wearable retention device for a neural implant headpiece is provided that aims to overcome many of the potential disadvantages of headpieces, such as those discussed above, by, for example, preventing the headpiece from coming off or shifting during sleep and by making the headpiece more comfortable to wear during sleep and for other daily and extended use.

[0006] In one embodiment, a wearable retention device for a neural implant headpiece includes at least one pad configured to surround at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece and to be attached to an exterior of a head, the at least one pad defining a cavity configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece and to maintain stability of the neural implant headpiece relative to the head, and a retention textile configured to retain the at least one pad defining the cavity on the head.

[0007] In further related embodiments, the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece may be configured to transfer power and / or data to and from a power source and / or data source, and / or may include a battery. The at least one pad may be configured to deform to conform to the surface topology of the head. The at least one pad may include a plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies extending from a surface of the at least one pad to a height, the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies being separated from one another by inter-pad body gaps configured to allow the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies to move toward and away from one another when the at least one pad deforms under pressure on the head. The cavity configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece may be formed by at least a portion of the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies and the surface of the at least one pad. The at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece may be configured to communicate at least one of power and data with at least one of a power source and a data source, and the at least one pad may form a cord gap for at least one cord carrying the at least one of power and data with the at least one of the power source and the at least one of the data source. The cord gap may be formed by at least a portion of the mesa-shaped pad bodies. The at least one pad may form an opening for an ear of the head. The cavity configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece may be formed to be positioned over at least one of a parietal bone of the head, a temporal bone of the head, a mastoid process of the head, and an occipital bone of the head when the retention fabric retains the at least one pad forming the cavity on the head.

[0008] In other related embodiments, the at least one pad may form at least one fabric hole configured to allow attachment of the retention fabric to the at least one pad. The retention fabric may include at least one of a neck strap, a strap configured to extend over the top of the head, a forehead strap, and a strap at the back of the head. The retention fabric may include at least one of a neck strap, a strap configured to extend over the top of the head, a forehead strap, and a strap at the back of the head. The at least one pad may include at least one extension arm configured to allow attachment to at least one of a neck strap, a strap configured to extend over the top of the head, a forehead strap, and a strap at the back of the head. The retention fabric may form openings for the ears of the head.

[0009] In further related embodiments, the neural implant headpiece may be configured to be magnetically attached to the exterior of the head, and the cavity configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece may be shaped such that the encircling gap between the at least one pad and the neural implant headpiece is equal to or less than the magnetic misalignment distance of the neural implant headpiece. The encircling gap between the at least one pad and the neural implant headpiece may be equal to or less than 5 mm between the at least one pad and a side edge of the neural implant headpiece. The encircling gap may be equal to or less than 12 mm in height between the at least one pad and a top of the neural implant headpiece. The at least one pad may include a breathable foam and may include a closed cell foam, such as at least one of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam and polyurethane foam. The retention fabric may include a webbing material.

[0010] The present disclosure further provides a method of wearing a neural implant headpiece, the method comprising the step of surrounding at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece with at least one pad of a wearable retention device, the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece being attached to the outside of the head, a cavity formed by the at least one pad receiving and enclosing the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece and maintaining stability of the neural implant headpiece relative to the head, and a retention fabric may hold the at least one pad forming the cavity to the head.

[0011] In a specific embodiment, the shape of the at least one pad may be deformed to follow the surface topography of the head. The at least one pad may include a plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies extending from a surface of the at least one pad to a height. The plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies may be separated from one another by inter-pad body gaps configured to allow the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies to move toward and away from one another when the at least one pad deforms under pressure on the head. The cavity may be configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece and may be formed by at least a portion of the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies and the surface of the at least one pad. The at least one pad may form an opening for an ear of the head. The method may further include details of the wearable retainer as described above.

[0012] The foregoing will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference characters refer to the same structures / components throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1]FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing pads of a wearable retention device for a neural implant headpiece in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a wearable retention device for a neural implant headpiece in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing how the pad of the embodiment of FIG. 1 surrounds at least a portion of a neural implant headpiece in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a neural implant headpiece in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a retaining fabric attached to a wearer's head in one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the pad of the embodiment of FIG. 1 worn on a wearer's head in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the placement of a neural implant headpiece relative to a wearer's head in one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] In the following, exemplary embodiments are described.

[0015] The wearable headgear type retention device for a neural implant headpiece taught herein helps prevent the headpiece from becoming dislodged or shifting during sleep, and is comfortable to wear during sleep and for general daytime and extended use. If the neural implant headpiece becomes dislodged or shifted, this can affect the efficiency of data transmission from the neural implant to the headpiece, the power transmission from the headpiece to the implant, or both. Additionally, the neural implant headpiece can cause friction, pressure, and tissue damage to the head. The wearable retention device mitigates these potential problems by providing support and comfort for the headpiece, as well as a padded structure that covers the headpiece to prevent pressure from being placed on the user's head and to prevent the headpiece from becoming dislodged from the user's head during sleep movements.

[0016] 1-3 show a wearable headgear-type retainer 200 (FIG. 2) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, with at least one pad or padding portion 110 (FIG. 1) of the retainer shown in isolation and in partial view as the padding portion 110 surrounds a neural implant headpiece 205 (FIGS. 2 and 3). Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the wearable retainer 200 (FIG. 2) for the neural implant headpiece 205 (FIGS. 2 and 3) includes an inner padding portion or at least one pad 110 (FIGS. 1-3) that surrounds at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece 205 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and is configured to be attached to the outside of the head or to the outside of the head, e.g., on the left side. The at least one pad 110 forms a cavity 114 (FIG. 1) configured to receive and cover at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece 205 (FIGS. 2 and 3) and maintain stability of the neural implant headpiece 205 against the head (e.g., above and behind the ears of the head). A flexible headgear or strap portion including a retaining, fastening or fastening object, woven or knitted fabric 216 (FIG. 2) may form an outer, fixed portion configured to hold the neural implant headpiece 205-containing cavity 114 (FIG. 1) and an inner portion that may include the at least one pad 110 to the head. An embodiment of the at least one pad 110 may fit and extend around the outer periphery of the ears of the head and extend above, in front and behind the ears.

[0017] 1, the pad portion or at least one pad 110 may be configured to fit and be comfortable to most human heads and may be configured to change shape to conform to the surface topography of the head. For example, the pad portion 110 may be segmented and include a plurality of thick or contoured pad body portions, pad body segments, or mesa-like pad bodies 122 (e.g., 122a-122i). The plurality of mesa-like pad bodies 122 extend to a height from a flexible base layer or surface 124 on the inner-facing side or inner surface of the at least one pad 110. The mesas 122a-122i may be of uniform height or thickness and flat on the upper or top surface or may be separated from each other by narrow elongated grooves, channels, or inter-pad body gaps 126. The inter-pad gap 126 is configured to allow the mesa pads 122a-122i to move toward or away from each other to conform to the curvilinear shape of the head when at least one of the pads 110 and / or the base 124 deforms or flexes under pressure on the head. The cavity 114 may be configured to receive and cover at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece 205, and may be formed or defined by side edges of at least a portion of the mesa pads (e.g., the mesas 122a-122d) and portions of the base 124 that form the outer walls of the cavity 114. The inner, inwardly facing, or inner surface of the base 124 within the cavity 114 may hold or press the neural implant headpiece 205 against or position the headpiece 205 near the head. At least one pad 110 may form a downwardly extending cord gap 128 for at least one cord 420 (FIG. 4) that traverses arm 140d. At least one cord 420 may carry power and / or data to / from a power source and / or a data source. Cord gap 128 may be formed or defined between opposing side edge surfaces of at least some of the plurality of mesa pad bodies 122 (e.g., mesas 122a, 122d, 122e, 122i) and may pass through at least some of the plurality of mesa pad bodies 122.At least one pad 110 may define holes or openings 130 for ears to protrude from the base surface 124 of the head. The openings may be generally oval in shape.

[0018] The padding or at least one of the pads 110 and the base layer 124 may include four extension arms 140a-140d. The arm 140a may be a lower arm having an opening 130 for the ear and generally opposite the upper arm 140b. The upper arm 140b may have a cavity 114 for receiving the neural implant headpiece 205. The arm 140c may be a front arm generally opposite the rear arm 140d. The gaps 126 between the mesa padding bodies 122a-122i extend across the arms 140a-140d, allowing the base surface 124 to easily bend and deform between the mesas 122 along the gaps 126 across the arms 140a-140d, which may allow the arms 140-140d to bend and conform to the user's head. The mesa pad bodies 122a-122i and the voids 126 may be located substantially on each arm 140b-140d, and the arm 140a may be substantially composed of the base layer 124. The arm 140b may be facilitated by the transverse voids 126 between the mesas 122b and 122a / 122c. The arm 140c may be facilitated by the transverse voids 126 between the mesas 122c, 122g, and 122h. The arm 140d may be facilitated by the transverse voids 126 between the mesas 122i and 122e and between the mesas 122e / 122f and 122a / 122d. The ear openings 130 may extend from arm 140a into arm 140c, and the tops of the openings 130 may be adjacent the side edges of the mesas 122c, 122d, 122f, 122g, 122h. The mesas 122a-122i that enclose the cavities 114 and ear openings 130 and provide the cord gaps 128 and transverse gaps 126 along the arms 140a-140d may have different lateral shapes and dimensions. The gaps 126 between the mesas 122 may allow the opposing arms 140a / 140b, 140c / 140d to bend inwardly toward each other individually and in a curved manner. As the arms 140a-140d bend toward one another, certain gaps 126 between certain mesas 122 may narrow, causing the mesas 122 to move closer together.

[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates the neural implant headpiece 205 in isolation. In embodiments according to the present disclosure, at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece 205 may be configured to transfer power and / or data to and from a power source (not shown) and / or data source (not shown), e.g., an AC and / or DC power source, and / or may include a battery. For example, the body 418 of the neural implant headpiece 205 may have a battery (not shown) therein that may be recharged via the cord 420. Alternatively, the body 418 may not have a battery and the headpiece 205 may be battery-less. The cord 420 may carry only data, only power, or both data and power. The cord 420 may carry power (along with data or just power) to charge a battery, to power a batteryless neural implant headpiece 205, to charge and run the headpiece 205 separately, or to directly power some components of the headpiece while charging the headpiece's battery. The cord 420 may be used in a wide variety of different ways, such as with a cable clip, ear clip, or extending from the headpiece to a recording device or wearable data processing and / or storage device (not shown), such as a portable smart phone or other device that may be attached to a sleeve, armband, belt, or attached or clipped to the side of a bed, mattress, or table. The headpiece may also communicate wirelessly with one or more devices, such as a recording device.

[0020] 1, the cavity 114 configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece 205 may be formed to be positioned over at least one of the parietal bone of the head, the temporal bone of the head, the mastoid process of the head, and the occipital bone of the head when the retaining fabric 216 retains the at least one pad 110 forming the cavity 114 on the head. For example, the cavity 114 and a base surface 124 portion of the cavity 114 may be placed on the head to retain at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece 205, thereby retaining and positioning the headpiece 205 as shown in FIG. 7, which is depicted as being positioned over the parietal bone of the head. 7 further illustrates that a portion of the neural implant headpiece 205, such as a rear portion 732, may be configured to fit at least partially within an opening, such as a pocket, in at least one pad 110 (FIG. 1), such as in a cavity 114 (FIG. 1), while another portion 734 (FIG. 7) of the neural implant headpiece may extend outside of the cavity 114 (FIG. 1). Alternatively, the entire headpiece 205 may be contained within the cavity 114. Returning to FIG. 1, at least one pad 110 may define at least one fabric groove (or hole) 136a-d at the distal end of the arms 140a-d, configured to allow attachment of a retention fabric 216 (FIG. 2) to the at least one pad 110, such as by a strap (not shown) of the retention fabric 216. The straps are threaded through fabric holes 136a-136d (FIG. 1) and attached (e.g., by fabric attachment such as hook-and-loop fasteners like Velcro, clasps, buttons, clips, stitching, or the like) to the back of the retaining fabric 216. The at least one pad 110 (FIG. 1) may be made of or include a soft, comfortable, washable, breathable foam such as closed cell foam (e.g., ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, polyurethane foam, or both). In other embodiments, the pad portion or at least one pad 110 may be retained within a pocket of the retaining fabric 216.

[0021] 2, 5 and 6, the wearable headgear type retainer 200 (FIG. 2) includes a headgear, strap portion or retaining fabric 216. The retaining fabric 216 may include at least one, some or all of a neck strap 238a, a strap configured to extend over the top of the head 238b, a forehead strap 238c and a back of the head strap 238d. The neck strap 238a and the top strap 238b may be omitted. It should also be understood that other types and configurations of straps may be used. At least one pad 110 (FIG. 1) may include at least one extension arm 140a-140d configured to allow attachment to at least one of the neck strap 238a (FIG. 2), a strap configured to extend over the top of the head 238b (FIG. 2), a forehead strap 238c (FIG. 2) and a back of the head strap 238d (FIG. 2). The retaining fabric 216 may form openings 242 on both sides for the ears of the head. The retaining fabric 216 may be made of a material such as a webbing material that is stretchy, durable, breathable, and can be fitted and washed. In some embodiments, the lower arm 140a of the pad portion or at least one pad 110 may be aligned with and attached to the neck strap 238a, the upper arm 140b may be aligned with and attached to the top of the head strap 238b, the front arm 140c may be aligned with and attached to the forehead strap 238c, and the rear arm 140d may be aligned with and attached to the back of the head strap 238d. The arms 140a-d may be aligned with and attached to the appropriate straps 238a-d such that the cavity 114 and the neural implant headpiece 205 may be aligned and / or positioned in the desired appropriate location on the user's head. The retaining fabric 216 may surround and cover an exterior, outwardly facing or outer surface of the pad portion or at least one of the pads 110. As can be seen in Figure 2, the retaining fabric 216 may cause the arms 140a-140d to bend inwardly toward each other in a curved manner.As the retention fabric 216 holds the at least one pad 110 in place, the mesas 122 may conform to the shape of the head and distribute the force or pressure applied by the retention fabric 216 over a larger pad area rather than just over the neural implant headpiece 205 for improved comfort. The inward facing surface of the neural implant headpiece 205 that is positioned adjacent the head may be flush with the inward facing surfaces of the surrounding upper mesas 122a-d or, in other embodiments, may be slightly protruding or slightly recessed.

[0022] FIG. 7 also shows that a portion 734, such as rear portion 732, of the neural implant headpiece 205 can be configured to fit within an opening, such as a pocket, in at least one pad 110 (FIG. 1) (e.g., cavity 114 (FIG. 1)).

[0023] The neural implant headpiece can be configured to be attached to the outside of the head in any of a wide variety of different ways. In one example, the neural implant headpiece is attached using an adhesive. In another example, attachment is magnetic, for example by attaching at least one magnetic pole piece to the headpiece and attracting it to a magnetic pole piece on or in the head. In other examples, the neural headpiece need not be attached to the head, but may be sufficient to be captured between the pads 110 and the outside of the head and be received partially or entirely within the cavity 114 (FIG. 1) securely but with play. If the neural implant headpiece is to be magnetically attached to the outside of the head, the cavity 114 may be formed such that the height gap (i.e., vertical distance) between the bottom surface 144 (see FIG. 1) of the cavity 114 of at least one pad 110 and the rear 732 (FIG. 7) of the neural implant headpiece is equal to or less than the magnetic misalignment distance of the neural implant headpiece, for example, 12 mm or less. Such height clearance may be employed whether or not the neural implant headpiece is magnetically attached, and whether or not the neural implant headpiece is magnetically attached, the lateral clearance between the at least one pad and the neural implant headpiece may be, for example, 5 mm or less between inner periphery 146 (FIG. 1) of cavity 114 (FIG. 1) and the outer periphery of the neural implant headpiece (e.g., the outer periphery of rear portion 732, FIG. 7).

[0024] The neural implant headpiece may be worn for the treatment, mitigation or monitoring of any of a wide variety of conditions, such as epilepsy, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or other neurological or psychiatric conditions. The wearable retention device may be used, for example, by paralyzed individuals, elderly individuals, comas, locked-in syndrome patients, or other neurological conditions affecting motor function who spend at least part of their day in bed with a neural implant. The implant may be, for example, partially or completely located inside the skull and may be any suitable implantable device, such as a neural implant, cochlear implant, or the like.

[0025] While exemplary embodiments have been specifically shown and described, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments contained in the appended claims. Although the pad portion 110 is shown as being attached to the left side of the head, in alternative embodiments it could be attached to the right side of the head.

Claims

1. 1. A wearable retention device for a neural implant headpiece, comprising: at least one pad surrounding at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece, at least a portion of which is configured to be attached to an exterior of a head, forming a cavity configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece and to maintain stability of the neural implant headpiece relative to the head; a retention fabric configured to retain the at least one pad defining the cavity on the head; A wearable retainer comprising:

2. 10. The wearable retention device of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece is configured to communicate at least one of power and data with at least one of a power source and a data source.

3. 3. The wearable retention device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece includes a battery.

4. 4. The wearable support device of claim 1, wherein the at least one pad is configured to deform to conform to a surface topography of the head.

5. 5. The wearable retainer of claim 1, wherein the at least one pad includes a plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies extending to a height from a surface of the at least one pad, the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies being separated from one another by inter-pad body gaps configured to allow the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies to move toward or away from one another when the at least one pad deforms under pressure on the head.

6. 6. The wearable retention device of claim 5, wherein the cavity configured to receive and cover at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece is formed by at least a portion of the plurality of mesa pad bodies.

7. 7. The wearable retention device of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece is configured to communicate at least one of power and data with at least one of a power source and a data source, and the at least one pad forms a cord gap for at least one cord carrying at least one of power and data between the at least one of the power source and the at least one of the data source.

8. 8. The wearable retainer of claim 7, comprising a plurality of mesa pad structures as defined in claim 5, said cord gap being defined by at least a portion of said plurality of mesa pad structures.

9. 9. The wearable retainer of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the at least one pad defines openings for the ears of the head.

10. 10. A wearable retention device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cavity configured to receive and cover at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece is formed to be positioned over at least one of the parietal bone of the head, the temporal bone of the head, the mastoid process of the head, and the occipital bone of the head when the retention fabric holds the at least one pad forming the cavity on the head.

11. 11. The wearable retention device of claim 1, wherein the at least one pad defines at least one fabric hole configured to allow attachment of the retention fabric to the at least one pad.

12. 12. The wearable retention device of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the retention fabric includes at least one of a neck strap, a strap configured to extend over the top of the head, a forehead strap, and a strap at the back of the head.

13. 13. The wearable retention device of claim 12, wherein the retention fabric includes the neck strap, the strap configured to extend over the top of the head, the forehead strap, and the strap at the back of the head.

14. 14. The wearable retainer of claim 12 or 13, wherein the at least one pad includes at least one extension arm configured to allow attachment to at least one of the neck strap, the strap configured to extend over the top of the head, the forehead strap, and the strap at the rear of the head.

15. 15. The wearable retention device of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the retention fabric defines openings for the ears of the head.

16. 16. The wearable retention device of any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the neural implant headpiece is configured to be magnetically attached to the exterior of the head, and the cavity configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece is shaped such that an enclosing gap between the at least one pad and the neural implant headpiece is less than or equal to a magnetic misalignment distance of the neural implant headpiece.

17. 17. The wearable retention device of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the surrounding gap between the at least one pad and the neural implant headpiece is such that the gap between the at least one pad and a side edge of the neural implant headpiece is 5mm or less.

18. 18. A wearable retention device as claimed in claim 16 or 17, wherein the encircling gap provides a height gap between the at least one pad and the top of the neural implant headpiece of 12mm or less.

19. 19. The wearable retention device of any one of claims 1-18, wherein the at least one pad comprises breathable foam.

20. 20. The wearable retainer of any one of claims 1-19, wherein the at least one pad comprises closed cell foam.

21. 21. The wearable retention device of claim 20, wherein the closed cell foam comprises at least one of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam and polyurethane foam.

22. 22. The wearable retention device of any one of claims 1-21, wherein the retention fabric comprises a webbing material.

23. A method for wearing a neural implant headpiece, comprising: encircling at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece that is attached to the outside of the head with at least one pad of a wearable retention device, the at least one pad forming a cavity that receives and covers the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece and maintains stability of the neural implant headpiece relative to the head; retaining the at least one pad defining the cavity on the head with a retention fabric; A method comprising:

24. 24. The method of claim 23 further comprising: modifying the shape of the at least one pad to conform to the surface topography of the head; A method comprising:

25. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one pad includes a plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies extending to a height from a surface of the at least one pad, the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies being separated from one another by inter-pad body gaps configured to allow the plurality of mesa-shaped pad bodies to move toward and away from one another when the at least one pad deforms under pressure on the head.

26. 26. The method of claim 25, wherein the cavity configured to receive and cover the at least a portion of the neural implant headpiece is defined by at least a portion of the plurality of mesa pad bodies.

27. 24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one pad defines openings for the ears of the head.

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