Implantable artificial cochlea energy-signal integrated transmission system capable of continuously supplying energy

Abstract

Disclosed is an implantable artificial cochlea energy-signal integrated transmission system capable of continuously supplying energy, comprising a main signal receiving circuit, a main circuit and a demodulation circuit that are connected in sequence, and further comprising a load connected to the main circuit. The main signal receiving circuit outputs a gate driving main signal according to a carrier signal and a data signal. The main circuit outputs a signal and energy to the demodulation circuit according to the gate driving main signal and provides energy for the load. The transmission system further comprises an auxiliary signal receiving circuit and an auxiliary circuit. The auxiliary signal receiving circuit is configured for receiving the carrier signal, complementing the data signal, and outputting a gate driving auxiliary signal. The auxiliary circuit provides energy for the load according to the gate driving auxiliary signal. Only one of the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit provides energy for the load at one moment. According to the present invention, by introducing the auxiliary circuit, the transmission system can achieve the continuous transmission of power and thus effectively improve the power transmission quality.

Description

Continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of medical devices, and in particular relates to an integrated energy and signal transmission system for an implantable cochlear implant with continuous energy supply. Background Art

[0002] Traditional cochlear implant systems primarily consist of an internal implant and an external device. The external device converts ambient acoustic signals into electrical signals, which are then wirelessly transmitted to the implant. The implant then transmits these signals to stimulating electrodes within the cochlea, which stimulate the auditory nerve fibers. The brain then interprets these signals as sound, producing hearing. OOK (On-Off Keying) signal modulation is the current mainstream integrated energy and signal transmission method for cochlear implants due to its simple principle and ease of implementation.

[0003] OOK-based wireless transmission schemes use "0" and "1" to distinguish sound signals, then modulate the low-frequency sound data signal onto the high-frequency energy signal at a specific modulation ratio to achieve simultaneous transmission. However, when the data signal is "0," the resulting signal modulation is also "0," interrupting the device and terminating power transmission. The resulting power discontinuity and stress can threaten the safe operation of the device, resulting in poor reliability.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following technical solutions: a continuously powered, integrated energy and signal transmission system for an implantable cochlear implant comprises a main signal receiving circuit, a main circuit, and a demodulation circuit connected in sequence, and also comprises a load connected to the main circuit; the main signal receiving circuit is configured to receive a carrier signal and a data signal and output a gate drive main signal based on the carrier signal and the data signal; the main circuit is configured to receive a gate drive main signal and output a signal and energy to the demodulation circuit based on the gate drive main signal, and also provide energy to the load;

[0006] The system further includes an auxiliary signal receiving circuit and an auxiliary circuit connected to the auxiliary signal receiving circuit, wherein the auxiliary circuit is also connected to a load, wherein the auxiliary signal receiving circuit is configured to receive a carrier signal and a data signal, invert the data signal, and then output a gate drive auxiliary signal based on the carrier signal and the inverted data signal; the auxiliary circuit is configured to receive the gate drive auxiliary signal and provide energy to the load based on the gate drive auxiliary signal;

[0007] Only one of the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit provides energy to the load at the same time.

[0008] Preferably, when the data signal is "1", the main circuit outputs a signal and energy to the demodulation circuit and provides energy to the load; when the data signal is "0", the auxiliary circuit provides energy to the load.

[0009] Preferably, the main circuit includes a transmitting end and a receiving end; the transmitting end includes a power supply, an inverter circuit, a transmitting side compensation network and a transmitting coil; the receiving end includes a receiving coil and a receiving end compensation network, and the transmitting coil and the receiving coil are wirelessly connected.

[0010] Preferably, the auxiliary circuit also includes a transmitting end and a receiving end; the transmitting end includes a power supply, an inverter circuit, a transmitting side compensation network and a transmitting coil; the receiving end includes a receiving coil and a receiving end compensation network, and the transmitting coil and the receiving coil are wirelessly connected.

[0011] Preferably, the frequency of the carrier signal is 10 times or more of the frequency of the data signal.

[0012] Preferably, the duty cycle of the carrier signal is 0.1-0.8.

[0013] Preferably, the demodulation circuit includes an envelope detection unit and a low-pass filtering unit; the envelope detection unit demodulates the received signal; and the low-pass filtering unit filters the demodulated signal.

[0014] Preferably, the low-pass filtering unit includes a first low-pass filter and a second low-pass filter, the first low-pass filter performs smoothing filtering, and the second low-pass filter performs mean filtering.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0016] 1. The present invention includes an integrated power and signal transmission system for an implantable cochlear implant with continuous power supply. By adding an auxiliary circuit, the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit work alternately, thereby achieving continuous power transmission, avoiding the problem of power discontinuity, and effectively improving the continuity and stability of the output voltage at the cochlear implant receiving end, which helps to improve the quality of power transmission.

[0017] 2. The present invention includes an integrated energy and signal transmission system for an implantable cochlear implant with continuous power supply, adopts an improved OOK modulation scheme, and uses a transmitting coil and a receiving coil to achieve wireless transmission of energy and signals.

[0018] 3. The present invention includes an integrated energy and signal transmission system for an implantable cochlear implant with continuous power supply, which further improves signal transmission efficiency and ensures the certainty of data signal modulation by optimizing the frequency and duty cycle of the carrier signal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the circuit structure of a continuously powered implantable cochlear implant energy and signal integrated transmission system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the signal timing of the continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of an output voltage waveform of a continuously powered implantable cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a demodulation circuit of a continuously powered implantable cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the demodulation process and results in the continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1-5.

[0025] Referring to Figures 1 and 2 , the present invention's continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system includes a main signal receiving circuit, a main circuit, and a demodulation circuit 4, all connected in sequence. It also includes a power supply 1, which is connected to the main circuit for supplying power. The system also includes a load 3 connected to the main circuit.

[0026] The main signal receiving circuit is used to receive the carrier signal and the data signal, and output the gate drive main signal G according to the carrier signal and the data signal. 主 Specifically, the main signal circuit receiving circuit includes an AND gate, which outputs a gate driving main signal G by passing the carrier signal and the data signal through the AND gate. 主 The main circuit is used to receive the gate drive main signal G 主 , and according to the gate drive main signal G 主 Output signal and energy to the demodulation circuit 4 and provide energy to the load 3.

[0027] The system also includes an auxiliary signal receiving circuit and an auxiliary circuit connected to the auxiliary signal receiving circuit. The auxiliary circuit is also connected to the power supply 1 and the load 3. The power supply 1 also supplies power to the auxiliary circuit. The auxiliary signal receiving circuit is used to receive the carrier signal and the data signal, and invert the data signal, and then output the gate drive auxiliary signal G according to the carrier signal and the inverted data signal. 辅 Specifically, the auxiliary signal receiving circuit includes a NOT gate and an AND gate. First, the data signal passes through the NOT gate, thereby inverting the data signal; the carrier signal and the inverted data signal pass through the AND gate and then output the gate drive auxiliary signal G. 辅The auxiliary circuit is used to receive the gate drive auxiliary signal G 辅 , and according to the gate drive auxiliary signal G 辅 Provide energy to load 3.

[0028] Only one of the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit provides energy to the load 3 at the same time. In other words, when the main circuit cannot provide energy to the load 3, the auxiliary circuit can substitute to provide energy to the load 3, thereby improving the problem of power discontinuity.

[0029] The carrier signal frequency is at least 10 times the data signal frequency, and the duty cycle is 0.1-0.8. The data signal is a digital signal that has undergone audio processing. In cochlear implant applications, since the sound signal is random, the audio-processed digital sound signal also exhibits randomness. Therefore, to ensure the accuracy of signal modulation, the carrier signal frequency is usually designed to be 10 times or more of the data signal. Furthermore, the carrier signal frequency can be 16MHz.

[0030] When the data signal is "1", the main circuit outputs a signal and energy to the demodulation circuit 4, and the energy received by the load 3 comes from the main circuit; when the data signal is "0", the main circuit cannot provide energy to the load 3, but the auxiliary circuit works, and the energy received by the load 3 comes from the auxiliary circuit.

[0031] 2 is a schematic diagram of the signal timing of the present system, and Table 1 is a logic state table of the present invention.

[0032] Table 1

[0033] According to Figure 2 and Table 1, when the carrier signal is "1" and the data signal is "1", the gate drive main signal G 主 When the carrier signal is "1" and the data signal is "0", the gate drive auxiliary signal G 辅 When the bit is 1, the main circuit does not work and only the auxiliary circuit is working. The main circuit and the auxiliary circuit are in a complementary working state as the data signal changes.

[0034] Referring to FIG3 , which shows the voltage waveform of load 3 , it can be observed that the voltage fluctuation only occurs in a transient state at the switching moment, and the fluctuation is around 30%, which is a small fluctuation. Load 3 can always receive continuous energy.

[0035] In summary, the present invention adds an auxiliary circuit and designs a control signal so that the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit can be alternately turned on following the data signal, thereby improving the continuity and stability of the output voltage on the receiving side of the implantable cochlear implant and contributing to the improvement of power transmission quality.

[0036] The main circuit includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes an inverter circuit 21, a transmitter-side compensation network 22, and a transmitter coil 24, all connected in sequence. The receiver includes an inverter circuit 21, a receiver-side compensation network 22, and a receiver coil 25, all connected in sequence. The main circuit's receiver circuit is connected to the inverter circuit 21, while the receiver-side compensation network 22 is connected to both the load 3 and the demodulation circuit 4. The inverter circuit 21 converts the DC power provided by the power supply 1 into AC power, which is then transmitted via an electromagnetic field. The transmitter coil 24 and receiver coil 25 are wirelessly connected, transmitting signals and energy through electromagnetic coupling.

[0037] The auxiliary circuit's transmitting and receiving ends are identical to those of the main circuit. The transmitting end also includes an inverter circuit 21, a transmitter-side compensation network 22, and a transmitting coil 24, all connected in sequence. The receiving end also includes an inverter circuit 21, a transmitter-side compensation network 22, and a receiving coil 25, all connected in sequence. The auxiliary circuit's receiving circuit is connected to the inverter circuit 21 within the auxiliary circuit, while the receiving-side compensation network 22 within the auxiliary circuit is connected to the load 3. The transmitting coil 24 and receiving coil 25 of the auxiliary circuit are wirelessly connected for signal and energy transmission.

[0038] Referring to Figure 4, the demodulation circuit includes an envelope detection unit and a low-pass filtering unit; the envelope detection unit demodulates the received signal; and the low-pass filtering unit filters the demodulated signal. The low-pass filtering unit includes a first low-pass filter and a second low-pass filter. The first low-pass filter performs smoothing filtering, and the second low-pass filter performs mean filtering. Specifically, the demodulation circuit 4 is mainly composed of a comparator A, a diode D, and a number of capacitors and resistors. The signal ground SGND (signal ground) of the demodulation circuit 4 is connected to the ground of the receiving side output end of the main circuit, and the input end of the demodulation circuit 4 is connected to the other port of the receiving side output of the main circuit. First, there is an envelope detection unit composed of a diode D, a resistor R5, and a capacitor C5. The values ​​of R5 and C5 are designed to meet the function of envelope detection; the time constant formed by R5 and C5 is less than the data signal period and greater than the high-frequency power pulse period. After passing through the envelope detection unit, it is divided into two parts. One part is the first low-pass filter composed of resistors R2, R4 and capacitor C2, which plays the role of smoothing filtering; the other part is the second low-pass filter composed of resistors R1, R3 and capacitor C1, which plays the role of averaging filtering.

[0039] Referring to Figure 5, the demodulated data of the demodulation circuit 4 is "1" when the envelope value of the main circuit output is greater than the average value; when the envelope value of the main circuit output is less than the average value, the demodulated data is "0". The demodulation output result D is obtained by comparing the smoothed value after the envelope with the average value. out The data signal can be demodulated.

[0040] The following is further proved by experiments:

[0041] Experimental conditions: A 16 MHz square wave signal with a 50% duty cycle is used as the carrier signal, and a 1 MHz arbitrary data signal is transmitted based on OOK modulation.

[0042] Test object: Output stability and continuity are measured by output voltage fluctuation.

[0043] Test results: In steady-state conditions, the output voltage is a sinusoidal voltage with a peak value of approximately 6.5V. During transients, when data is switching from "0" to "1" or vice versa, the output voltage fluctuates due to the switching between the main and auxiliary circuits. The voltage peak may drop to 4.7V or overshoot to 7.1V, with the voltage fluctuation not exceeding 30%. Furthermore, the transient adjustment time is rapid, typically accounting for less than 20% of the entire waveform.

[0044] The measured output power of the circuit in steady state is 67mW, the minimum output power in transient state is 48mW, the minimum output power is 77mW, and the output power fluctuation is less than 30%. Compared with the traditional OOK modulation scheme without improvement, the present invention can significantly improve the problem of power discontinuity.

[0045] At the same time, the system of the present invention does not affect the demodulation of the data signal, and compares the data signal Data to be transmitted with the demodulation result D out , the delay of the demodulation result does not exceed 1us.

[0046] To sum up, the present invention realizes the simultaneous transmission of energy and signal by adopting an improved OOK modulation scheme, and by adding an auxiliary circuit, the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit can be alternately turned on following the data signal, thereby improving the continuity and stability of the output voltage on the receiving side of the implantable cochlear implant, and helping to improve the power transmission quality.

[0047] Finally, it should be noted that the above preferred embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not limiting. Although the present invention has been described in detail through the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that various changes can be made in form and details without departing from the scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system, characterized in that: The main circuit comprises a main signal receiving circuit, a main circuit, and a demodulation circuit connected in sequence, and also comprises a load connected to the main circuit; the main signal receiving circuit is used to receive a carrier signal and a data signal, and output a gate drive main signal according to the carrier signal and the data signal; the main circuit is used to receive a gate drive main signal, and output a signal and energy to the demodulation circuit according to the gate drive main signal, and provide energy to the load; The system further includes an auxiliary signal receiving circuit and an auxiliary circuit connected to the auxiliary signal receiving circuit, wherein the auxiliary circuit is also connected to a load; the auxiliary signal receiving circuit is configured to receive a carrier signal and a data signal, invert the data signal, and then output a gate drive auxiliary signal based on the carrier signal and the inverted data signal; the auxiliary circuit is configured to receive the gate drive auxiliary signal and provide energy to the load based on the gate drive auxiliary signal; Only one of the main circuit and the auxiliary circuit provides energy to the load at the same time.

2. The continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the data signal is "1", the main circuit outputs a signal and energy to the demodulation circuit and provides energy to the load; when the data signal is "0", the auxiliary circuit provides energy to the load.

3. The continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main circuit includes a transmitting end and a receiving end; the transmitting end includes a power supply, an inverter circuit, a transmitting side compensation network and a transmitting coil; the receiving end includes a receiving coil and a receiving end compensation network, and the transmitting coil and the receiving coil are wirelessly connected.

4. The continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to claim 3, characterized in that: The auxiliary circuit also includes a transmitting end and a receiving end; the transmitting end includes a power supply, an inverter circuit, a transmitting side compensation network and a transmitting coil; the receiving end includes a receiving coil and a receiving end compensation network, and the transmitting coil and the receiving coil are wirelessly connected.

5. The continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The frequency of the carrier signal is 10 times or more of the frequency of the data signal.

6. The continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The duty cycle of the carrier signal is 0.1-0.

8.

7. The continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The demodulation circuit includes an envelope detection unit and a low-pass filtering unit; the envelope detection unit demodulates the received signal; and the low-pass filtering unit filters the demodulated signal.

8. The continuously powered cochlear implant integrated energy and signal transmission system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The low-pass filtering unit includes a first low-pass filter and a second low-pass filter. The first low-pass filter performs smoothing filtering, and the second low-pass filter performs mean filtering.

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