External portion of implantable system with hair grip mechanism

Abstract

An apparatus includes a housing configured to be worn externally at a predetermined position on a recipient's body over an implanted device within the recipient's body. The apparatus further includes at least one actuator affixed to an outer portion of the housing and configured to generate a first force at least partially holding the housing at the predetermined position. The at least one actuator is configured to be controllably actuated to be in a selected state of at least two states including a first state in which the at least one actuator is configured to not hold hairs of the recipient's body and a second state in which the at least one actuator is configured to hold one or more hairs of the recipient's body.

Description

EXTERNAL PORTION OF IMPLANTABLE SYSTEM WITH HAIR GRIPMECHANISMBACKGROUNDField

[0001] The present application relates generally to systems and methods for positioning an external device on or outside a recipient’s body relative to an internal device implanted on or within the recipient’s body.Description of the Related Art

[0002] Medical devices have provided a wide range of therapeutic benefits to recipients over recent decades. Medical devices can include internal or implantable components / devices, external or wearable components / devices, or combinations thereof (e.g., a device having an external component communicating with an implantable component). Medical devices, such as traditional hearing aids, partially or fully-implantable hearing prostheses (e.g., bone conduction devices, mechanical stimulators, cochlear implants, etc.), pacemakers, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation devices, and other medical devices, have been successful in performing lifesaving and / or lifestyle enhancement functions and / or recipient monitoring for a number of years.

[0003] The types of medical devices and the ranges of functions performed thereby have increased over the years. For example, many medical devices, sometimes referred to as “implantable medical devices,” now often include one or more instruments, apparatus, sensors, processors, controllers or other functional mechanical or electrical components that are permanently or temporarily implanted in a recipient. These functional devices are typically used to diagnose, prevent, monitor, treat, or manage a disease / injury or symptom thereof, or to investigate, replace or modify the anatomy or a physiological process. Many of these functional devices utilize power and / or data received from external devices that are part of, or operate in conjunction with, implantable components.SUMMARY

[0004] In one aspect disclosed herein, an apparatus comprises a housing configured to be worn externally at a predetermined position on a recipient’s body over an implanted device within the recipient’s body. The apparatus further comprises at least one actuatoraffixed to an outer portion of the housing and configured to generate a first force at least partially holding the housing at the predetermined position. The at least one actuator is configured to be controllably actuated to be in a selected state of at least two states comprising a first state in which the at least one actuator is configured to not hold hairs of the recipient’s body and a second state in which the at least one actuator is configured to hold one or more hairs of the recipient’s body.

[0005] In another aspect disclosed herein, a method comprises placing a first device at a location on a portion of a recipient’s body at which the first device is configured to be in wireless communication with an implanted second device within the recipient’s body. The method further comprises, while the first device is at the location, actuating a hair-engaging mechanism of the first device to secure the first device to hairs of the recipient’s body. The method further comprises using one or more of the hairs to facilitate holding the first device at the location.

[0006] In another aspect disclosed herein, an apparatus comprises a casing configured to be worn externally at a predetermined position on a recipient’s body over an implanted device within the recipient’s body. The apparatus further comprises at least one first magnetic material on or within the casing, the at least one first magnetic material configured to generate an attractive magnetic force with at least one second magnetic material within the implanted device, the attractive magnetic force configured to hold the casing on the recipient’s body. The apparatus further comprises at least one clasp in rigid mechanical communication with the casing. The at least one clasp is configured to mechanically grip one or more hairs of the recipient with a mechanical force configured to supplement the attractive magnetic force.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Implementations are described herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example cochlear implant auditory prosthesis implanted in a recipient in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example fully implantable middle ear implant auditory prosthesis implanted in a recipient in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0010] FIGs. 3A and 3B schematically illustrate side cross-sectional views of an example apparatus in a first state and a second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0011] FIGs. 4A and 4B schematically illustrate side views of two example apparatus with at least one actuator in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0012] FIGs. 4C and 4D schematically illustrate bottom views of an example of the at least one actuator in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0013] FIGs. 5A and 5B schematically illustrate partial side cross-sectional views of another example at least one actuator in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0014] FIGs. 6A and 6B schematically illustrate partial side cross-sectional views of an example at least one actuator comprising a driver in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0015] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a partial side cross-sectional view of another example at least one actuator comprising a driver in the second state in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0016] FIGs. 8A and 8B schematically illustrate partial side cross-sectional views of two other examples of at least one actuator comprising a driver in the second state in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0017] FIGs. 9A and 9B schematically illustrate partial side view of another example at least one actuator in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein;

[0018] FIGs. 10A and 10B schematically illustrate perspective views of another example at least one actuator in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein; and

[0019] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of an example method in accordance with certain implementations described herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Certain implementations described herein provide an externally worn apparatus (e.g., an off-the-ear sound processor of a cochlear implant system) having a housing and at least one clasp affixed to the housing. The at least one clasp can grip the recipient’s hair (e.g., scalp hair) to facilitate retaining the apparatus on the recipient’s body at an appropriate position (e.g., to be in wireless communication with an implanted stimulation and / or measurement device below the recipient’s skin). The at least one clasp can also be attached to and / or detached from the hair by manual manipulations using a single hand (e.g., while placing the apparatus in position on the recipient’s body and / or removing the apparatus from the recipient’s body). The apparatus can also be held in position by an attractive magnetic force between the apparatus and the implanted device, and the mechanical force of the at least one clasp can be configured to supplement the attractive magnetic force so as to hold the housing to the recipient’s hair and to keep the apparatus from being dislodged from the recipient’s body upon application of an impulse or other force that can overcome the attractive magnetic force.

[0021] The teachings detailed herein are applicable, in at least some implementations, to any type of implantable or non-implantable stimulation system or device (e.g., implantable or non-implantable auditory prosthesis device or system). Implementations can include any type of device (e.g., medical device) that can utilize the teachings detailed herein and / or variations thereof. Furthermore, while certain implementations are described herein in the context of auditory prosthesis devices, certain other implementations are compatible in the context of other types of devices or systems (e.g., smart phones; speakers; headphones).

[0022] Merely for ease of description, apparatus and methods disclosed herein are primarily described with reference to an illustrative medical device, namely an implantable transducer assembly including but not limited to: electro-acoustic electrical / acoustic systems, cochlear implant devices, implantable hearing aid devices, middle ear implant devices, bone conduction devices (e.g., active bone conduction devices; passive bone conduction devices, percutaneous bone conduction devices; transcutaneous bone conduction devices), Direct Acoustic Cochlear Implant (DACI), middle ear transducer (MET), electro-acoustic implant devices, other types of auditory prosthesis devices, and / or combinations or variations thereof, or any other suitable hearing prosthesis system with or without one or more externalcomponents. Implementations can include any type of auditory prosthesis that can utilize the teachings detailed herein and / or variations thereof. Certain such implementations can be referred to as “partially implantable,” “semi-implantable,” “mostly implantable,” “fully implantable,” or “totally implantable” auditory prostheses. In some implementations, the teachings detailed herein and / or variations thereof can be utilized in other types of prostheses beyond auditory prostheses.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example cochlear implant auditory prosthesis 100 implanted in a recipient in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The example auditory prosthesis 100 is shown in FIG. 1 as comprising an implanted stimulator unit 120 and a microphone assembly 124 that is external to the recipient (e.g., a partially implantable cochlear implant). An example auditory prosthesis 100 (e.g., a totally implantable cochlear implant; a mostly implantable cochlear implant) in accordance with certain implementations described herein can replace the external microphone assembly 124 shown in FIG. 1 with a subcutaneously implantable microphone assembly, as described more fully herein. In certain implementations, the example cochlear implant auditory prosthesis 100 of FIG. 1 can be in conjunction with a reservoir of liquid medicament as described herein.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the recipient has an outer ear 101, a middle ear 105, and an inner ear 107. In a fully functional ear, the outer ear 101 comprises an auricle 110 and an ear canal 102. An acoustic pressure or sound wave 103 is collected by the auricle 110 and is channeled into and through the ear canal 102. Disposed across the distal end of the ear canal 102 is a tympanic membrane 104 which vibrates in response to the sound wave 103. This vibration is coupled to oval window or fenestra ovalis 112 through three bones of middle ear 105, collectively referred to as the ossicles 106 and comprising the malleus 108, the incus 109, and the stapes 111. The bones 108, 109, and 111 of the middle ear 105 serve to filter and amplify the sound wave 103, causing the oval window 112 to articulate, or vibrate in response to vibration of the tympanic membrane 104. This vibration sets up waves of fluid motion of the perilymph within cochlea 140. Such fluid motion, in turn, activates tiny hair cells (not shown) inside the cochlea 140. Activation of the hair cells causes appropriate nerve impulses to be generated and transferred through the spiral ganglion cells (not shown) and auditory nerve 114 to the brain (also not shown) where they are perceived as sound.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, the example auditory prosthesis 100 comprises one or more components which are temporarily or permanently implanted in the recipient. The example auditory prosthesis 100 is shown in FIG. 1 with an external component 142 which is directly or indirectly attached to the recipient’s body, and an internal component 144 which is temporarily or permanently implanted in the recipient (e.g., positioned in a recess of the temporal bone adjacent auricle 110 of the recipient). The external component 142 typically comprises one or more sound input elements (e.g., an external microphone 124) for detecting sound, a sound processing unit 126 (e.g., disposed in a Behind- The-Ear unit), a power source (not shown), and an external transmitter unit 128. In the illustrative implementations of FIG. 1, the external transmitter unit 128 comprises an external coil 130 (e.g., a wire antenna coil comprising multiple turns of electrically insulated single-strand or multi-strand platinum or gold wire) and, preferably, a magnet (not shown) secured directly or indirectly to the external coil 130. The external coil 130 of the external transmitter unit 128 is part of an inductive radio frequency (RF) communication link with the internal component 144. The sound processing unit 126 processes the output of the microphone 124 that is positioned externally to the recipient’s body, in the depicted implementation, by the recipient’s auricle 110. The sound processing unit 126 processes the output of the microphone 124 and generates encoded signals, sometimes referred to herein as encoded data signals, which are provided to the external transmitter unit 128 (e.g., via a cable). As will be appreciated, the sound processing unit 126 can utilize digital processing techniques to provide frequency shaping, amplification, compression, and other signal conditioning, including conditioning based on recipient-specific fitting parameters.

[0026] The power source of the external component 142 is configured to provide power to the auditory prosthesis 100, where the auditory prosthesis 100 includes a battery (e.g., located in the internal component 144, or disposed in a separate implanted location) that is recharged by the power provided from the external component 142 (e.g., via a transcutaneous energy transfer link). The transcutaneous energy transfer link is used to transfer power and / or data to the internal component 144 of the auditory prosthesis 100. Various types of energy transfer, such as infrared (IR), electromagnetic, capacitive, and inductive transfer, may be used to transfer the power and / or data from the external component 142 to the internal component144. During operation of the auditory prosthesis 100, the power stored by the rechargeable battery is distributed to the various other implanted components as needed.

[0027] The internal component 144 comprises an internal receiver unit 132, a stimulator unit 120, and an elongate electrode assembly 118. In some implementations, the internal receiver unit 132 and the stimulator unit 120 are hermetically sealed within a biocompatible housing. The internal receiver unit 132 comprises an internal coil 136 (e.g., a wire antenna coil comprising multiple turns of electrically insulated single-strand or multistrand platinum or gold wire), and preferably, a magnet (also not shown) fixed relative to the internal coil 136. The internal receiver unit 132 and the stimulator unit 120 are hermetically sealed within a biocompatible housing, sometimes collectively referred to as a stimulator / receiver unit. The internal coil 136 receives power and / or data signals from the external coil 130 via a transcutaneous energy transfer link (e.g., an inductive RF link). The stimulator unit 120 generates electrical stimulation signals based on the data signals, and the stimulation signals are delivered to the recipient via the elongate electrode assembly 118.

[0028] The elongate electrode assembly 118 has a proximal end connected to the stimulator unit 120, and a distal end implanted in the cochlea 140. The electrode assembly 118 extends from the stimulator unit 120 to the cochlea 140 through the mastoid bone 119. In some implementations, the electrode assembly 118 may be implanted at least in the basal region 116, and sometimes further. For example, the electrode assembly 118 may extend towards apical end of cochlea 140, referred to as cochlea apex 134. In certain circumstances, the electrode assembly 118 may be inserted into the cochlea 140 via a cochleostomy 122. In other circumstances, a cochleostomy may be formed through the round window 121, the oval window 112, the promontory 123, or through an apical turn 147 of the cochlea 140.

[0029] The elongate electrode assembly 118 comprises a longitudinally aligned and distally extending array 146 of electrodes or contacts 148, sometimes referred to as electrode or contact array 146 herein, disposed along a length thereof. Although the electrode array 146 can be disposed on the electrode assembly 118, in most practical applications, the electrode array 146 is integrated into the electrode assembly 118 (e.g., the electrode array 146 is disposed in the electrode assembly 118). As noted, the stimulator unit 120 generates stimulation signals which are applied by the electrodes 148 to the cochlea 140, thereby stimulating the auditory nerve 114.

[0030] While FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an auditory prosthesis 100 utilizing an external component 142 comprising an external microphone 124, an external sound processing unit 126, and an external power source, in certain other implementations, one or more of the microphone 124, sound processing unit 126, and power source are implantable on or within the recipient (e.g., within the internal component 144). For example, the auditory prosthesis 100 can have each of the microphone 124, sound processing unit 126, and power source implantable on or within the recipient (e.g., encapsulated within a biocompatible assembly located subcutaneously), and can be referred to as a totally implantable cochlear implant (“HCI”). For another example, the auditory prosthesis 100 can have most components of the cochlear implant (e.g., excluding the microphone, which can be an in-the-ear-canal microphone) implantable on or within the recipient, and can be referred to as a mostly implantable cochlear implant (“MIQ”).

[0031] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a perspective view of an example fully implantable auditory prosthesis 200 (e.g., fully implantable middle ear implant or totally implantable acoustic system), implanted in a recipient, utilizing an acoustic actuator in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The example auditory prosthesis 200 of FIG. 2 comprises a biocompatible implantable assembly 202 (e.g., comprising an implantable capsule) located subcutaneously (e.g., beneath the recipient’s skin and on a recipient's skull). While FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example implantable assembly 202 comprising a microphone, in other example auditory prostheses 200, a pendant microphone can be used (e.g., connected to the implantable assembly 202 by a cable). The implantable assembly 202 includes a signal receiver 204 (e.g., comprising a coil element) and an acoustic transducer 206 (e.g., a microphone comprising a diaphragm and an electret or piezoelectric transducer) that is positioned to receive acoustic signals through the recipient’s overlying tissue. The implantable assembly 202 may further be utilized to house a number of components of the fully implantable auditory prosthesis 200. For example, the implantable assembly 202 can include an energy storage device and a signal processor (e.g., a sound processing unit). Various additional processing logic and / or circuitry components can also be included in the implantable assembly 202 as a matter of design choice.

[0032] For the example auditory prosthesis 200 shown in FIG. 2, the signal processor of the implantable assembly 202 is in operative communication (e.g., electricallyinterconnected via a wire 208) with an actuator 210 (e.g., comprising a transducer configured to generate mechanical vibrations in response to electrical signals from the signal processor). In certain implementations, the example auditory prosthesis 100, 200 shown in FIGs. 1 and 2 can comprise an implantable microphone assembly, such as the microphone assembly 206 shown in FIG. 2. For such an example auditory prosthesis 100, the signal processor of the implantable assembly 202 can be in operative communication (e.g., electrically interconnected via a wire) with the microphone assembly 206 and the stimulator unit of the main implantable component 120. In certain implementations, at least one of the microphone assembly 206 and the signal processor (e.g., a sound processing unit) is implanted on or within the recipient.

[0033] The actuator 210 of the example auditory prosthesis 200 shown in FIG. 2 is supportably connected to a positioning system 212, which in turn, is connected to a bone anchor 214 mounted within the recipient's mastoid process (e.g., via a hole drilled through the skull). The actuator 210 includes a connection apparatus 216 for connecting the actuator 210 to the ossicles 106 of the recipient. In a connected state, the connection apparatus 216 provides a communication path for acoustic stimulation of the ossicles 106 (e.g., through transmission of vibrations from the actuator 210 to the incus 109).

[0034] During normal operation, ambient acoustic signals (e.g., ambient sound) impinge on the recipient’s tissue and are received transcutaneously at the microphone assembly 206. Upon receipt of the transcutaneous signals, a signal processor within the implantable assembly 202 processes the signals to provide a processed audio drive signal via wire 208 to the actuator 210. As will be appreciated, the signal processor may utilize digital processing techniques to provide frequency shaping, amplification, compression, and other signal conditioning, including conditioning based on recipient-specific fitting parameters. The audio drive signal causes the actuator 210 to transmit vibrations at acoustic frequencies to the connection apparatus 216 to affect the desired sound sensation via mechanical stimulation of the incus 109 of the recipient.

[0035] The subcutaneously implantable microphone assembly 202 is configured to respond to auditory signals (e.g., sound; pressure variations in an audible frequency range) by generating output signals (e.g., electrical signals; optical signals; electromagnetic signals) indicative of the auditory signals received by the microphone assembly 202, and these output signals are used by the auditory prosthesis 100, 200 to generate stimulation signals which areprovided to the recipient’s auditory system. To compensate for the decreased acoustic signal strength reaching the microphone assembly 202 by virtue of being implanted, the diaphragm of an implantable microphone assembly 202 can be configured to provide higher sensitivity than are external non-implantable microphone assemblies. For example, the diaphragm of an implantable microphone assembly 202 can be configured to be more robust and / or larger than diaphragms for external non-implantable microphone assemblies.

[0036] The example auditory prostheses 100 shown in FIG. 1 utilizes an external microphone 124 and the auditory prosthesis 200 shown in FIG. 2 utilizes an implantable microphone assembly 206 comprising a subcutaneously implantable acoustic transducer. In certain implementations described herein, the auditory prosthesis 100 utilizes one or more implanted microphone assemblies on or within the recipient. In certain implementations described herein, the auditory prosthesis 200 utilizes one or more microphone assemblies that are positioned external to the recipient and / or that are implanted on or within the recipient, and utilizes one or more acoustic transducers (e.g., actuator 210) that are implanted on or within the recipient. In certain implementations, an external microphone assembly can be used to supplement an implantable microphone assembly of the auditory prosthesis 100, 200. Thus, the teachings detailed herein and / or variations thereof can be utilized with any type of external or implantable microphone arrangement, and the acoustic transducers shown in FIGs. 1 and 2 are merely illustrative.

[0037] FIGs. 3A and 3B schematically illustrate side cross-sectional views of an example apparatus 300 in a first state and a second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The apparatus 300 can comprise an external component of a transcutaneous system comprising an implantable component 310 and the apparatus 300. For example, the transcutaneous system can comprise an auditory prosthesis system in which the implantable component 310 comprises one or more active elements (e.g., stimulator unit 120; vibrating actuator; not shown in FIGs. 3 A or 3B) configured to deliver stimuli (e.g., stimulation signals) to the recipient’s body and / or to detect an attribute or condition of the recipient’s body. The apparatus 300 can be configured to be in wireless, transcutaneous communication with the implantable component 310.

[0038] The implantable component 310 comprises at least one implantable housing 312 configured to be positioned beneath tissue of the recipient’s body. For example, as shownin FIGs. 3 A and 3B, the at least one implantable housing 312 is beneath the skin 320, fat 322, and / or muscular 324 layers and above a bone 326 (e.g., skull) in a portion of the recipient’s body (e.g., the head). At least a portion of the skin 320 can comprise hairs 321 that extend outwardly from an outer surface of the skin 320. The at least one implantable housing 312 contains at least one internal communication coil 314 (e.g., a planar electrically conductive wire with multiple windings) and at least one internal magnetic (e.g., ferromagnetic; ferrimagnetic; permanent magnet) material 316 (e.g., disk; plate) positioned within a region at least partially bounded by the at least one internal communication coil 314. The at least one internal magnetic material 316 is configured to establish a magnetic attraction between the apparatus 300 and the implantable component 310 configured to at least partially hold the apparatus 300 against the outer surface of the skin 320. The at least one implantable housing 312 can comprise a first portion configured to contain the at least one internal communication coil 314 and the at least one internal magnetic material 316 and a second portion configured to contain the one or more active elements, or the at least one implantable housing 312 can comprise a single housing portion configured to contain the at least one internal communication coil 314, the at least one internal magnetic material 316, and the one or more active elements.

[0039] As schematically illustrated by FIGs. 3A and 3B, the apparatus 300 comprises a housing 330 configured to be worn externally at a predetermined position on a recipient’s body over an implantable component 310 within the recipient’s body. The apparatus 300 further comprises at least one actuator 340 affixed to an outer portion of the housing 330 and configured to generate a first force at least partially holding the housing 330 at the predetermined position. The at least one actuator 340 is configured to be controllably actuated to be in a selected state of at least two states comprising a first state and a second state. In the first state, the at least one actuator 340 is configured to not hold hairs 321 of the recipient’s body. In the second state, the at least one actuator 340 is configured to hold one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body.

[0040] In certain implementations, the housing 330 (e.g., casing) is configured to be positioned at a predetermined position on a portion of the outer surface of the skin 320 with the implantable component 310 beneath the portion of the skin 320. The housing 330 can have a width (e.g., along a lateral direction substantially parallel to the recipient’s skin 320) less-I lthan or equal to 40 millimeters (e.g., in a range of 15 millimeters to 35 millimeters; in a range of 25 millimeters to 35 millimeters; in a range of less than 30 millimeters; in a range of 15 millimeters to 30 millimeters). The housing 330 can have a thickness (e.g., in a direction substantially perpendicular to the recipient’s skin 320) less than or equal to 15 millimeters (e.g., in a range of less than or equal to 12 millimeters; in a range of less than or equal to 10 millimeters; in a range of less than or equal to 7 millimeters; in a range of less than or equal to 6 millimeters; in a range of less than or equal to 5 millimeters).

[0041] In certain implementations, the housing 330 contains at least one external communication coil 332 (e.g., a planar electrically conductive wire with multiple windings) and at least one external magnetic (e.g., ferromagnetic; ferrimagnetic; permanent magnet) material 334 (e.g., disk; plate). The at least one external communication coil 332 can be configured to be in wireless electrical communication (e.g., via a radio-frequency or RF link) with the at least one internal communication coil 314 when the apparatus 300 is positioned on the skin 320 of the recipient above the implantable component 310 (e.g., the apparatus 300 being at least partially held in place by the magnetic attraction between the at least one internal magnetic material 316 and the at least one external magnetic material 334). For example, the at least one external communication coil 332 can be inductively coupled with the at least one internal communication coil 314 and configured to wirelessly transmit electrical power to the at least one internal communication coil 314 and / or configured to wirelessly transmit information (e.g., data signals; control signals) to and / or to wirelessly receive information from the at least one internal communication coil 314. The at least one external communication coil 332 can comprise a substantially planar electrically conductive coil (e.g., multiple windings of electrically insulated single-strand or multi-strand copper wire; copper traces on epoxy of a printed circuit board; having a substantially circular, rectangular, spiral, or oval shape or other shape). The at least one external communication coil 332 can have a diameter, length, and / or width (e.g., along a lateral direction substantially parallel to the recipient’s skin 320) less than or equal to 40 millimeters (e.g., in a range of 15 millimeters to 35 millimeters; in a range of 25 millimeters to 35 millimeters; in a range of less than 30 millimeters; in a range of 15 millimeters to 30 millimeters).

[0042] The at least one external magnetic material 334 can be positioned in a region at least partially bounded by the at least one external communication coil 332. The at least oneexternal magnetic material 334 can be configured to establish a magnetic attraction force between the apparatus 300 and the implantable component 310, the magnetic attraction force configured to at least partially hold the apparatus 300 (e.g., the housing 330) against the outer surface of the skin 320 at the predetermined position (e.g., with the at least one external communication coil 332 sufficiently aligned with the corresponding at least one internal communication coil 314 to be in wireless communication with one another; to form a wireless communication link via magnetic induction between the implantable component 310 and the apparatus 300). To produce a sufficiently strong magnetic attraction force, the at least one external magnetic material 334 can be positioned as close as possible to the outer surface of the recipient’s skin 320 (e.g., as close as possible to a surface of the housing 330 that contacts the recipient’s skin 320), thereby minimizing the distance between the at least one external magnetic material 334 and the at least one internal magnetic material 316.

[0043] In certain implementations, the apparatus 300 further comprises circuitry on or within the housing 330 (e.g., the at least one external communication coil 332), the circuitry configured to, with the housing 330 at the predetermined position, wirelessly communicate with the implantable component 310. The circuitry can further comprise one or more microprocessors (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits; generalized integrated circuits programmed by software with computer executable instructions; microelectronic circuitry; microcontrollers) configured to control operation of the apparatus 300 and / or the implantable component 310 (e.g., set or adjust parameters of the energy transfer in response to user input and / or conditions during operation). In certain implementations, the control circuitry further comprises at least one storage device (e.g., at least one tangible or non-transitory computer readable storage medium; read only memory; random access memory; flash memory) in operative communication with the one or more microprocessors. The at least one storage device can be configured to store information (e.g., data; commands) accessed by the one or more microprocessors during operation. The at least one storage device can be encoded with software (e.g., a computer program downloaded as an application) comprising computer executable instructions for instructing the one or more microprocessors (e.g., executable data access logic, evaluation logic, and / or information outputting logic). In certain implementations, the one or more microprocessors execute the instructions of the software to provide functionality as described herein. In certain implementations, the circuitry furthercomprises at least one energy storage device (e.g., battery; capacitor) configured to provide energy to the other components of the apparatus 300.

[0044] In certain implementations, the at least one actuator 340 (e.g., clasp; latch; gripper) is configured to be controllab ly engaged to and / or disengaged from the hairs 321 by manual manipulations using a single hand (e.g., of the recipient; of a caretaker of the recipient). For example, the at least one actuator 340 can be in mechanical communication with a periphery of the housing 330, can be configured to be engaged with the hairs 321 (e.g., changed from the first state to the second state) with the recipient holding the apparatus 300 in one hand during placement of the apparatus 300 at the predetermined position on the recipient’s body, and can be configured to be disengaged from the hairs 321 (e.g., changed from the second state to the first state) with the recipient holding the apparatus 300 in one hand during removal of the apparatus 300 from the predetermined position on the recipient’s body.

[0045] In certain implementations, upon being engaged with the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body, the at least one actuator 340 is configured to produce a mechanical retention force that contributes to (e.g., enhances) the holding of the apparatus 300 at the predetermined position on the recipient’s body. Both the mechanical retention force from the at least one actuator 340 holding the one or more hairs 321 and the magnetic attractive force generated by the at least one external magnetic material 334 within the housing 330 and the at least one internal magnetic material 316 of the implantable component 310 are configured to hold the apparatus 300 at the predetermined position. For example, the magnetic attractive force alone can adequately hold the apparatus 300 at the predetermined position during normal operative conditions, with a precision due to the alignment of the at least one external magnetic material 334 with the at least one internal magnetic material 316. However, during other operative conditions (e.g., during vigorous activity such as sports), the apparatus 300 can be exposed to forces (e.g., inertial forces; centripetal forces; external impact forces) which can overcome the magnetic attractive force and dislodge the apparatus 300 from the predetermined position. While the at least one actuator 340 does not provide the same level of precision of locating the apparatus 300 at the predetermined position as does the magnetic attractive force, the mechanical retention force provided by the at least one actuator 340 can reduce (e.g., avoid) the probability that the forces generated during abnormal operative conditions will dislodgethe apparatus 300 from the predetermined position (e.g., protecting from a dislodged apparatus 300 from getting lost).

[0046] FIGs. 4A and 4B schematically illustrate side views of two example apparatus 300 with at least one actuator 340 in accordance with certain implementations described herein. FIGs. 4C and 4D schematically illustrate bottom views of an example of the at least one actuator 340 in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The at least one actuator 340 comprises a first portion 350 comprising at least one first orifice 352 and a second portion 360 comprising at least one second orifice 362. At least one of the first portion 350 and the second portion 360 is controllably movable (e.g., by manual manipulation using a single hand) to be placed in the first state and / or the second state. In the first state (see, e.g., FIG. 4C), the at least one first orifice 352 and the at least one second orifice 362 are aligned with one another such that the one or more hairs 321 can move through and be positioned in both the first portion 350 and the second portion 360. In the second state (see, e.g., FIG. 4D), the at least one first orifice 352 and the at least one second orifice 362 are misaligned with one another (e.g., offset from one another) such that the one or more hairs 321 (e.g., extending through the at least one first orifice 352 and the at least one second orifice 362 while in the first state) are positioned in and held by the first portion 350 and the second portion 360.

[0047] The first and second portions 350, 360 can each comprise a skin-compatible material (e.g., metal; titanium; plastic; PEEK) and / or can be electrically insulative. As schematically illustrated by FIGs. 4A and 4B, in certain implementations, the first portion 350 is substantially planar and the second portion 360 is substantially planar and substantially parallel to the first portion 350. In certain other implementations, one or both of the first portion 350 and the second portion 360 can be non-planar (e.g., curved; angled; bent). As shown in FIGs. 4C and 4D, in certain implementations, the first and second portions 350, 360 are substantially rectangular and the at least one first orifice 352 and the at least one second orifice 362 are elongated in a first lateral direction relative to in a second lateral direction substantially perpendicular to the first lateral direction (e.g., having a substantially linear shape). In certain other implementations, the first and / or second portions 450, 460 have other shapes (e.g., circular; oval; polygonal) and / or the at least one first and / or second orifices 452, 462 have other shapes (e.g., curved; angled; circular; oval; polygonal). The first and secondportions 350, 360 can have thicknesses in a range of 200 microns to 1000 microns, and the at least one first orifice 352 and / or the at least one second orifice 362 can have a width in the displacement direction in a range of 0.5 millimeter to 2 millimeters (e.g., greater than a width of a human hair). The distance between the first and second portions 350, 360 can be less than 100 microns (e.g., less than a width of a human hair). In certain implementations, the edges of the at least one first orifice 352 and / or the edges of the at least one second orifice 362 can be rounded (e.g., by about 10 microns) to reduce (e.g., avoid) the possibility of the hairs 321 being damaged (e.g., cut) by the first and second portions 350, 360.

[0048] In certain implementations, both the first and second portions 350, 360 are positioned such that the first and second portions 350, 360 can engage with the hairs 321 between the housing 330 and the recipient’s outer surface of the skin 320. For example, both the first and second portions 350, 360 can be beneath the housing 330, while in certain implementations, both the first and second portions 350, 360 can be alongside the housing 330. In certain implementations (see, e.g., FIGs. 4A and 4B), the first and second portions 350, 360 are configured to be closer to the outer surface of the recipient’s skin 320 than is the bottom surface 336 of the housing 330. In certain other implementations, the housing 330 comprises a recess at the bottom surface 336 and the first and second portions 350, 360 are within the recess, such that the bottom surface 336 of the housing 330 is closer to the outer surface of the recipient’s skin 320 than are the first and / or second portions 350, 360.

[0049] In certain implementations, at least one of the first and second portions 350, 360 is configured to be moved relative to the other of the first and second portions 350, 360 along a lateral displacement direction 364 (e.g., substantially parallel to the first and / or second portions 350, 360) such that the at least one first orifice 352 is selectively aligned with the at least one second orifice 362 (e.g., in the first state) or misaligned (e.g., offset) from the at least one second orifice 362 (e.g., in the second state). In certain implementations (see, e.g., FIGs. 4A and 4B), both the first and second portions 350, 360 are configured to be controllably moved, while in certain other implementations, one of the first and second portions 350, 360 is configured to be controllably moved relative to the housing 330 and the other of the first and second portions 350, 360 is configured to remain fixed relative to the housing 330.

[0050] In certain implementations, the at least one actuator 340 further comprises at least one spring 342 mechanically coupled to the housing 330 and to at least one of the firstportion 350 and the second portion 360. The at least one spring 342 can be configured to generate a restoring force which biases the at least one actuator 340 to be in the second state. For example, the at least one spring 342 can be selected from the group consisting of: compression spring; torsion spring; coil spring; disk spring; leaf spring; angle spring.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 4A, the at least one actuator 340 can further comprise a pivot 344 (e.g., hinge) and a lever 346 in mechanical communication with the at least one spring 342. The lever 346 can have a first end and a second end on opposite sides of the pivot 344, the second end in mechanical communication with the first and / or second portion 350, 360. In response to a force applied to the first end of the lever 346 (e.g., moving the first end towards the housing 330, such that the at least one spring 342 generates a restoring force opposite to the applied force), the lever 346 is configured to rotate about the pivot 344, thereby laterally moving the second end and the first and / or second portion 350, 360 to be in the first state. In response to the force not being applied to the first end of the lever 346, the restoring force from at least one spring 342 can return the lever 346 and the first and / or second portion 350, 360 back to the second state.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 4B, the at least one actuator 340 can further comprise a button 345 in mechanical communication with the at least one spring 342 and in mechanical communication with the first and / or second portion 350, 360. The at least one actuator 340 can further comprise a flexible membrane 347 (e.g., silicone; rubber; polyimide; biocompatible material) overlaying the button 345 and at least a portion of the housing 330. In response to a force applied to the button 345 (e.g., moving the button 345 towards the housing 330, such that the at least one spring 342 generates a restoring force opposite to the applied force), the button 345 is configured to move laterally, thereby laterally moving the first and / or second portion 350, 360 to be in the first state. In certain implementations, the membrane 347 can serve as the at least one spring 342. In response to the force not being applied to the button 345, the restoring force from the at least one spring 342 can return the button and the first and / or second portion 350, 360 back to the second state.

[0053] FIGs. 5A and 5B schematically illustrate partial side cross-sectional views of another example at least one actuator 340 in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The at least one actuator 340 of FIGs. 5A and 5B comprises a flexible membrane 510 (e.g., diaphragm; disk; sheet) and aplurality of protrusions 520 (e.g., fingers) extending from a surface 512 of the membrane 510 and having end portions 522 spaced away from the surface 512. The surface 512 is configured to be substantially planar or convex in the first state with the end portions 522 of the plurality of protrusions 520 having a first distance Di therebetween (e.g., in a range of 300 microns to 1000 microns) such that the one or more hairs 321 are not held by the plurality of protrusions 520. The surface 512 is further configured to be concave in the second state with the end portions 522 of the plurality of protrusions 520 having a second distance D2 therebetween (e.g., in a range of zero to 100 microns), the second distance D2 less than the first distance Di, such that the one or more hairs 321 are held by the plurality of protrusions 520.

[0054] The membrane 510 and the plurality of protrusions 520 can each comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of: silicone; rubber; plastic; coated metal, and can comprise the same at least one material as one another or different materials from one another. The membrane 510 can be bistable (e.g., having two stable shapes, in which the surface 512 is either planar or concave or in which the surface 512 is either convex or concave), can have a substantially rectangular, circular, oval, or polygonal shape, and can have a width (e.g., diameter) in a range of 3 millimeters to 5 millimeters and / or a thickness in a range of 100 microns to 500 microns. While the cross-sectional views of FIGs. 5 A and 5B show the protrusions 520 arranged in a single line, the protrusions 520 can be arranged in a variety of patterns (e.g., in a periodic pattern in at least one direction; in a random pattern) across the surface of the membrane 510. The protrusions 520 can have lengths in a range of 0.5 millimeter to 3 millimeters (e.g., in a range of 1 millimeter to 2 millimeters) and widths (e.g., diameters) in a range of 200 microns to 1000 microns (e.g., 500 microns), and can have sufficient stiffness and / or adhesion to hold (e.g., grip) the one or more hairs 321 (e.g., to confine the one or more hairs 321 between adjacent protrusions 520). At least the end portions 522 of the plurality of protrusions 520 can comprise a material (e.g., rubber) configured to provide a sticky or tacky surface to facilitate mechanical communication with the one or more hairs 321.

[0055] In certain implementations, the at least one actuator 340 is configured to change from the first state to the second state upon the membrane 510 and / or at least one protrusion 520 being placed in contact with the recipient’s body. For example, as shown in FIG. 5 A, an edge portion of the membrane 510 can be in mechanically communication withthe housing 330. In the first state, the membrane 510 and / or at least some of the protrusions 520 can extend below the housing 330 and the membrane 510 can be in the first bistable state such that the first distance Di (e.g., spacing) between adjacent end portions 522 of the plurality of protrusions 520 is sufficiently large to allow the one or more hairs 321 to be positioned between adjacent protrusions 520 as the apparatus 300 is lowered onto the recipient’s body. As shown in FIG. 5B, upon the membrane 510 and / or at least one protrusion 520 contacting the recipient’s body, the membrane 510 can change to the second bistable shape such that the second distance D2 between adjacent end portions 522 of the plurality of protrusions 520 is sufficiently small to confine the one or more hairs 321 to remain between adjacent protrusions 520, thereby holding the apparatus 300 to the recipient’s body. Upon sufficient force being applied to the apparatus 300 to lift the apparatus 300 from the recipient’s body, the membrane 510 can return to the first state, thereby allowing the plurality of protrusions 520 to release the one or more hairs 321.

[0056] In certain implementations, the at least one actuator 340 further comprises a driver 530 configured to be in mechanical communication with the membrane 510 and configured to be manually manipulated by the recipient to place the at least one actuator 340 in the first state. FIGs. 6A, 6B, 7, 8A, and 8B schematically illustrate partial side cross- sectional views of various other example at least one actuator 340 comprising a driver 530 in accordance with certain implementations described herein. In each of FIGs. 6A, 6B, 7, 8A, and 8B, the driver 530 is in mechanical communication with the membrane 510 at the bottom surface 336 of the housing 330 and is configured to receive a manually applied force to change the at least one actuator 340 from the second state to the first state. In certain implementations, the membrane 510 generates a restoring force on the driver 530 that is opposite to the manually applied force (e.g., the membrane 510 is stable in the second state but not in the first state), while in certain other implementations, the driver 530 further comprises a spring (not shown in FIGs. 6A, 6B, 7, 8A, or 8B) which provides a restoring force on the driver 530.

[0057] FIGs. 6A and 6B schematically illustrate partial side cross-sectional views of an example at least one actuator 340 comprising a driver 530 in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The driver 530 of FIGs. 6A and 6B comprises an elongate element 532 (e.g., rod; tube) having a first end portion 534 extending from a top surface 337 of the housing 330 and a second end portion 536in mechanical communication with the membrane 510 at the bottom surface 336 of the housing 330. In certain implementations, upon the first end portion 534 being manually pressed downward (e.g., by a single hand as the apparatus 300 is placed into position on the recipient’s body), the at least one actuator 340 is in the first state in which the elongate element 532 deforms the membrane 510 to have a convex shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to receive the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body. In certain implementations, upon the downward force no longer being applied to the first end portion 534 (e.g., the first end portion 534 being released by the single hand once the apparatus 300 is in position on the recipient’s body), the restoring force returns the at least one actuator 340 to the second state (e.g., moving the elongate element 532 upwards) in which the membrane 510 has a concave shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to hold the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body.

[0058] FIG. 7 schematically illustrates a partial side cross-sectional view of another example at least one actuator 340 comprising a driver 530 in the second state in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The driver 530 of FIG. 7 comprises a piston 540 extending from the top surface 337 of the housing 330 and a volume 542 (e.g., pipe) containing a fluid (e.g., air), the volume 542 bounded and sealed by the piston 540 (e.g., at one end of the volume 542) and by the membrane 510 (e.g., at another end of the volume 542). In certain implementations, upon the piston 540 being manually pressed downward (e.g., by a single hand as the apparatus 300 is placed into position on the recipient’s body), the at least one actuator 340 is in the first state in which the fluid within the volume 542 deforms the membrane 510 to have a convex shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to receive the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body. In certain implementations, upon the downward force no longer being applied to the piston 540 (e.g., the first end portion 534 being released by the single hand once the apparatus 300 is in position on the recipient’s body), the restoring force returns the at least one actuator 340 to the second state (e.g., moving the piston 540 upwards) in which the membrane 510 has a concave shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to hold the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body.

[0059] FIGs. 8A and 8B schematically illustrate partial side cross-sectional views of two other examples of at least one actuator 340 comprising a driver 530 in the second state in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The driver 530 of each of FIGs.8 A and 8B comprises a first magnet 560 (e.g., permanent magnet) in mechanical communication with the membrane 510 at the bottom surface 336 of the housing 330 and a second magnet 562 on or within the housing 330.

[0060] In FIG. 8A, the second magnet 562 comprises a permanent magnet configured to be moved between two positions. In a first position (not shown in FIG. 8A), upon an externally applied force moving the second magnet 562 towards the first magnet 560 (e.g., by a single hand as the apparatus 300 is placed into position on the recipient’s body), the at least one actuator 340 is in the first state in which a magnetic force applied by the second magnet 562 onto the first magnet 560 (e.g., repelling magnetic force) is sufficiently strong to move the first magnet 560 downward to deform the membrane 510 to have a convex shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to receive the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body. In certain implementations, as shown in FIG. 8 A, upon the externally applied force no longer being applied to the piston 540 (e.g., the second magnet 562 being released by the single hand once the apparatus 300 is in position on the recipient’s body), the restoring force returns the at least one actuator 340 to the second state (e.g., moving the first magnet 560 upwards) in which the membrane 510 has a concave shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to hold the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body.

[0061] In FIG. 8B, the second magnet 562 comprises an electromagnet configured to be turned on and turned off in response to a switch (e.g., comprising a button; not shown in FIG. 8B) being closed and opened. Upon the switch being turned on by an externally applied force (e.g., the button pressed by a single hand as the apparatus 300 is placed into position on the recipient’s body), the at least one actuator 340 is in the first state in which a magnetic force applied by the second magnet 562 onto the first magnet 560 is sufficiently strong to move the first magnet 560 downward to deform the membrane 510 to have a convex shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to receive the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body. In certain implementations, as shown in FIG. 8B, upon the switch being turned off (e.g., by the externally applied force no longer being applied to the button once the apparatus 300 is in position on the recipient’s body), a restoring force generated by the membrane 510 returns the at least one actuator 340 to the second state (e.g., moving the first magnet 560 upwards) in which the membrane 510 has a concave shape and the plurality of protrusions 520 are configured to hold the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body.

[0062] FIGs. 9A and 9B schematically illustrate partial side view of another example at least one actuator 340 in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The at least one actuator 340 of FIGs. 9A and 9B comprises a fulcrum 610 in mechanical communication with the housing 330 and a rigid elongate body 620 rotatably coupled to the fulcrum 610. The body 620 comprises a first end portion 622 configured to mechanically engage the one or more hairs 321 and a second end portion 624 configured to be manually manipulated by the recipient. The body 620 can comprise a skin-compatible material (e.g., metal; titanium; plastic; PEEK) and / or can be electrically insulative. The first end portion 622 can comprise a material (e.g., rubber) configured to provide a sticky or tacky surface to facilitate mechanical communication with the one or more hairs 321. The body 620 can comprise one or more of the same materials as the housing 330 or one or more materials different from those of the housing 330.

[0063] In certain implementations, the at least one actuator 340 further comprises at least one spring (not shown in FIGs. 9 A and 9B) configured to generate a restoring force that returns the body 620 to the second state upon the externally applied force 630 not being applied to the second end portion 624 of the body 620. For example, the at least one spring can be selected from the group consisting of: compression spring; torsion spring; coil spring; disk spring; leaf spring; angle spring. The at least one spring can be mechanically coupled to the body 620 and can be configured to generate a restoring force which biases the body 620 to be in the second state (see, e.g., FIG. 9B). In certain other implementations, the at least one actuator 340 can comprise one or more magnets (not shown in FIGs. 9A and 9B) configured to generate the restoring force.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 9 A, upon an externally applied force 630 moving the second end portion 624 towards the housing 330 (e.g., by a single hand as the apparatus 300 is placed into position on the recipient’s body), in the first state, the first end portion 622 is spaced away from an outer surface of the housing 330, and a region between the first end portion 622 and the outer surface of the housing 330 is configured to receive the one or more hairs 321 of the recipient’s body. As shown in FIG. 9B, upon the externally applied force no longer being applied to the second end portion 624 (e.g., the second end portion 624 being released by the single hand once the apparatus 300 is in position on the recipient’s body), in the second state, the restoring force presses the first end portion 622 against the outer surface of the housing 330such that the one or more hairs 321 are held between the first end portion 622 and the outer surface of the housing 330.

[0065] FIGs. 10A and 10B schematically illustrate perspective views of another example at least one actuator 340 in the first state and the second state, respectively, in accordance with certain implementations described herein. The at least one actuator 340 of FIGs. 10A and 10B comprises an annular element 710 (e.g., resilient band; rigid ring) configured to, in the second state, extend at least partially around a perimeter of the housing 330 and at least one support 720 (e.g., spacer; rail) in mechanical communication with the annular element 710 and the housing 330. The annular element 710 and / or the at least one support 720 is configured to be manually manipulated by the recipient. In the first state (see, e.g., FIG. 10A), at least a portion of the annular element 710 is spaced from the perimeter in a direction substantially perpendicular to the perimeter such that the one or more hairs 321 in a region 730 (e.g., gap) between the annular element 710 and the perimeter are not held by the annular element 710 and the perimeter. In the second state (see, e.g., FIG. 10B), the one or more hairs in the region 730 are held between the annular element 710 and the perimeter.

[0066] In certain implementations, the annular element 710 comprises a resilient band (e.g., silicone; rubber) that extends at least partially around the perimeter. In the first state, at least a portion of the band is stretched away from the perimeter (e.g., in two or three locations around the perimeter) in a direction substantially perpendicular to the perimeter to form the region 730 which is configured to receive the one or more hairs 321. The at least one support 720 can comprise spacers that mechanically couple the band to the housing 330 and keep at least a portion of the band stretched away from the perimeter while the apparatus 300 is being placed into position on the recipient’s body. Upon the apparatus 300 being at the position and in response to a manual force applied to the housing 330, the band, and / or the spacers, the band can be released (e.g., no longer stretched) such that the band collapses onto the perimeter (e.g., the second state, as shown in FIG. 10B), thereby holding (e.g., trapping) the one or more hairs 321 between the band and the perimeter. In certain implementations, another manual force applied to the housing 330, the band, and / or the spacers can return the band to the first state as part of the process for removing the apparatus 300 from the recipient’s body. In certain implementations, the change from the first state to the second state and / or thechange from the second state to the first state can be automatic upon the apparatus 300 being placed onto and / or removed from, respectively, the recipient’s body.

[0067] In certain other implementations, the annular element 710 comprises a rigid ring (e.g., metal; titanium; plastic; PEEK). In the first state, the ring is substantially concentric with the housing 330 and is spaced (e.g., offset) from the housing 330 (e.g., in a direction substantially perpendicular to the housing 330 and / or the ring) to form the region 730 which is configured to receive the one or more hairs 321. The at least one support 720 can comprise rails that mechanically couple the ring to the housing 330 and keep the ring offset from the housing 330 while the apparatus 300 is being placed into position on the recipient’s body. Upon the apparatus 300 being at the position and in response to a manual force applied to the housing 330, the ring, and / or the rails, the ring can be snapped onto the perimeter of the housing 330 (e.g., the second state, as shown in FIG. 10B), thereby holding (e.g., trapping) the one or more hairs 321 between the ring and the perimeter. In certain implementations, another manual force applied to the housing 330, the ring, and / or the rails can return the ring to the first state as part of the process for removing the apparatus 300 from the recipient’s body. The inner perimeter of the ring can be tapered to facilitate the ring being snapped onto the outer perimeter of the housing 330 and / or can comprise ribs or other protrusions configured to facilitate capture of the one or more hairs 321. In certain implementations, the change from the first state to the second state and / or the change from the second state to the first state can be automatic upon the apparatus 300 being placed onto and / or removed from, respectively, the recipient’s body. In certain other implementations, the annular element 710 comprises a hinge between two portions (e.g., two halves) of the rigid ring, the hinge in mechanical communication with an end portion of each of the two portions. The hinge can be configured to allow the rigid ring to be closed onto the housing 330 (e.g., the non-hinged end portions of each of the two portions moving towards one another and clasped or snapped to one another) to hold (e.g., trap) the one or more hairs 321 between the ring and the perimeter and to allow the rigid ring to be opened and removed from the housing 330 (e.g., the non-hinged end portions of each of the two portions unclasped from one another and moved away from one another) to release the one or more hairs 321.

[0068] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of an example method 800 in accordance with certain implementations described herein. While the method 800 is described by referring tosome of the structures of the example apparatus 300 of FIGs. 3A-3B, 4A-4D, 5A-5B, 6A-6B, 7, 8A-8B, 9A-9B, and 10A-10B other apparatus and systems with other configurations of components can also be used to perform the method 800 in accordance with certain implementations described herein.

[0069] In an operational block 810, the method 800 comprises placing a first device (e.g. apparatus 300) at a location on a portion of a recipient’s body at which the first device is configured to be in wireless communication with a second device (e.g., implantable component 310) within the recipient’s body. For example, the first device can be held by a single hand of the recipient which the recipient uses to place the first device at the location. For another example, the first device can be held by a single hand of a caretaker of the recipient (e.g., a caretaker of a child) which the caretaker uses to place the first device at the location.

[0070] In an operational block 820, the method 800 further comprises, while the first device is at the location, actuating a hair-engaging mechanism of the first device (e.g., the at least one actuator 340) to secure the first device to hairs 321 of the recipient’s body. For example, actuating the hair-engagement mechanism can comprise manually manipulating the hair-engagement mechanism using a single hand (e.g., the same hand that places the first device at the location).

[0071] In an operational block 830, the method 800 further comprises using one or more of the hairs 321 to facilitate holding the first device at the location. For example, the first device can comprise at least one external magnet (e.g., the at least one external magnetic material 334) and the implanted second device can comprise at least one implanted magnet (e.g., the at least one internal magnetic material 316). The at least one external magnet and the at least one implanted magnet can be configured to generate an attractive magnetic force that at least partially holds the first device at the location. In this way, the hair-engagement device can keep the first device from being dislodged from the location even under external forces that overcomes the attractive magnetic force. In certain implementations, the hair-engagement device can maintain the wireless electrical communication between the at least one external communication coil 332 and the at least one internal communication coil 314 under conditions during which the attractive magnetic force is insufficient to do so.

[0072] Although commonly used terms are used to describe the systems and methods of certain implementations for ease of understanding, these terms are used herein tohave their broadest reasonable interpretations. Although various aspects of the disclosure are described with regard to illustrative examples and implementations, the disclosed examples and implementations should not be construed as limiting. Conditional language, such as, among others, "can," "could," "might," or "may," unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain implementations include, while other implementations do not include, certain features, elements and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements and / or steps are in any way required for one or more implementations or that one or more implementations necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements and / or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular implementation. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a nonexclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced.

[0073] It is to be appreciated that the implementations disclosed herein are not mutually exclusive and may be combined with one another in various arrangements. In addition, although the disclosed methods and apparatuses have largely been described in the context of various devices, various implementations described herein can be incorporated in a variety of other suitable devices, methods, and contexts. More generally, as can be appreciated, certain implementations described herein can be used in a variety of implantable medical device contexts that can benefit from certain attributes described herein.

[0074] Language of degree, as used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially,” represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within ± 10% of, within ± 5% of, within ± 2% of, within ± 1% of, or within ± 0.1% of the stated amount. As another example, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by ± 10 degrees, by ± 5 degrees, by ± 2 degrees, by ± 1 degree, or by ± 0.1 degree, and the terms “generally perpendicular” and “substantially perpendicular”refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly perpendicular by ± 10 degrees, by ± 5 degrees, by ± 2 degrees, by ± 1 degree, or by ± 0.1 degree. The ranges disclosed herein also encompass any and all overlap, sub-ranges, and combinations thereof. Language such as “up to,” “at least,” “greater than,” less than,” “between,” and the like includes the number recited. As used herein, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “said” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “into” and “on,” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0075] While the methods and systems are discussed herein in terms of elements labeled by ordinal adjectives (e.g., first, second, etc.), the ordinal adjective are used merely as labels to distinguish one element from another (e.g., one signal from another or one circuit from one another), and the ordinal adjective is not used to denote an order of these elements or of their use.

[0076] The invention described and claimed herein is not to be limited in scope by the specific example implementations herein disclosed, since these implementations are intended as illustrations, and not limitations, of several aspects of the invention. Any equivalent implementations are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the invention in form and detail, in addition to those shown and described herein, will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing description. Such modifications are also intended to fall within the scope of the claims. The breadth and scope of the invention should not be limited by any of the example implementations disclosed herein but should be defined only in accordance with the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An apparatus comprising: a housing configured to be worn externally at a predetermined position on a recipient’s body over an implanted device within the recipient’s body; and at least one actuator affixed to an outer portion of the housing and configured to generate a first force at least partially holding the housing at the predetermined position, the at least one actuator configured to be controllably actuated to be in a selected state of at least two states comprising: a first state in which the at least one actuator is configured to not hold hairs of the recipient’s body; and a second state in which the at least one actuator is configured to hold one or more hairs of the recipient’s body.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the implanted device is beneath a portion of skin of the recipient’s body at the predetermined position.

3. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one actuator is configured to be controllably actuated by manual manipulations using a single hand.

4. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one actuator comprises: a first portion comprising at least one first orifice; and a second portion comprising at least one second orifice, at least one of the first portion and the second portion controllably movable such that, in the first state, the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice are aligned with one another such that the one or more hairs can move through both the first portion and the second portion and, in the second state, the at least one first orifice and the at least one second orifice are misaligned with one another such that the one or more hairs are held by the first portion and the second portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first portion is substantially planar and the second portion is substantially planar and substantially parallel to the first portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises at least one spring mechanically coupled to the housing and to at least one of thefirst portion and the second portion, the at least one spring configured to generate a restoring force which biases the at least one actuator to be in the second state.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises a pivot and a lever in mechanical communication with the at least one spring and the first portion and / or the second portion, the lever configured to rotate about the pivot in response to a manual force applied to the lever to laterally move the first portion and / or the second portion such that the at least one actuator is in the first state.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises a button in mechanical communication with the at least one spring and the first portion and / or the second portion, the button configured to move in response to a manual force applied to the button to laterally move the first portion and / or the second portion such that the at least one actuator is in the first state.

9. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one actuator comprises: a membrane; and a plurality of protrusions extending from a surface of the membrane and having end portions spaced away from the surface, the surface configured to be substantially planar or convex in the first state with the end portions of the plurality of protrusions having a first distance therebetween such that the one or more hairs are not held by the plurality of protrusions, the surface further configured to be concave in the second state with the end portions of the plurality of protrusions having a second distance therebetween, the second distance less than the first distance, such that the one or more hairs are held by the plurality of protrusions.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one actuator is configured to change from the first state to the second state upon the membrane and / or at least one protrusion being placed in contact with the recipient’s body.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises a driver configured to be in mechanical communication with the membrane, the driver configured to be manually manipulated by the recipient to place the at least one actuator in the first state.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the driver comprises an elongate element having a first end portion extending from a top surface of the housing and a second end portion in mechanical communication with the membrane at a bottom surface of the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the driver comprises a piston extending from a top surface of the housing and a volume containing a fluid, the volume bounded and sealed by the piston and by the membrane.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the driver comprises a first magnet in mechanical communication with the membrane at a bottom surface of the housing and a second magnet on or within the housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein each of the first magnet and the second magnet comprises a permanent magnet.

16. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one actuator comprises: a fulcrum in mechanical communication with the housing; and a rigid elongate body rotatably coupled to the fulcrum, the body comprising a first end portion configured to mechanically engage the one or more hairs and a second end portion configured to be manually manipulated by the recipient.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein, in the first state, the first end portion is spaced away from an outer surface of the housing and, in the second state, the first end portion holds the one or more hairs between the first end portion and the outer surface of the housing.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 or claim 17, wherein the at least one actuator further comprises at least one spring and / or one or more magnets configured to generate a restoring force that returns the body to the second state upon an external force not being applied to the second end portion.

19. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one actuator comprises: a resilient band configured to, in the second state, extend at least partially around a perimeter of the housing; and a support in mechanical communication with the band and the housing, the support and / or band configured to be manually manipulated by the recipient, wherein, in the first state, at least a portion of the band is stretched away from the perimeter in a-SO-direction substantially perpendicular to the perimeter such that the one or more hairs in a region between the band and the perimeter are not held by the band and the perimeter and, in the second state, the one or more hairs in the region are held between the band and the perimeter.

20. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the at least one actuator comprises: a rigid ring configured to, in the second state, extend around a perimeter of the housing; and a support in mechanical communication with the ring and the housing, the support and / or ring configured to be manually manipulated by the recipient, wherein, in the first state, the ring is spaced from the housing such that the one or more hairs in a region between the ring and the perimeter are not held by the ring and the perimeter and, in the second state, the one or more hairs in the region are held by the ring and the perimeter.

21. The apparatus of any preceding claim, further comprising circuitry on or within the housing, the circuitry configured to, with the housing at the predetermined position, wirelessly communicate with the implanted device.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the implanted device comprises at least one implanted communication coil and the circuitry comprises at least one external communication coil configured to be inductively coupled to the at least one implanted communication coil.

23. The apparatus of any preceding claim, wherein the implanted device comprises at least one implanted magnet, the apparatus further comprising at least one external magnet on or within the housing, the at least one external magnet and the at least one implanted magnet configured to generate a magnetic second force at least partially holding the housing at the predetermined position.

24. A method comprising: placing a first device at a location on a portion of a recipient’s body at which the first device is configured to be in wireless communication with an implanted second device within the recipient’s body; andwhile the first device is at the location, actuating a hair-engaging mechanism of the first device to secure the first device to hairs of the recipient’s body; and using one or more of the hairs to facilitate holding the first device at the location.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein actuating the hair-engagement mechanism comprises manually manipulating the hair-engagement mechanism using a single hand.

26. The method of claim 24 or claim 25, wherein the first device comprises at least one external magnet and the implanted second device comprises at least one implanted magnet, the at least one external magnet and the at least one implanted magnet configured to generate a magnetic force at least partially holding the first device at the location.

27. The method of any of claims 24 to 26, wherein the implanted second device comprises an implanted portion of an auditory system.

28. An apparatus comprising: a casing configured to be worn externally at a predetermined position on a recipient’s body over an implanted device within the recipient’s body; at least one first magnetic material on or within the casing, the at least one first magnetic material configured to generate an attractive magnetic force with at least one second magnetic material within the implanted device, the attractive magnetic force configured to hold the casing on the recipient’s body; at least one clasp in rigid mechanical communication with the casing, the at least one clasp configured to mechanically grip one or more hairs of the recipient with a mechanical force configured to supplement the attractive magnetic force.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the mechanical force is configured to keep the casing from being dislodged from the predetermined position on the recipient’s body upon application of an impulse or other external force that overcomes the attractive magnetic force.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 or claim 29, wherein the implanted device is below a scalp portion of the recipient, the casing is configured to be worn on the scalp portion, and the at least one clasp is configured to mechanically grip at least some scalp hair of the recipient.

31. The apparatus of any of claims 28 to 30, further comprising at least one external communication coil configured to be in wireless electrical communication with at least one internal communication coil of the implanted device upon the casing being positioned at thepredetermined position, the at least one clasp configured to maintain the wireless electrical communication between the at least one external communication coil and the at least one internal communication coil under conditions during which the attractive magnetic force is insufficient to do so.

32. The apparatus of any of claims 28 to 31, wherein the at least one clasp is configured to be attached to and / or detached from the one or more hairs by manual manipulations using a single hand.

Images