Cochlear Implant NIR Link for Artifact-Free Brain Activity Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing aid technologies face challenges in accurately measuring brain activity in cochlear implant patients due to electrical artefacts, and there is a need for efficient data and power transfer across the skin in hearing aid devices.
Innovation Solution
A cochlear implant system utilizing near-infrared (NIR) transmission and electromagnetic power transfer for non-contact data and power exchange, combined with functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure brain activity and adapt hearing aid settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If EEG recording is performed on cochlear implant patients, then brain activity measurement is enabled, but electrical artefacts from CI electrodes overwhelm the EEG signal and make continuous recording difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces near-infrared light as an intermediary medium to measure brain activity. Instead of directly measuring electrical potentials that are contaminated by CI electrode artefacts, the system uses NIR light to detect hemodynamic changes in the brain, providing a clean measurement pathway that is immune to electrical interference from the cochlear implant.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electrical measurement approach (EEG) with an optical measurement approach (fNIRS). This substitution fundamentally changes the physical domain of measurement from electrical to optical, thereby eliminating the interference problem where electrical artefacts from CI electrodes overwhelmed the EEG signal.
2Measurement precision
If fMRI is used to assess auditory cortex activation, then speech processing capability is evaluated, but the ferromagnetic CI device interferes with the magnetic field and general anesthesia is required to keep children still
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces magnetic field-based fMRI with optical field-based fNIRS measurement. This substitution eliminates the interaction between the ferromagnetic CI device and the external magnetic field, allowing functional assessment of the auditory cortex in CI patients without requiring anesthesia or special precautions for magnetic field interference.
3Productivity
If data and power are transferred across the skin in hearing aid devices, then full-duplex communication is enabled, but optimizing data rates and power efficiency simultaneously is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data and power transfer functions into separate channels: electromagnetic induction is dedicated to power transfer, while optical communication handles data transfer. This functional separation allows each channel to be optimized independently for its specific purpose, achieving both high data rates and efficient power transfer without mutual interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical communication as an intermediary for data transfer, separate from the electromagnetic induction channel used for power transfer. This intermediary approach enables full-duplex communication where data and power can be transmitted simultaneously through different physical mechanisms, optimizing both data rate and power efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables continuous brain activity measurement without interference from electrical artefacts, and facilitates high-data rate, asynchronous data transfer with optimized power efficiency, supporting improved cochlear implant performance and user adaptation.
Implementation Method 1
a near-infrared transmitter configured to transmit a near-infrared wave
Implementation Method 2
the near-infrared receiver may be an internal near-infrared receiver provided on said implant part and configured to receive said near-infrared wave scattered by said cortex of said user
Implementation Method 3
an electromagnetic power transmission unit provided on said external part and configured to transmit electromagnetic power in a non-contact manner
Implementation Method 4
an electromagnetic power receiving unit provided on said implant part and configured to receive said electromagnetic power in a non-contact manner
Data Source
AI summary
A cochlear implant hearing aid system is disclosed. The cochlear implant hearing aid system comprises an external part. The external part includes a sound pickup unit configured to pick up sound from the environment and a sound processing unit configured to process said sound. The cochlear implant hearing aid system further comprises an implant part. The implant part includes an implant processing unit and a plurality of cochlea stimulation electrodes for stimulation of a cochlea of a user. The cochlear implant hearing aid system further comprises a near-infrared transmitter configured to transmit a near-infrared wave. The cochlear implant hearing aid system further comprises a near-infrared receiver configured to receive said near-infrared wave.