Compliant Skin-Contacting External Housing for Magnetic Retention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical devices face challenges in securely attaching external components to the body while maintaining comfort and reducing the risk of unintentional dislodgement, particularly due to varying skin curvatures and pressure distribution issues.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus with a concave and resilient portion that flexes in response to magnetic force, conforming to the body's curvature and increasing contact area, thereby distributing retention force evenly and enhancing translational friction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a rigid housing is used to hold the external device, then structural strength is improved, but comfort and adaptability to body curvature deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two distinct portions: a rigid first portion that maintains structural strength and houses electronic components, and a compliant second portion that flexes to conform to body curvature. This segmentation allows each portion to optimize its function independently.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion of the housing is made from a compliant material that can flex and deform to match the curvature of the recipient's body surface. This flexible portion maintains contact pressure while adapting to varying body geometries, solving the contradiction between rigidity and adaptability.
2Reliability
If magnetic force is increased to improve retention, then stability is improved, but pressure on the body increases causing discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The compliant portion changes its physical state by flexing and deforming under magnetic force, allowing the system to achieve strong retention through magnetic attraction while distributing the mechanical pressure over a larger contact area through geometric transformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The second portion is designed with a concave curvature that allows it to flex and conform to the body surface. This curvature enables the portion to adapt to varying body geometries while maintaining adequate contact area for pressure distribution even under strong magnetic retention forces.
3Ease of operation
If contact area is increased to distribute pressure, then comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second portion is constructed as a flexible, compliant element that can deform to increase contact area with the body surface. This flexible structure achieves pressure distribution without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms, maintaining relative simplicity while improving comfort.
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
This design improves comfort and stability by allowing larger retention forces without pressure buildup and reduces the risk of unintentional dislodgement, ensuring secure attachment of external medical device components.
Implementation Method 1
at least one magnet contained within the housing. The at least one magnet is configured to interact with the implanted device to generate an attractive magnetic force configured to hold the housing on the recipient's body
Implementation Method 2
a concave and resilient portion configured to contact the recipient's body while the housing is held by the magnetic force on the recipient's body. The portion is configured to flex in response to being pressed against the recipient's body by the magnetic force
Implementation Method 3
The at least one external device comprises a resilient wall having a surface configured to, in response to being pressed against the recipient's skin by the attractive force, contact the recipient's skin, substantially conform to a curvature of the recipient's skin, and generate a restoring force pressing against the recipient's skin
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a housing configured to be worn on a recipient's body, circuitry contained within the housing, the circuitry configured to be in wireless communication with an implanted device within the recipient's body, and at least one magnet contained within the housing and configured to interact with the implanted device to generate an attractive magnetic force configured to hold the housing on the recipient's body. The apparatus further includes a concave and resilient portion configured to contact the recipient's body while the housing is held by the magnetic force on the recipient's body. The portion is configured to flex in response to being pressed against the recipient's body by the magnetic force.