Implantable Hearing Prosthesis Integrity Evaluation System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable hearing prostheses face challenges with intermittent failures and malfunctions due to manufacturing defects, material degradation, and changes in the user's ear function, requiring costly and time-consuming reactive testing by specialists, which can be inconclusive and lead to false positives.
Innovation Solution
An integrated integrity system within the implantable hearing prosthesis that measures electrical characteristics, evaluates operational performance, and performs diagnostic operations to identify and correct errors, including supply voltage and electrode impedance tests, enabling self-correction and real-time monitoring.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If reactive testing by specialists using specialized equipment is performed, then device integrity can be evaluated, but the process becomes expensive and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing prosthesis performs self-diagnostics by measuring its own electrical characteristics (impedance, voltage, current) and comparing them against stored reference values to detect failures or malfunctions autonomously, eliminating the need for external specialist testing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical/electrical testing equipment with integrated electronic sensing and processing circuits within the prosthesis itself, using electrical measurements (impedance, voltage, current) to detect device integrity issues
2Reliability
If reactive testing by specialists using specialized equipment is performed, then device integrity can be evaluated, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing prosthesis performs self-diagnostics by measuring its own electrical characteristics (impedance, voltage, current) and comparing them against stored reference values to detect failures or malfunctions autonomously, eliminating the need for external specialist testing
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis uses its existing operational components (electrodes, power supply, signal processing circuits) for dual purposes: both hearing function and self-diagnostics, eliminating the need for separate specialized testing equipment
3Reliability
If testing is performed after user reports problems, then device failures are detected, but the results may be inconclusive due to intermittent issues
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors electrical characteristics and performs self-diagnostics proactively before failures occur, comparing real-time measurements against reference values to detect intermittent issues that would be missed in reactive testing
Solution Approach 2:
The prosthesis continuously measures its own electrical characteristics and compares them against stored reference values, providing ongoing feedback about device integrity and enabling detection of intermittent problems through trend analysis
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 solution allows for proactive and efficient assessment and correction of issues, reducing the need for costly clinic visits, providing accurate diagnostics, and maintaining optimal device performance even with limited access to service providers.
Implementation Method 1
measuring one or more electrical characteristics of at least one component of the prosthesis
Data Source
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AI summary
An implantable hearing prosthesis, comprising an integrated integrity system. The integrity system is configured to measure one or more electrical characteristics of at least one component of the prosthesis, to evaluate the integrity of the prosthesis based on the measurements, and to perform at least one diagnostic operation based on the evaluation.