Implantable Battery Device for Cochlear Implants
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cochlear implant systems face issues with energy transmission due to biological tissue heating and aesthetic concerns caused by large external devices, leading to discomfort and reluctance among users to wear them.
Innovation Solution
An implantable battery device with a first antenna for inductive energy supply and a second antenna for wireless communication, allowing for smaller external devices and improved aesthetics by removing the need for large coils and enabling efficient energy and data transmission, along with a processing unit to control energy transfer and battery charging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If large coils are used for energy transmission, then tissue heating is reduced, but aesthetic appearance deteriorates and device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the battery from the external device and places it inside the implantable device. This removes the need for large external coils for energy transmission, as the internal battery can be charged using much smaller coils. The external device only needs to transmit data and charging signals, not the full energy required to operate the implant.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the energy transmission function from the data communication function. The first antenna is dedicated to inductive energy supply while the second antenna handles wireless data communication. This segmentation allows each antenna to be optimized independently, with the data communication antenna being much smaller since it only needs to transmit low-power signals.
2Reliability
If large external devices are used for energy transmission, then reliable energy supply is ensured, but device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The battery function is extracted from the external device and relocated to the implantable device. This allows the external device to be significantly reduced in size while maintaining reliable energy supply through the internal battery. The external device becomes a simple charging and communication unit rather than a full power source.
Solution Approach 2:
The implantable battery acts as an intermediary energy storage device between the external charging device and the cochlear implant circuitry. It receives energy from small external coils and stores it for powering the implant, eliminating the need for the external device to directly provide high-power energy transmission.
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
The solution reduces tissue heating, prolongs battery life, and enhances the aesthetic appeal of cochlear implant systems, making them more comfortable and attractive for users, while allowing for retrofitted existing implants and reduced size of external sound processors.
Implementation Method 1
The first antenna is configured to supply energy inductively from the battery to a first device
Implementation Method 2
The transmitter coil generates an alternating electromagnetic field, which inductively transmits information and energy to the receiver coil of the cochlear implant
Data Source
AI summary
An implantable battery device is disclosed, which comprises a battery, a first antenna, a second antenna, and a driving unit. The first antenna is configured to inductively supply energy from the battery to a first device and to transmit information received from a processing unit to the first device. The second antenna is provided for wireless communication with a second device. The driving unit is configured to operate the first antenna according to control signals received from the processing unit. The processing unit is configured to transmit control signals to the driving unit to control the inductive supply of energy to the first device, to receive information via the second antenna from the second device, and to transmit information received via the second antenna from the second device to the first device via the first antenna driven by the driving unit.