Low Power Cochlear Implants with Integrated Sensor Front-End
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cochlear implants face challenges with high power consumption and external microphone stigma, limiting their use in social and water-based activities due to their external placement.
Innovation Solution
The development of fully implantable systems with low-power circuits, including a sensor front-end circuit, sound processor circuit, and waveform stimulator, manufactured on a single chip, which efficiently detect and process sound pressure and deliver energy-efficient stimulation pulses to auditory nerves, allowing for implantation within the ear and operation at extremely low power levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional cochlear implants use external microphones, then sound detection capability is achieved, but social stigma and limitation in water-based activities occur due to external placement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the acoustic sensor, signal processing circuits, and stimulation generator into a single integrated implantable device. The acoustic sensor is positioned in the ear canal to detect sound pressure directly, eliminating the need for external microphones and associated components, thereby enabling use in water activities while reducing social stigma.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where the acoustic sensor is positioned within the ear canal, the processing circuits are integrated within the implantable device housing, and the electrode array is nested within the cochlea. This nested arrangement allows all functional components to be contained within the ear structure, eliminating external components.
2Power
If cochlear implants use traditional high-power circuits, then sufficient stimulation capability is achieved, but battery life is limited due to high power consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs low-power circuit design techniques including sub-threshold CMOS operation to reduce power consumption of processing circuits. The stimulation parameters are optimized to deliver effective neural activation at lower power levels, and the acoustic sensor operates at minimal power while maintaining sufficient sensitivity for hearing assistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements periodic stimulation delivery where the implantable device processes acoustic signals and delivers electrical stimulation pulses to the auditory nerve in a periodic manner synchronized with the detected sound waveform. This periodic action allows the system to achieve effective stimulation while minimizing average power consumption compared to continuous operation.
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 system achieves significant power reduction, enabling extended battery life and aesthetic convenience by being fully implantable, allowing users to utilize the cochlear implants during activities like showering or water sports without external visibility.
Implementation Method 1
an acoustic sensor (e.g., a microphone, an accelerometer, or a piezoelectric sensor) mounted in the middle ear to efficiently detect incoming sound pressure
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, the disclosure features systems for providing auditory signals to a subject. The systems include a sensor front-end circuit configured to be connected to an acoustic sensor and to convert analog signals received from the acoustic sensor to digital electric signals. The systems further include a sound processor circuit configured to be connected to the sensor front-end circuit and receive the electric signals provided by the sensor front end circuit. The sound processor includes multiple filters that spectrally decompose the received electrical signals into multiple spectral channels during operation of the system. The multiple spectral channels include at least a low frequency channel and a high frequency channel and the sound processor circuit is configured to operate the low frequency channel at a sample rate lower than a sample rate of the high frequency channel.