Magnetic Coupling Arrangement for Implantable Medical Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coupling arrangements for implantable medical devices, such as bone conduction devices, often result in excessive point loads on the recipient's tissue, leading to potential damage, pressure wounds, or necrosis due to uneven pressure distribution.
Innovation Solution
A coupling arrangement that magnetically couples an external component to an implantable component using a pressure plate with strategically positioned and strength-differentiated external magnets, minimizing point loads and ensuring a substantially uniform pressure is applied to the tissue, thereby reducing tissue damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a pressure plate is used to secure the external component to the implantable component, then the coupling force is improved, but excessive point loads are applied to the tissue causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The pressure plate is segmented into multiple magnetic coupling zones with different magnetic strengths distributed across its surface. This segmentation allows the total coupling force to be distributed across multiple contact points rather than concentrated at a single point, reducing point loads on the tissue while maintaining the overall coupling force between the external and implantable components.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the pressure plate are assigned different local magnetic properties (varying magnetic strengths) to create a non-uniform magnetic field distribution. This local quality variation ensures that areas with higher magnetic strength provide more coupling force where needed, while areas with lower magnetic strength apply less force to sensitive tissue regions, thereby preventing tissue damage while maintaining effective coupling.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If uniform pressure distribution is achieved across the pressure plate, then tissue damage is reduced, but the coupling force may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The magnetic strength parameter is varied across different regions of the pressure plate rather than being uniform. By changing this physical parameter spatially, the system achieves an optimized balance where the integrated total magnetic force provides sufficient coupling strength, while the local magnetic strength variations ensure that no single point exerts excessive pressure on the tissue, thus preventing damage.
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 effectively reduces tissue damage by minimizing point loads and ensuring a uniform pressure distribution, maintaining the integrity of the tissue adjacent to the coupling arrangement while securing the external component.
Implementation Method 1
The pressure plate is configured to magnetically couple to the implantable component
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~2C
AI summary
Embodiments presented herein are generally directed to a coupling arrangement for securing an external component to a recipient of an implantable medical device. The coupling arrangement is configured to magnetically couple the external component to a recipient so as to minimize damage to tissue of the recipient adjacent to the coupling arrangement.