Rotatable External Coil Housing for Vestibular Implant Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vestibular implant systems face challenges with the correct placement of external motion sensors due to rotational freedom, leading to potential misalignment and increased system size, which can cause safety issues and skin irritation.
Innovation Solution
The design includes an external coil housing with a holding magnet and multiple coil segments that allow rotational adjustment, enabling the external coil to naturally rotate while maintaining alignment with the implant, reducing system size and skin contact, and using a signal processor to quantify and correct for rotations in the implant communication signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If axially magnetized magnets are used to hold the external unit over the implant, then the external coil is placed in a concentric orientation, but the external unit can still rotate radially 360 degrees causing misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The external coil is divided into multiple segments (at least two segments) that can be independently positioned. Each segment can be selectively activated based on the detected rotational position, allowing the system to maintain accurate alignment without requiring a complex mechanical fixation mechanism that completely eliminates rotation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors to detect the rotational position of the external unit relative to the implant. This feedback information is used by the control circuit to determine which coil segments should be activated, enabling dynamic compensation for rotational misalignment and maintaining reliable communication without additional fixation complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple magnets are used to prevent rotation, then alignment is improved, but the system size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical anti-rotation mechanisms (multiple magnets and fixation structures) with an electromagnetic solution. Coil segments are selectively activated based on detected rotational position, providing alignment correction without requiring additional physical space for mechanical restraint structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the coil segments rather than physically constraining the external unit. By selectively activating different coil segments based on rotational detection, the system maintains alignment accuracy without adding physical bulk through multiple magnets or fixation devices.
3Reliability
If additional fixation devices are used to prevent rotation, then alignment is maintained, but skin irritation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces mechanical fixation devices that contact and irritate the skin with a sensor-based detection and selective coil activation system. This eliminates the need for additional magnets, adhesives, or physical restraints that would increase skin irritation while maintaining orientation stability through electronic compensation.
4Reliability
If the external coil is fixed in a specific orientation, then alignment with the implant is improved, but the system cannot accommodate patient movement and rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static, fixed-orientation coil to a dynamic system with multiple selectable coil segments. The control circuit dynamically activates different segments based on real-time detection of rotational position, allowing the system to adapt to patient movement and rotation while maintaining reliable communication and alignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The external unit is designed with multiple coil segments that can serve different functions based on rotational position. The same coil segments used for communication can be selectively activated to accommodate various orientations and patient movements, providing universal functionality without requiring separate fixation mechanisms for each orientation.
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 real-time correction of rotational position, reduces system size and weight, decreases skin irritation, and eliminates the need for additional fixation devices, enhancing safety and compatibility with MRI.
Implementation Method 1
configured to cooperate with a corresponding implant communications coil arrangement located under the skin for transcutaneous inductive coupling of the implant communications signal between the external communications coil and the implant communications coil
Implementation Method 2
An external holding magnet is contained within the external coil housing and is configured to cooperate with a corresponding implant holding magnet that is located under the skin to securely hold the skin interface surface against the skin over the implant holding magnet
Data Source
AI summary
A portion of a vestibular prosthesis system is described which includes an external coil housing and an external holding magnet that allow rotation of the external coil housing around a rotation axis that passes through the external holding magnet orthogonal to a skin interface surface. An external communications coil arrangement within the housing includes three or more external coil segments rotationally adjacent to each other around the rotation axis, each external coil segment being independently operable by an external signal processor for coupling an implant communication signal. And the external signal processor is configured to periodically operate the external coil segments to quantify rotation of the external coil housing and adjust the signal component of the implant communication signal to offset quantified rotation of the housing.