Implantable Scalp Chipset for Bone-Conduction Audio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hands-free communication devices, such as Bluetooth ear buds, can be cumbersome for highly active individuals like military members and athletes, as they require carrying a cellular telephone and wearing ear buds.
Innovation Solution
A communicating device is embedded under the user's scalp, featuring a microphone and speaker between the scalp and skull bone, powered by a rechargeable battery, to sense and transmit sound vibrations, and a chipset for wireless communication with a remote device, all encased in a biocompatible envelope.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional Bluetooth ear buds and cellular telephones are used for hands-free communication, then communication functionality is achieved, but the device becomes cumbersome and inconvenient for highly active individuals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the cellular telephone and ear bud functions into a single integrated implantable device. The microphone, speaker, processor, and cellular communication components are merged into one unit embedded in the user's skull, eliminating the need to carry separate devices. This merging directly resolves the contradiction by reducing device complexity while maintaining hands-free operation convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The implanted device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a cellular telephone for remote communication, ear buds for audio output, and includes a microphone for voice input. The single device handles all communication tasks, making it universal and eliminating the need for multiple separate devices, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and device complexity.
2Reliability
If a microphone and speaker are embedded under the scalp for direct bone transmission, then sound transmission efficiency is improved, but the device complexity and surgical complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the skull bone itself as an intermediary medium for sound transmission. Instead of transmitting sound through air through the ear canal, the microphone and speaker directly transmit vibrations through the skull bone to the inner ear. This intermediary approach improves sound transmission reliability while the integrated design keeps device complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a biocompatible envelope as a flexible protective shell surrounding the embedded components. This envelope ensures proper integration with the skull, provides protection for the electronic components, and maintains the structural integrity needed for reliable sound transmission through the bone while managing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If implantable components are placed between scalp and skull bone, then hands-free communication is achieved, but surgical complexity and potential harm to the user increase
Solution Approach 1:
The biocompatible envelope acts as a protective flexible shell that isolates the electronic components from direct contact with biological tissues while still allowing the necessary sound vibration transmission. This shell protects the user from potential harm from exposed electronic components while maintaining hands-free communication functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters of the envelope to be biocompatible, ensuring that the implanted device does not cause harmful reactions in the user's body. By selecting appropriate materials and adjusting physical parameters, the patent reduces potential harm from the surgical embedding process while maintaining the desired hands-free communication capability.
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 hands-free wireless communication without the need to carry a cellular telephone or wear ear buds, providing secure and efficient sound transmission through the skull bone, suitable for active users.
Implementation Method 1
A microphone is embedded between the scalp and the skull bone of the user so as to sense user-generated sound vibrations corresponding to verbal sounds and other sounds generated by the user from the skull bone
Implementation Method 2
A speaker is embedded between the scalp and a skull bone of the user so as to transmit received sound vibrations to the skull bone in response to a second electrical signal
Implementation Method 3
A battery powers the chipset and is rechargeable by a wireless power transfer device
Implementation Method 4
A battery powers the chipset and is rechargeable by a wireless power transfer device
Data Source
AI summary
A communicating device (100) for a user having a scalp (10) and a skull bone (12). A microphone (120) embedded between the scalp (10) and the skull bone (12) senses from the skull bone (12) user-generated sound vibrations and generates a first electrical signal representative thereof. A speaker (130) embedded between the scalp (10) and a skull bone transmits received sound vibrations to the skull bone (12) in response to a second electrical signal. The received sound vibrations are sensed by the user. A chipset (110) embedded between the scalp (10) and a skull bone (12) of the user is electrically coupled to the microphone (120) so as to receive the first electrical signal and is electrically coupled to the speaker (130) so as to generate the second electrical signal. The chipset (110) includes a circuit that is configured to communicate with a remote wireless communication device (14).