Multi-pole magnetic coupling for bone conduction device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10129667-B2
Application number	US-201715440593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 26, 2016
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

A percutaneous bone conduction auditory prosthesis utilizes a multipole magnetic coupling system to secure the external device to an abutment that is secured to the skull of a recipient. With the multipole magnetic coupling system, a very strong retention force is formed between the device and the abutment. The multipole magnetic coupling system can include a complex array of exposed poles, such that the retention forces are coordinated with a mating abutment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bone conduction hearing prosthesis comprising a vibration actuator and a magnetic coupling assembly connected to the vibration actuator, wherein the magnetic coupling assembly comprises an engagement surface having a plurality of exposed poles, including both a north pole and a south pole, that is configured to secure the bone conduction hearing prosthesis to a percutaneous abutment and transfer vibrations from the vibration actuator to bone of a recipient to cause a hearing percept.

2. The bone conduction hearing prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes an output shaft, the magnetic coupling assembly is disposed on an end of the output shaft, and the magnetic coupling assembly terminates at the engagement surface at a position furthest from the actuator.

3. The bone conduction hearing prosthesis of claim 2 , wherein the engagement surface comprises a plurality of north poles and a plurality of south poles disposed symmetrically about a longitudinal axis of the output shaft.

4. The bone conduction hearing prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the engagement surface comprises at least three distinct magnetic poles.

5. The bone conduction hearing prosthesis of claim 1 , further comprising:
the percutaneous abutment, wherein the percutaneous abutment is configured to be secured to bone with a securement element disposed at a first end of the abutment; and
an abutment magnetic engagement surface disposed at a second end of the abutment opposite the first end,
wherein the abutment magnetic engagement surface includes a plurality of exposed poles, including both a north pole and a south pole, and wherein the abutment magnetic engagement surface is configured to magnetically engage with the engagement surface of the magnetic coupling assembly.

6. The bone conduction hearing prosthesis of claim 5 , wherein the engagement surface of the magnetic coupling assembly is configured to sit flush against the abutment magnetic engagement surface with no overlap between the percutaneous abutment and the magnetic coupling assembly.

7. The bone conduction hearing prosthesis of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator shaft defining a shaft axis, wherein the plurality of exposed poles are disposed on the engagement surface so as to enable magnetic engagement between the engagement surface and an abutment magnetic engagement surface at a plurality of discrete positions about the shaft axis.

8. The bone conduction hearing prosthesis of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic coupling assembly is configured to support the full weight of the bone conduction hearing prosthesis when the bone conduction hearing prosthesis is worn by a recipient.

9. An apparatus comprising a wearable prosthesis having a housing defining an input port and a magnetic engagement surface configured to secure the wearable prosthesis to a percutaneous abutment,
wherein the magnetic engagement surface defines a pattern of exposed magnetic poles that are engageable with a reciprocal magnetic engagement surface of the percutaneous abutment such that the input port is positionable only in select positions relative to the percutaneous abutment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the percutaneous abutment is configured to be secured to bone with a securement element disposed at a first end of the abutment, the reciprocal magnetic engagement surface of the percutaneous abutment disposed at a second end of the abutment opposite the first end,
wherein the reciprocal engagement surface includes a plurality of exposed poles arranged reciprocally to the pattern of exposed poles on the magnetic engagement surface of the wearable prosthesis.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the percutaneous abutment includes a bone screw and the bone screw is configured to be secured to the skull of a recipient.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of exposed poles of the reciprocal magnetic engagement surface define a mirror image of the pattern of exposed poles of the magnetic engagement surface of the housing.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the exposed poles are arranged in one of a grid pattern, a pie pattern or an irregular pattern.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the wearable prosthesis is configured to be worn on the head of a recipient, and wherein the pattern of the exposed poles restricts positioning of the input port to a single direction relative to the recipient's skull.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising a magnetic sensor disposed in the housing, wherein the magnetic sensor is configured to detect a magnetic field generated by magnetic engagement of the magnetic engagement surface and the reciprocal magnetic engagement surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the input port comprises at least one of a microphone and a connector port.

17. A wearable prosthesis comprising a housing with electrical components disposed therein and a magnetic assembly configured to secure the housing to a recipient, wherein the magnetic assembly comprises a surface with at least three exposed poles, wherein the exposed poles include both a north pole and a south pole.

18. The wearable prosthesis of claim 17 , wherein the at least three exposed poles are arranged in a regular pattern.

19. The wearable prosthesis of claim 17 , wherein the at least three exposed poles are separated from each other by a non-magnetic material.

20. The wearable prosthesis of claim 17 , wherein the magnetic assembly comprises a plurality of north poles and a plurality of south poles, and the magnetic assembly is configured to support the full weight of the wearable prosthesis when the wearable prosthesis is worn by a recipient.

Assignees

• Cochlear Ltd

Inventors

• Gustafsson Johan

Classifications

• A61N1/08

  Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating {(for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925)} · CPC title

• H04R25/606 Primary

  acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window · CPC title

• H04R2225/67

  Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• A61N1/375

  Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings · CPC title