CN115779264A

CN115779264A - Artificial cochlea

Info

Publication number: CN115779264A
Application number: CN202111056803.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 郑浩; 王�华; 吴勇; 王昊
Original assignee: Minimally Invasive Investment Holdings Ltd
Current assignee: Shanghai Weichuang Tianlai Medical Technology Co ltd
Priority date: 2021-09-09
Filing date: 2021-09-09
Publication date: 2023-03-14
Also published as: WO2023035648A1

Abstract

The invention discloses a cochlear implant, which comprises an in-vitro device and an in-vivo device, wherein the in-vitro device comprises an optical signal emitter and a driver which are electrically connected, and the driver is used for controlling the optical signal emitter to emit an optical signal; the in-vivo device comprises an electrically connected optical signal receiver and a stimulation array, wherein the optical signal receiver is used for receiving the optical signal emitted by the optical signal emitter and driving the stimulation array to stimulate auditory nerves. The light source driver is arranged outside the body, and the in-vivo device only comprises the optical signal receiver and the stimulation array, so that the stability of the in-vivo device is greatly improved, and the service life of the artificial cochlea implanted in a patient is further prolonged. And the driver is placed in vitro, so that the driver can be upgraded continuously, and the product performance and the treatment effect can be improved continuously. The artificial cochlea provided by the invention has a simpler structure under the condition of keeping the original functions, reduces the production cost and simplifies the production process.

Description

Artificial cochlea

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of medical instruments, in particular to a cochlear implant.

Background

The artificial cochlea is an electronic device, the external speech processor converts the sound into an electric signal with a certain coding form, and the auditory nerve is stimulated by an electrode system implanted into the human body to restore or rebuild the auditory function of the deaf person. The traditional electric stimulation and optical stimulation driver of the cochlear implant is embedded in a human body, and energy and stimulation information are transmitted in a wireless power supply and wireless communication mode through a coil. The traditional cochlear implant has complex internal components, strict requirements on waterproof packaging of a driver and a built-in chip embedded in the human body, difficult packaging process, difficult continuous operation in the human body for decades, and no upgrade of the driver implanted in the human body.

Therefore, there is a need for an artificial cochlea that can operate stably for a long period of time.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a cochlear implant, which is characterized in that a light source driver is arranged outside the body to avoid the contact with tissue fluid in the body, and the long-term working stability of equipment is improved.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts a technical solution of providing a cochlear implant, including an in-vitro device and an in-vivo device, wherein the in-vitro device includes an optical signal transmitter and a driver, which are electrically connected, and the driver is used for controlling the optical signal transmitter to transmit an optical signal; the in-vivo device comprises an electrically connected optical signal receiver and a stimulation array, wherein the optical signal receiver is used for receiving the optical signal emitted by the optical signal emitter and driving the stimulation array to stimulate the auditory nerve.

Preferably, the optical signal transmitter includes an array of light sources disposed on a first circuit board, and the driver is connected to the first circuit board through a first wire.

Preferably, the light source array is composed of a plurality of near infrared LED light sources with the wavelength of 800nm in an arrangement mode.

Preferably, the driver is internally provided with a stimulation program, or the driver is in communication connection with an external electronic device to obtain the stimulation program; the stimulation program converts an external sound signal into a switching signal of the light source array.

Preferably, the optical signal receiver includes a photovoltaic cell array disposed on the second circuit board.

Preferably, the photovoltaic cell array is formed by arranging a plurality of groups of photovoltaic cells, and the photovoltaic cells are silicon solar cells, multi-compound thin-film solar cells, polymer multi-layer modified electrode type solar cells, nanocrystalline solar cells or organic solar cells.

Preferably, the stimulation array is formed by arranging a plurality of stimulation units, and two poles of the photovoltaic cell are connected with the corresponding stimulation units through capacitors and second leads.

Preferably, the stimulation unit is a stimulation electrode or a stimulation light source.

Preferably, the emission light of the stimulating light source is blue light with a wavelength of 450 nm.

Preferably, a first magnet is arranged in the body outer device, a second magnet is arranged in the body inner device, and when the first magnet and the second magnet are fixed in an mutually attracted manner, the light sources in the light source array correspond to the physical positions of the photovoltaic cells in the photovoltaic cell array one by one.

Preferably, the first magnet and the light source array are respectively arranged on two sides of the first circuit board, and the second magnet and the photovoltaic cell array are respectively arranged on two sides of the second circuit board.

Compared with the prior art, the invention has the following beneficial effects: according to the artificial cochlea, the light source driver is placed outside the body, the in-vivo device only comprises the optical signal receiver and the stimulation array, the influence of body fluid on a precise structure is reduced, the stability of the in-vivo device is greatly improved, and the service life of the artificial cochlea implanted into the body of a patient is further prolonged. And the driver is placed in vitro, so that the driver can be upgraded continuously, and the product performance and the treatment effect can be improved continuously. The artificial cochlea provided by the invention has a simpler structure under the condition of keeping the original functions, reduces the production cost and simplifies the production process.

Drawings

Fig. 1a is a schematic structural diagram of a main body of a cochlear implant according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 1b is a schematic side view of fig. 1 a;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a single light source and a single photovoltaic cell in an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a schematic view of the cochlear implant implanted in a human body in use according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure:

1-an extracorporeal device, 2-an intracorporeal device, 10-an optical signal transmitter, 11-a first circuit board, 12-a first magnet, 13-a first lead, 14-a driver, 20-an optical signal receiver, 21-a second circuit board, 22-a second magnet, 23-a second lead, 24-a stimulation array, 30-an auditory nerve, 100-a light source, 200-a photovoltaic cell, 201-a capacitor, 241-a current, 240-a stimulation unit.

Detailed Description

The invention is further described below with reference to the figures and examples.

It should be noted that the terms "inner", "outer", "upper", "lower", and the like as used herein are for illustrative purposes only and do not mean a unique embodiment.

Referring to fig. 1a, fig. 1b, fig. 2 and fig. 3, the cochlear implant according to the present embodiment includes an external device 1 and an internal device 2, where the external device 1 includes an optical signal emitter 10 and a driver 14 electrically connected to each other, and the driver 14 is configured to control the optical signal emitter 10 to emit an optical signal; the in-vivo device 2 includes an electrically connected optical signal receiver 20 and a stimulation array 24, the optical signal receiver 20 being configured to receive the optical signal emitted by the optical signal emitter 10 and to drive the stimulation array 24 to stimulate the auditory nerve 30.

In a specific embodiment, the optical signal transmitter 10 includes a light source array, the light source array is composed of a plurality of light sources 100 arranged in a longitudinal and transverse direction, the light source array is disposed on a first circuit board 11, the driver 14 is connected to the first circuit board 11 through a first wire 13, the light sources 100 are preferably LEDs, and can emit light with a specific wavelength, such as near infrared light with a wavelength of 800nm, a lithium battery is disposed in the driver 14 as a power supply, the driver 14 can be disposed with a stimulation program, and can also be connected to an external electronic device through bluetooth, WIFI, or other methods to obtain the stimulation program, and the electronic device can be a sound collection and calculation device; the stimulation program converts the external sound signal into the switching signal of the light source array on the light signal transmitter 10, the driver 14 can activate the light source 100 at a designated time according to the stimulation program, the light emitted by the light source 100 located outside the body has energy, the time-space sequence of the switching of the different light sources 100 in the light source array contains stimulation information, and the energy and stimulation information can be transmitted to the light signal receiver 20 inside the body by using the characteristic that the light penetrates through the skin.

The optical signal receiver 20 includes a photovoltaic cell array, the photovoltaic cell array is composed of a plurality of groups of photovoltaic cells 200 arranged vertically and horizontally, the photovoltaic cell array is arranged on the second circuit board 21, and the photovoltaic cells 200 can be silicon solar cells, multi-compound thin-film solar cells, polymer multi-layer modified electrode type solar cells, nanocrystalline solar cells or organic solar cells. The stimulation array 24 is composed of a plurality of stimulation units 240, please refer to fig. 2, two poles of each photovoltaic cell 200 are connected to the corresponding stimulation units 240 through capacitors 201 and second wires 23. After the light source 100 emits the light signal, the photovoltaic cell 200 generates a potential difference at two poles thereof after receiving the energy input under a specific time and space, and the potential difference is filtered and modulated by the capacitor 201, and then drives the stimulation unit 240 to stimulate the auditory nerve 30 through the second lead 23. The stimulation unit 240 may be a stimulation electrode, and the stimulation unit generates a current 241 to electrically stimulate the auditory nerve 30; the stimulation unit 240 may also be a stimulation light source, such as a micro LED with dimensions of 500 microns long, 500 microns wide and 300 microns high, which can optically stimulate the auditory nerve 30 with 450nm blue light.

In one embodiment, a first magnet 12 is disposed in the extracorporeal device 1, a second magnet 22 is disposed in the in-vivo device 2, and when the in-vivo device 2 is implanted subcutaneously in use, the first magnet 12 and the second magnet 22 attract each other to fix the extracorporeal device 1 and the in-vivo device 2, and the light sources 100 in the light source array correspond to the physical positions of the photovoltaic cells 200 in the photovoltaic cell array one by one. Further, first magnet 12 with the light source array is established respectively the both sides of first circuit board 11, second magnet 22 with the photovoltaic cell array is established respectively the both sides of second circuit board 21, when guaranteeing external device 1 and the stable maintenance of internal device 2, light source array and photovoltaic cell array can lay out bigger area, make signal transmission more efficient accurate.

Referring to fig. 3, in use, the in-vivo device 2 is implanted in a patient, the light source array of the light signal transmitter 10 is switched by the in-vitro driver 14, the driver 14 converts external sound into a switching signal of the light source array, the excitation light source 100 emits a light signal, the light signal is transmitted to the light signal receiver 20 through the skin of the human body, the light signal receiver 20 in the body receives the light signal and generates electric energy to drive the stimulation array 24, and the auditory nerve 30 receives electrical stimulation or light stimulation emitted by the stimulation array 24, so that the patient can obtain auditory sense.

In conclusion, the artificial cochlea provided by the invention has the advantages that the light source driver is arranged outside the body, and the in-vivo device only comprises the optical signal receiver and the stimulation array, so that the influence of body fluid on a precise structure is reduced, the stability of the in-vivo device is greatly improved, and the service life of the artificial cochlea implanted into the body of a patient is further prolonged. And the driver is external, and the driver of being convenient for lasts the upgrading, can constantly promote product property ability and treatment. The artificial cochlea provided by the invention has a simpler structure under the condition of keeping the original functions, reduces the production cost and simplifies the production process.

Although the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cochlear implant is characterized by comprising an in-vitro device and an in-vivo device,

the extracorporeal device comprises an electrically connected optical signal emitter and a driver for controlling the optical signal emitter to emit an optical signal;

the in-vivo device comprises an electrically connected optical signal receiver and a stimulation array, wherein the optical signal receiver is used for receiving the optical signal emitted by the optical signal emitter and driving the stimulation array to stimulate the auditory nerve.

2. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the optical signal transmitter comprises an array of light sources disposed on a first circuit board, the driver being connected to the first circuit board by a first wire.

3. The cochlear implant of claim 2, wherein the light source array is comprised of an arrangement of a plurality of near infrared LED light sources having a wavelength of 800 nm.

4. The cochlear implant of claim 2, wherein the driver has a built-in stimulation program, or the driver is communicatively connected to an external electronic device to obtain the stimulation program; the stimulation program converts an external sound signal into a switching signal of the light source array.

5. The cochlear implant of claim 2, wherein the optical signal receiver comprises an array of photovoltaic cells disposed on the second circuit board.

6. The cochlear implant of claim 5, wherein the array of photovoltaic cells is made up of an arrangement of groups of photovoltaic cells that are silicon solar cells, multi-compound thin film solar cells, polymer multi-layer modified electrode type solar cells, nanocrystalline solar cells, or organic solar cells.

7. The cochlear implant of claim 6, wherein the stimulation array is composed of a plurality of stimulation units arranged in an array, and both poles of the photovoltaic cell are connected with the corresponding stimulation units through capacitors and second wires.

8. The cochlear implant of claim 7, wherein the stimulation unit is a stimulation electrode or a stimulation light source.

9. The cochlear implant of claim 8, wherein the stimulating light source emits blue light at a wavelength of 450 nm.

10. The cochlear implant of claim 5, wherein a first magnet is disposed in the external body, a second magnet is disposed in the internal body, and when the first magnet and the second magnet are attracted and fixed to each other, the light sources in the light source array correspond to the physical positions of the photovoltaic cells in the photovoltaic cell array one to one.

11. The cochlear implant of claim 10, wherein the first magnet and the array of light sources are disposed on either side of the first circuit board, and the second magnet and the array of photovoltaic cells are disposed on either side of the second circuit board.