Medical device and prosthesis
A hearing prosthesis, comprising: a microphone; a sound processor; an external transmitter unit including a coil; an internal receiver unit including a coil; a stimulator unit, wherein the stimulator unit includes a control circuit, a voltage measurement component, a resistor and a signal generator, wherein the measurement circuit is configured to output a signal indicative of the voltage across the resistor; and a stimulating lead assembly array, wherein at least a portion of the hearing prosthesis is configured to apply an electrical signal to tissue inside a cochlea of a recipient, and at least a portion of the hearing prosthesis is configured to sense an electrical property inside of the cochlea that results from the applied electrical signal and the interaction of the applied electrical signal to the tissue.
1 . A method, comprising:
executing impedance spectroscopy utilizing an implantable medical device including a stimulating assembly in a human; and
determining a characterization of the stimulating assembly based on the impedance spectroscopy.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the determination of the characterization is executed during implantation of the stimulating assembly.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the characterization of the electrode assembly is a position of the stimulating assembly in a cavity of the human.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the characterization of the electrode assembly is an instantaneous insertion depth of the stimulating assembly during implantation of the stimulating assembly.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the impedance spectroscopy is executed using electrode pairs of the stimulating assembly.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the action of executing impedance spectroscopy provides various values based on impedance for various frequencies used for the impedance spectroscopy;
the method further comprises distinguishing between respective values of the various values due to electrodes of the stimulating assembly and values respective of the various values due to tissue of the human; and
the action of determining the characterization includes doing so based on the distinguished respective values.
7 . A method, comprising:
applying an electrical signal to at least one electrode of at least a portion of an electrode assembly located inside a human;
sensing an electrical-based phenomenon resulting from the application of the electrical signal; and
determining the presence of a physical phenomenon inside the human based on the sensed electrical-based phenomenon.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the physical phenomenon inside the cochlea is proximity of at least one electrode of the electrode array to a modiolus of the cochlea.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the physical phenomenon inside the cochlea is proximity of at least one electrode of the electrode array to a lateral wall of the cochlea.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the electrode assembly is part of a perimodiolar stimulating assembly.
11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the electrode assembly is part of a non-perimodiolar stimulating assembly.
12 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the determination of the presence of the physical phenomenon is determined post surgical implantation of the electrode assembly.
13 . A system, comprising:
an active implantable medical device including a stimulating assembly including a plurality of electrodes; and
a circuit configured to control measurement of electrical properties using the plurality of electrodes, wherein
the measured electrical properties enable event detection with respect to the stimulating assembly.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the system is configured to enable detection of variations in electrical measurements between two or more electrodes of the stimulating assembly to determine a physical state of the stimulating assembly.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the system is configured to deliver current between a first contact and a plurality of other contacts in a bipolar manner.
16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the system is configured to:
deliver electrical current between two or more electrodes of the stimulating assembly to deliver localized current between two or more substantially adjacent electrodes; and
perform electrical measurements at a selected number of the two or more electrodes in response to signals delivered to the electrodes.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the system is configured to perform at least one of a voltage or impedance measurement at selected electrodes of the plurality of electrodes and is configured to use the voltage or impedance measurement to determine the physical state of the stimulating assembly.
18 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the physical phenomenon is the presence of scar tissue.
19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the impedance spectroscopy is executed using a standard cochlear implant electrode array.
20 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the action of sensing is executed based only on results of impedance spectroscopy.
21 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
the action of applying the electrical signal is executed by monopolar stimulation.
22 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the active implantable medical device is a cochlear implant and the stimulating assembly is a cochlear implant electrode array, and the system is configured to deliver current between a first contact of the electrode array and an extra cochlear electrode when the circuit is controlling the measurement of the electrical properties.