Adjustment aid, wireless connector assembly, and method for monitoring a position
An adjustment aid includes a first adjustment electrode assembly having an excitation electrode and an evaluation electrode, a second adjustment electrode assembly having a reception electrode and a transmission electrode, and a control and evaluation circuit connected to the first adjustment electrode assembly. The first adjustment electrode assembly is arranged on the first component. The second adjustment electrode assembly is arranged on the second component. The control and evaluation circuit supplies the excitation electrode with an excitation signal and taps a measurement signal at the evaluation electrode. The measurement signal depends on a degree of overlap between the first adjustment electrode assembly and the second adjustment electrode assembly. A method for monitoring a position of the first component relative to the second component uses the adjustment aid by comparing the measurement signal with a preset threshold value.
1 . An adjustment aid for aligning a first component and a second component relative to one another, comprising:
a first adjustment electrode assembly having an excitation electrode and an evaluation electrode, the first adjustment electrode assembly arranged on the first component and positioned outside of a human body;
a second adjustment electrode assembly having a reception electrode and a transmission electrode, the second adjustment electrode assembly arranged on the second component and implantable within the human body; and
a control and evaluation circuit connected to the first adjustment electrode assembly, the control and evaluation circuit supplies the excitation electrode with an excitation signal and measures a measurement signal at the evaluation electrode, the measurement signal depends on a degree of overlap between the first adjustment electrode assembly and the second adjustment electrode assembly, the degree of overlap is measured perpendicular to a direction extending from the first adjustment electrode assembly to the second adjustment electrode assembly.
2 . The adjustment aid of claim 1 , wherein the excitation electrode and the reception electrode are aligned to overlap one another to form a feed capacitor in an optimally adjusted state of the first component and the second component relative to one another.
3 . The adjustment aid of claim 2 , wherein the transmission electrode and the evaluation electrode are aligned to overlap one another to form a measuring capacitor in the optimally adjusted state.
4 . The adjustment aid of claim 1 , wherein the reception electrode and the transmission electrode are connected to one another in an electrically conductive manner.
5 . The adjustment aid of claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment electrode assembly has a first planar array of electrodes and the second adjustment electrode assembly has a second planar array of electrodes arranged in a plane parallel to the first planar array of electrodes, the first component and the second component are adjusted relative to one another.
6 . The adjustment aid of claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment electrode assembly has a pair of evaluation electrodes arranged with connecting lines to the excitation electrode that intersect at an angle different from 0°.
7 . The adjustment aid of claim 6 , further comprising a third evaluation electrode arranged on the connecting line of one of the pair of evaluation electrodes and the excitation electrode.
8 . The adjustment aid of claim 7 , wherein the excitation electrode and the evaluation electrodes are arranged equidistantly.
9 . The adjustment aid of claim 6 , wherein the angle of intersection of the connecting lines of the pair of evaluation electrodes to the excitation electrode is greater than 0° and less than 180°.
10 . The adjustment aid of claim 1 , wherein the second adjustment electrode assembly has a pair of transmission electrodes arranged with connecting lines to the reception electrode that intersect at an angle different from 0°.
11 . The adjustment aid of claim 10 , further comprising a third transmission electrode arranged on the connecting line of one of the pair of transmission electrodes and the reception electrode.
12 . The adjustment aid of claim 11 , wherein the reception electrode and the transmission electrodes are arranged equidistantly.
13 . The adjustment aid of claim 10 , wherein the angle of intersection of the connecting lines of the pair of transmission electrodes to the reception electrode is greater than 0° and less than 180°.
14 . The adjustment aid of claim 1 , wherein the excitation electrode, the evaluation electrode, the reception electrode, and the transmission electrode have circular and/or elliptical and/or polygonal metallization structures.
15 . The adjustment aid of claim 1 , wherein the first adjustment electrode assembly is arranged on an outer side of a skin of the human body and the second adjustment electrode assembly is implanted on an inner side of the skin.
16 . A wireless connector assembly, comprising:
a first component;
a second component that is implantable; and
an adjustment aid aligning the first component and the second component relative to each other, the adjustment aid including a first adjustment electrode assembly having an excitation electrode and a pair of evaluation electrodes, the pair of evaluation electrodes are arranged with connecting lines to the excitation electrode that intersect at an angle greater than 0° and less than 180°, a second adjustment electrode assembly having a reception electrode and a pair of transmission electrodes, the pair of transmission electrodes are arranged with connecting lines to the reception electrode that intersect at an angle greater than 0° and less than 180°, and a control and evaluation circuit connected to the first adjustment electrode assembly, the first adjustment electrode assembly is arranged on the first component, the second adjustment electrode assembly is arranged on the second component, the control and evaluation circuit supplies the excitation electrode with an excitation signal and measures a measurement signal at the evaluation electrode, the measurement signal depends on a degree of overlap between the first adjustment electrode assembly and the second adjustment electrode assembly.
17 . The wireless connector assembly of claim 16 , wherein the second adjustment electrode assembly has an implantable array of coupling electrodes.
18 . The wireless connector assembly of claim 17 , wherein the first adjustment electrode assembly has an external array of coupling electrodes that establishes electrical contact with the implantable array of coupling electrodes in an implanted state.
19 . The wireless connector assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first component is an implantable coaxial plug connector and the second component is an implantable coaxial mating plug connector.
20 . The wireless connector assembly of claim 16 , wherein the first component is a coaxial socket of a stimulation implant and the second component is a coaxial plug connector of a stimulation electrode.
21 . A method for monitoring a position of a first component and a second component relative to one another, comprising:
providing an adjustment aid including a first adjustment electrode assembly having an excitation electrode and a pair of evaluation electrodes, the pair of evaluation electrodes are arranged with connecting lines to the excitation electrode that intersect at an angle greater than 0° and less than 180°, and a second adjustment electrode assembly having a reception electrode and a pair of transmission electrodes, the pair of transmission electrodes are arranged with connecting lines to the reception electrode that intersect at an angle greater than 0° and less than 180°, the first adjustment electrode assembly is arranged on the first component, the second adjustment electrode assembly is arranged on the second component;
applying an excitation signal to the excitation electrode;
measuring a measurement signal at the evaluation electrode; and
comparing the measurement signal with a preset threshold value.
22 . The method of claim 21 , further comprising changing a position of the first component and the second component relative to one another until the measurement voltage exceeds the preset threshold value.
23 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising generating a warning signal when the measurement signal is below the preset threshold value.