IMPLANTABLE COCHLEAR SYSTEM WITH INTEGRATED COMPONENTS AND LEAD CHARACTERIZATION
Cochlear implant systems can include a near field communication device for communicating via a first wireless communication protocol and a wireless communication device for communicating via a second wireless communication protocol. An external device including an external near field communication device and an external wireless communication device can communicate with the implanted system via the first wireless communication protocol. Communication via the first wireless communication protocol can be used to enable communication between the implant system and the external device via the second wireless communication protocol. External devices can provide audio and/or data to the implant system via the second wireless communication protocol. External devices can include one or more sensors, and data from the sensors can be used to update a system transfer function based on the environment and/or location of the external device.
1 . A cochlear implant system comprising:
a cochlear electrode;
a stimulator in electrical communication with the cochlear electrode;
a signal processor in communication with the stimulator, the signal processor being programmed with a transfer function and being configured to receive one or more input signals and output a stimulation signal to the stimulator based on the received one or more input signals and the transfer function;
an implantable battery and/or communication module in communication with the signal processor, the implantable battery and/or communication module including an implanted near field communication device for communicating via a first wireless communication protocol and an implanted wireless communication device for communicating via a second wireless communication protocol, the second wireless communication protocol having a longer range of wireless communication than the first wireless communication protocol; and
an external device having an external near field communication device configured to communicate wirelessly with the implanted near field communication device via the first wireless communication protocol and an external wireless communication device configured to communicate wirelessly with the implanted wireless communication device via the second wireless communication protocol; and wherein
communication between the external wireless communication device and the implanted wireless communication device via the second wireless communication protocol is enabled by first establishing communication between the implanted near field communication device and the external near field communication device via the first wireless communication protocol.
2 . The cochlear implant system of claim 1 , wherein the external device comprises a charger.
3 . The cochlear implant system of claim 2 , wherein the implanted near field communication device comprises an implanted coil and the external near field communication device comprises an external coil.
4 . The cochlear implant system of claim 3 , wherein the external device is configured to charge a power source within the implantable battery and/or communication module via the implanted coil and the external coil.
5 . The cochlear implant system of claim 1 , wherein the second wireless communication protocol comprises Bluetooth communication.
6 . The cochlear implant system of claim 1 , further comprising a second external wireless communication device configured to communicate wirelessly with the implanted wireless communication device.
7 . The cochlear implant system of claim 6 , wherein the external wireless communication device is configured to enable wireless communication between the second external wireless communication device and the implantable battery and/or communication module.
8 . The cochlear implant system of claim 1 , wherein the external wireless communication device is configured to communicate control signals and/or streaming audio to the implantable battery and/or communication module.
9 . The cochlear implant system of claim 1 , wherein once communication between the external wireless communication device and the implanted wireless communication device via the second wireless communication protocol is enabled for a first time, each subsequent connection between the external wireless communication device and the implanted wireless communication device may be enabled without establishing communication between the implanted near field communication device and the external near filed communication device via the first wireless communication protocol.
10 . The cochlear implant system of claim 1 , wherein the external wireless communication device is a laptop, a PC, a smartphone, a tablet, or a watch.
11 . The cochlear implant system of claim 10 , wherein the external wireless communication device is configured to control one or more attributes of the cochlear implant system via the second wireless communication protocol after communication between the external wireless communication device and the implanted wireless communication device has been enabled.
12 . The cochlear implant system of claim 11 , wherein the external wireless communication device is configured to adjust the transfer function of the signal processor via the second wireless communication protocol.
13 . The cochlear implant system of claim 12 , wherein the external wireless communication device comprises a microphone configured to collect environmental auditory data representative of a surrounding environment, and wherein the external wireless communication device is configured to adjust the transfer function of the signal processor based upon the collected environmental auditory data.
14 . The cochlear implant system of claim 13 , wherein the external wireless communication device is configured to identify background noise in the collected environmental auditory data and update the transfer function to reduce a contribution of the identified background noise in the stimulation signal.
15 . The cochlear implant system of claim 14 , wherein updating the transfer function to reduce a contribution of the identified background noise comprises attenuating frequencies outside of typical human speech ranges.
16 . The cochlear implant system of claim 15 , wherein attenuating frequencies outside of typical human speech ranges comprises attenuating signals having frequencies below approximately 200 Hz.
17 . The cochlear implant system of claim 14 , wherein updating the transfer function to reduce a contribution of the identified background noise comprises emphasizing signals having frequency content between approximately 200 Hz and 20 kHz.
18 . The cochlear implant system of claim 17 , wherein updating the transfer function to reduce a contribution of the identified background noise comprises emphasizing signals having frequency content between approximately 300 Hz and 8 kHz.
19 . The cochlear implant system of claim 11 , wherein the external wireless communication device is configured to receive location data and implement one or more predetermined settings based on the received location data.
20 . The cochlear implant system of claim 19 , wherein the external wireless communication device comprises a smartphone, and wherein the location data comprises GPS data.
21 . The cochlear implant system of claim 19 , wherein the external wireless communication device comprises an internet-ready device, and wherein receiving location data comprises recognizing one or more available wireless internet networks.
22 . The cochlear implant system of claim 11 , wherein
the external wireless communication device is configured to provide an input signal to the implanted wireless communication device via the second wireless communication protocol; and
the signal processor is configured to output a stimulation signal to the stimulator based on the input signal provided from the external wireless communication device.
23 . The cochlear implant system of claim 22 , wherein the input signal provided by the external wireless communication device is based on audio generated by the external wireless communication device.
24 . The cochlear implant system of claim 23 , wherein the audio generated by the external wireless communication device comprises at least one of: audio from a phone call, an automatically read text message, an alarm, and media audio.
25 . A method of pairing an external device to an implanted cochlear implant system comprising:
establishing communication between the implanted cochlear implant system and the external device via a near field communication protocol;
pairing the external device with the implanted cochlear implant system;
establishing wireless communication between the implanted cochlear implant system and the external device via a wireless communication protocol, the wireless communication protocol having a longer communication range than the near field communication protocol.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the wireless communication protocol comprises Bluetooth.
27 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising receiving, at the external device, instructions to pair the external device with the implanted cochlear implant system.
28 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising, after receiving instructions to pair the external device with the implanted cochlear implant system, outputting, via the external device, instructions to position the external device to enable near field communication between the implanted cochlear implant system and the external device via the near field communication protocol.
29 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the external device comprises a charger.
30 . The method of claim 29 , wherein the charger comprises an external coil and the implanted cochlear implant system comprises an implanted coil, and wherein the near field communication protocol comprises communication between the external coil and the implanted coil.
31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein the charger is configured to provide electrical power to the implanted cochlear implant system by transferring electrical energy from the external coil to an internal coil.
32 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:
detecting, via the external device, the presence of a second external device capable of communication with the implanted cochlear implant system via the wireless communication protocol;
receiving, via the external device, a selection of the second external device; and
pairing the second external device with the implanted cochlear implant system in response to the received selection such that the second external device is in communication with the implanted cochlear implant system via the wireless communication protocol.
33 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising receiving control signals and/or streaming audio at the implanted cochlear implant system from the external device and/or the second external device via the wireless communication protocol.
34 . The method of claim 33 , further comprising determining environmental auditory data representative of a surrounding environment via the second external device and receiving, at the implanted cochlear implant system, control signals from the second external device based on the determined environmental auditory data.
35 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the method comprises receiving streaming audio, and wherein the streaming audio comprises at least one of: audio from a phone call, an automatically read text message, an alarm, and media audio.
36 . A method of pairing an external device to an implanted cochlear implant system comprising:
pairing the implanted cochlear implant system with a first external device by establishing communication between the implanted cochlear implant system and the first external device via a near field communication protocol; and
using the established communication between the implanted cochlear implant system and the first external device to pair a second external device with the implanted cochlear implant system by establishing wireless communication between the implanted cochlear implant system and the second external device via a wireless communication protocol after the first external device is paired with the implanted cochlear implant system, the wireless communication protocol having a longer communication range than the near field communication protocol.