Implantable middle ear diagnostic transducer

Inventors

Glumac, Daniel E. • Schiller, Peter J.

Assignees

Envoy Medical Inc

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for measuring vibration of an implanted elongate vibrating body coupled to a bone of the middle ear. One system includes an elongate vibratory body having a first and second piezoelectric body separated by a central vane. The piezoelectric bodies and central vane can be individually electrically coupleable to an implantable electronic device. The electronic device can have a switch, driving circuitry and sensing circuitry within. In normal use, the driving circuitry is coupled through the switch to drive both piezoelectric bodies causing the vibratory body to vibrate. In diagnostic use, one piezoelectric body is driven while the other piezoelectric body is sensed to detect changes in vibration indicative of decoupling or undesirable impedance of the vibratory body.

Core Innovation

An implantable middle-ear diagnostic transducer includes an elongate vibrating body comprising a bimorph with a first piezoelectric body and a second piezoelectric body separated by a central conductive vane. The first and second piezoelectric bodies are individually electrically connectable so that implantable electronics electrically drive the elongate vibrating body by forcing vibration from an electrical excitation source at a desired frequency. In normal operation, the implantable electronics drive both piezoelectric bodies in parallel via a switch.

In a diagnostic mode, the implantable electronics drive only one piezoelectric body and measure electrical potential or charge from the other piezoelectric body using an electrical sensing circuit. The measured electrical potential or charge changes are used to detect changes in vibration of the implanted elongate vibrator body over time. The diagnostic sensing detects decoupling from the middle ear bone and/or increased vibrational impedance or impediment.

The diagnostic approach compares sensed measurements taken over time to determine abnormal vibration behavior, including increased or decreased vibrational amplitude and abnormal spikes in amplitude. The document explains detection concepts such as determining whether vibration changes are associated with decoupling or additional impediment, including amplitude behavior relative to a normal roll-off frequency. This permits periodic switching between normal driving and diagnostic sensing to monitor for conditions such as scar tissue, fluid buildup, or unwanted growths.

Claims Coverage

The claim coverage identifies one independent claim directed to a diagnostic measurement technique with an elongate bimorph where only one piezoelectric body is driven while the other is sensed, yielding a first measurement based on electrical potential during vibration. The provided dependent claims refine the method using comparison to a previously obtained measurement and by specifying criteria such as increased amplitude and spikes above a normal roll-off frequency, and by requiring that the first measurement is obtained using an implanted device.

Overall, the claim coverage focuses on a diagnostic vibration measurement method for an implanted elongate vibrator body coupled to a middle ear bone, using selective driving of one piezoelectric body while measuring electrical potential from the other, and optionally determining decoupling or additional impediment through longitudinal comparisons using amplitude changes, including spikes above a normal roll-off frequency, with the first measurement obtained by an implanted device.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications