US 12,121,724 B2
Systems and methods for facilitating optimal alignment of cochlear implant system components
Maosong Young, Tujunga, CA (US); and Roger S. Meier, Canyon Country, CA (US)
Assigned to Advanced Bionics AG, Staefa (CH)
Appl. No. 16/640,466
Filed by Advanced Bionics AG, Staefa (CH)
PCT Filed Aug. 24, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/048027
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 20, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/046133, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 7, 2019.
Application 16/640,466 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2017/048974, filed on Aug. 28, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0215328 A1, Jul. 9, 2020
Int. Cl. A61N 1/05 (2006.01); A61N 1/36 (2006.01); A61N 1/372 (2006.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.01); H02J 50/80 (2016.01); H02J 50/90 (2016.01)
CPC A61N 1/36039 (2017.08) [A61N 1/0541 (2013.01); A61N 1/37247 (2013.01); H02J 50/10 (2016.02); H02J 50/80 (2016.02); H02J 50/90 (2016.02); H04R 2225/41 (2013.01); H04R 2225/55 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cochlear implant alignment system comprising:
a cochlear implant system that includes:
a cochlear implant configured to be implanted under a skin flap of a recipient and to generate a wireless back telemetry signal,
an electrode lead permanently affixed to the cochlear implant and configured to be inserted into a cochlea of the recipient,
a headpiece configured to operate external to the recipient and to detect the wireless back telemetry signal generated by the cochlear implant, and
a sound processor configured to:
generate, based on a signal strength of the detected wireless back telemetry signal, a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) signal,
determine, based on the RSSI signal, that a particular degree of alignment between the cochlear implant and the headpiece has been reached,
characterize, based on the determining that the particular degree of alignment between the cochlear implant and the headpiece has been reached, a forward telemetry signal being transmitted by the headpiece to the cochlear implant, and
determine, based on the characterizing, power levels at which intersystem communications between the cochlear implant and the headpiece are made during operation of the cochlear implant system; and
a component alignment presentation system that includes at least one physical computing device that is communicatively coupled to the sound processor and that:
receives the RSSI signal from the sound processor,
presents, based on the RSSI signal received from the sound processor, an alignment indication to assist a user in aligning the headpiece with the cochlear implant, the alignment indication visually or audibly indicating a threshold degree of alignment and a plurality of additional degrees of alignment of the headpiece with the cochlear implant, wherein the threshold degree of alignment is sufficient to achieve a communication lock between the headpiece and the cochlear implant and wherein the plurality of additional degrees of alignment are each too poor to achieve the communication lock.