# US 10,478,286 B2 · Artificial vestibular organ system

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- Number: US 10,478,286 B2
- Document ID: US10478286B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/474,224
- Filed: 2015-09-30
- Published: 2018-06-21
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2014-11-07
- Assignees: Inha University Research and Business Foundation
- Applicants: Inha University Research and Business Foundation
- Inventors: Kyu Sung Kim; Hyeon Min Shim; Sangmin Lee; Woo Key Lee; Bong Sup Shim; Ki Hwan Hong; Soon Hyoung Park
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10478286B2

## CPC

- A61F 2/18: Internal ear or nose parts, e.g. ear-drums {(implants for middle ear ventilation or drainage A61F11/202)}
- A61N 1/00: Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor (A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00)
- A61N 1/0526: {Head electrodes (A61N1/0551 takes precedence)}
- A61N 1/3606: {adapted for a particular treatment}
- A61N 1/36128: {Control systems}
- A61F 11/04: Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense, e.g. through the touch sense {(electronic stimulation of auditory nerves A61N1/36036)}
- A61F 2002/183: {Ear parts}
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

An artificial vestibular organ system includes an artificial semicircular canal; a liquid filled in the artificial semicircular canal; artificial hair for sensing movement of liquid in the artificial semicircular canal; a signal conversion unit for converting an electrical or magnetic signal generated from the artificial hair into a body stimulation signal; a body stimulation pulse generation unit for transmitting the body stimulation pulse converted by the signal conversion unit to the ampulla; and a power unit. The artificial hair can be constituted in a pressure sensing manner or in a speed sensing manner for sensing the flow rate. The pressure sensing type can be formed of flex sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, or an FSR sensor, and the velocity sensing type can include rotary wings rotated according to the flow of the liquid or a speed measuring instrument for measuring the rotating speed of the rotary wings.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An artificial vestibular organ system comprising: an artificial semicircular canal;
an artificial hair in the artificial semicircular canal configured to generate an electrical or magnetic signal according to changes in position; and
a body stimulation pulse generation unit configured to generate a body stimulation pulse using the electrical or magnetic signal generated from the artificial hair to transmit the body stimulation pulse to an ampulla,
wherein the artificial hair is disposed on one surface of an interior of the artificial semicircular canal and is configured to sense a movement of a liquid.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 1, further comprising a power unit configured to supply power to the artificial hair and the body stimulation pulse generation unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 1, wherein the artificial hair comprises a pressure sensing type artificial hair for sensing a pressure according to the movement of the liquid.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 3, wherein the pressure sensing type artificial hair comprises a triboelectric sensor using triboelectric charging.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 3, wherein the pressure sensing type artificial hair comprises a flex sensor.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 3, wherein the pressure sensing type artificial hair comprises a piezoelectric sensor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 3, wherein the pressure sensing type artificial hair comprises a force sensing resistor (FSR) sensor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 1, wherein three artificial vestibular organ systems are located at three different axes to recognize all directions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The artificial vestibular organ system according to claim 8, wherein the three different axes are pitch, yaw and roll axes.