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US 12,003,925 B2Granted
Magnetic retention system
AssigneeCochlear Limited
InventorJohan Gustafsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An external component of a medical device, including an actuator including a static magnetic flux path that reacts with a dynamic magnetic flux path to actuate the actuator, and a magnetic retention system configured to retain the external component to a recipient via interaction with a ferromagnetic component attached to a recipient, the magnetic retention system including a magnetic flux path that encircles the static magnetic flux path of the actuator.
Claims36
A hearing prosthesis, comprising:
- a component, including:
- a plurality of magnets, wherein
- the plurality of magnets collectively form a circular shape and are configured to establish magnetic attraction between an external component and an implantable component of the hearing prosthesis sufficient to hold the external component against skin of a recipient,
- the plurality of magnets includes at least a first magnet and second magnet,
- the first magnet has a North-South pole axis,
- the second magnet has a North-South pole axis extending in a different direction from the North-South pole axis of the first magnet,
- the component is the implantable component of the hearing prosthesis, and the component is configured to channel a magnetic flux from the first magnet to the second magnet, the magnetic flux establishing the magnetic attraction.
4 more elements
A hearing prosthesis, comprising:
- a component, including:
- a plurality of magnets, wherein
- the plurality of magnets collectively form a circular shape and are configured to establish magnetic attraction between an external component and an implantable component of the hearing prosthesis sufficient to hold the external component against skin a recipient, wherein the component is one of the external component or the implantable component,
- the plurality of magnets includes at least a first magnet and second magnet,
- the first magnet has a North-South pole axis,
- the second magnet has a North-South pole axis extending in a different direction from the North-South pole axis of the first magnet, and
- at least one of:
- (i) the component is configured to redirect, within the component, magnetic flux from the first magnet in a direction normal to the North-South pole axis of the second magnet;
- or
- (ii) the component is configured to redirect, within the component, magnetic flux from the first magnet in a direction parallel to a surface of the skin of the recipient at least when the external component is held against the skin of the recipient.
7 more elements
A hearing prosthesis, comprising:
- a component, including:
- a plurality of magnets, wherein
- the plurality of magnets collectively form a circular shape and are configured to establish magnetic attraction between an external component and an implantable component of the hearing prosthesis sufficient to hold the external component against skin of a recipient, wherein the component is one of the external component or the implantable component,
- the plurality of magnets includes at least a first magnet and second magnet,
- the first magnet has a North-South pole axis,
- the second magnet has a North-South pole axis extending in a different direction from the North-South pole axis of the first magnet, and
- the component further includes a ferromagnetic component attached to the first magnet and the second magnet.
4 more elements
A hearing prosthesis, comprising:
- an external component;
- and
- an implantable component, including:
- a first magnet having a North-South alignment in a first direction;
- and
- a second magnet having a North-South alignment in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein
- the first direction is fixed relative to the second direction, and
- the implantable component is configured to retain the external component of the hearing prosthesis on a recipient of the hearing prosthesis via magnetic coupling between the first and second magnet of the implantable component and one or more permanent magnets of the external component, wherein
- the external component of the hearing prosthesis includes:
- a third magnet having a North-South alignment in a third direction, a fourth magnet having a North-South alignment in a fourth direction different from the third direction, and magnetic material attached to the third magnet and to the fourth magnet, wherein the third magnet is partially circular shaped and the fourth magnet is partially circular shaped.
7 more elements
A hearing prosthesis, comprising:
- an external component;
- and
- an implantable component, including:
- a first magnet having a North-South alignment in a first direction;
- and
- a second magnet having a North-South alignment in a second direction different from the first direction, wherein
- the first direction is fixed relative to the second direction, and
- the implantable component is configured to retain the external component of the hearing prosthesis on a recipient of the hearing prosthesis via magnetic coupling between the first and second magnet of the implantable component and one or more permanent magnets of the external component, wherein
- the one or more permanent magnets comprise a third magnet and a fourth magnet,
- the third magnet has a North-South alignment,
- the fourth magnet has a North-South alignment in a different direction from the North-South alignment of the third magnet, and
- the external component further includes a ferromagnetic component extending from the third magnet to the fourth magnet.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.