Systems and methods for balance stabilization
AssigneesThe Hospital for Sick Children, University Health Network
InventorsSharon Cushing, Blake Papsin, David Pothier, Cian Hughes
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Abstract
A system for rehabilitating patients affected by balance disorders with or without vestibular hypofunction and/or malfunction with or without an associated hearing loss, which includes sensors of sound and head movement, processing circuitry, a power source coupled to head phones, an air conduction hearing aid, bone conduction hearing aid, middle ear implant or an electrical stimulator implanted into the cochlea capable of stimulating areas within the cochlea with the potential for current spread to surrounding non-auditory areas including the vestibular system.
Claims66
A stimulation system comprising:
- an implantable cochlear stimulator comprising:
- a pulse generator that generates electrical stimulation pulses as defined by control signals;
- and
- an electrode array adapted to be inserted into a patient's cochlea and provide electrical stimulation pulses to the patient's auditory nerve based on the control signals;
- at least one microphone configured to sense and provide audio information;
- at least one balance sensor configured to sense and provide balance information;
- and
- at least one processor configured to generate control signals in response to the sensory information provided by the at least one microphone and the balance information provided by the at least one balance sensor.
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A stimulation system comprising:
- an implantable cochlear stimulator comprising:
- a pulse generator that generates electrical stimulation pulses as defined by control signals;
- and
- an electrode array adapted to be inserted into a patient's cochlea and provide electrical stimulation pulses to the patient's auditory nerve based on the control signals;
- at least one balance sensor configured to sense and provide balance information;
- and
- at least one processor configured to generate control signals in response to the balance information provided by the at least one balance sensor, and to provide the control signals to the implantable cochlear stimulator.
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A method of correcting a balance disorder, the method comprising:
- determining whether a position of a head has exceeded an anterior limit, a posterior limit, a left limit and a right limit;
- providing a first stimulation if the head has exceeded the anterior limit;
- providing a second stimulation if the head has exceeded the posterior limit;
- providing a third stimulation if the head has exceeded the left limit;
- and
- providing a fourth stimulation if the head has exceeded the right limit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.