Design and In Vivo Verification of a CMOS Bone-Guided Cochlear Implant Microsystem.
Journal
IEEE Trans. Biomed. Engineering
Journal Volume
66
Journal Issue
11
Pages
3156-3167
Date Issued
2019
Author(s)
Qian, Xin-Hong
Wu, Yi-Chung
Yang, Tzu-Yi
Cheng, Cheng-Hsiang
Chu, Hsing-Chien
Cheng, Wan-Hsueh
Yen, Ting-Yang
Lin, Tzu-Han
Lin, Yung-Jen
Lee, Yu-Chi
Chang, Jia-Heng
Lin, Shih-Ting
Li, Shang-Hsuan
Wu, Tsung-Chen
Huang, Chien-Chang
Wang, Sung-Hao
Lee, Chia-Fone
Yang, Chia-Hsiang
Hung, Chung-Chih
Chi, Tai-Shih
Ker, Ming-Dou
Wu, Chung-Yu
Abstract
To develop and verify a CMOS bone-guided cochlear implant (BGCI) microsystem with electrodes placed on the bone surface of the cochlea and the outside of round window for treating high-frequency hearing loss. Methods: The BGCI microsystem consists of an external unit and an implanted unit. The external system-on-chip is designed to process acoustic signals through an acquisition circuit and an acoustic DSP processor to generate stimulation patterns and commands that are transmitted to the implanted unit through a 13.56 MHz wireless power and bidirectional data telemetry. In the wireless power telemetry, a voltage doubler/tripler (2X/3X) active rectifier is used to enhance the power conversion efficiency and generate 2 and 3 V output voltages. In the wireless data telemetry, phase-locked loop based binary phase-shift keying and load-shift keying modulators/demodulators are adopted for the downlink and uplink data through high-Q coils, respectively. The implanted chip with four-channel high-voltage-tolerant stimulator generates biphasic stimulation currents up to 800 μA. Results: Electrical tests on the fabricated BGCI microsystem have been performed to verify the chip functions. The in vivo animal tests in Guinea pigs have shown the evoked third wave of electrically evoked auditory brainstem response waveforms. It is verified that auditory nerves can be successfully stimulated and acoustic hearing can be partially preserved. Conclusion and Significance: Different from traditional cochlear implants, the proposed BGCI microsystem is less invasive, preserves partially acoustic hearing, and provides an effective alternative for treating high-frequency hearing loss. © 1964-2012 IEEE.
Subjects
Active rectifier; bone-guided; cochlear implant; implantable medical devices; inductive link power supply
Other Subjects
Audition; CMOS integrated circuits; Cochlear implants; Electric power systems; Integrated circuit design; Mammals; Microsystems; Signal processing; System-on-chip; Telemetering equipment; Active rectifiers; Auditory brainstem response; High voltage tolerant; Implantable medical devices; Inductive link; Power conversion efficiencies; Stimulation pattern; Wireless power telemetries; Electric rectifiers; acoustics; animal experiment; Article; cochlea; cochlear nerve; electric potential; evoked brain stem auditory response; guinea pig; high frequency hearing loss; in vivo study; nonhuman; scala tympani; signal noise ratio; speech intelligibility; telemetry; animal; cochlea prosthesis; cochlear implantation; devices; equipment design; human; microtechnology; physiology; semiconductor; surgery; Animals; Cochlea; Cochlear Implantation; Cochlear Implants; Cochlear Nerve; Equipment Design; Guinea Pigs; Humans; Microtechnology; Semiconductors
Type
journal article