In-Ear Energy Harvesting for Wearables Technologies from Jaw-Joint Deformation

可穿戴设备技术的入耳式能量收集技术

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-06192
• 负责人: Voix, Jérémie
• 金额: $ 2.26万
• 依托单位: École de technologie supérieure
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=712080
• 关键词: Ear; Energy; Harvesting; Wearables; Technologies

The goal of the proposed research program is to advance state-of-the-art knowledge in the field of human earcanal deformations resulting from jaw-joint movement during eating and speaking activities. Such knowledge will help to develop miniaturized in-ear micro-energy harvesters able to transform this mechanical energy into a source of electrical power for all kinds of electronic in-ear wearable devices, including hearing aids. To achieve this, four interrelated research projects, involving 2 master's degree students (MS) and 2 doctoral students (PhD), will be conducted to: a) quantify the typical amount of mechanical energy generated on a daily basis from earcanal deformation, b) study earcanal deformations and determine the stress-strain properties of the human earcanal fitted with a custom earpiece, c) model the mechanical coupling between the earcanal, the in-ear device and the embedded micro-energy harvester, d) develop a parametric model for the individualized design of a micro-energy harvester that matches each individual earcanal morphology. The proposed research program will provide unique knowledge relating to the human earcanal's static and dynamic deformation. Such knowledge is of great interest for various medical fields of research, from the mechanical design of comfortable biomedical in-ear devices (hearing protectors, hearing aids, communication earpieces, etc.) to the treatment of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), a medical condition where proper models of earcanal deformation are key. The outcome of the research program will also be of clear benefit for the design of in-ear micro-energy harvesters. Such technology could benefit our Canadian industrial partner, EERS Technologies 4.0 Inc., for the future powering of its own product line of electronic hearing protection and communication-in-noise earpieces currently being developed within the NSERC-EERS Industrial Research Chair in In-Ear technologies held by the applicant. Finally, the licence of the resulting technology to hearing-aid manufacturers could ultimately lead to the development of self-powered hearing-aids and would be a great relief to the 300 million users who currently have to change their hearing aid batteries on a weekly basis.

拟议的研究计划的目标是推进国家的最先进的知识，在人类耳道变形领域造成的下颌关节运动在进食和说话活动。这些知识将有助于开发小型化的入耳式微能量采集器，能够将这种机械能转化为各种电子入耳式可穿戴设备（包括助听器）的电源。 为了实现这一目标，四个相互关联的研究项目，涉及2名硕士学位学生（MS）和2名博士生（PhD），将进行：a）量化每天由耳道变形产生的机械能的典型量，B）研究耳道变形并确定装配有定制耳机的人耳道的应力-应变特性，c）对耳道、耳内装置和嵌入式微能量采集器之间的机械耦合进行建模，d）开发用于匹配每个单独耳道形态的微能量采集器的个性化设计的参数模型。 拟议的研究计划将提供有关人类耳道的静态和动态变形的独特知识。这些知识对于各种医学研究领域都有很大的意义，从舒适的生物医学入耳式设备（听力保护器，助听器，通信耳机等）的机械设计。颞下颌关节紊乱病（TMJ）的治疗，这是一种耳道变形的适当模型是关键的医学病症。 该研究计划的结果也将对耳内微能量采集器的设计有明显的好处。这种技术可以使我们的加拿大工业合作伙伴EERS技术4.0公司受益，用于未来为自己的电子听力保护产品线供电，目前正在申请人持有的NSERC-EERS工业研究主席的耳内技术中开发噪声耳机。最后，将由此产生的技术许可给助听器制造商，最终可能导致自行供电助听器的发展，并将大大减轻目前每周必须更换助听器电池的3亿用户的负担。