A high-efficiency ultrasonic power link for implantable medical devices

我们建议开发一种高效的经皮超声链接，为植入的听力装置提供能量。这需要工程专业知识和临床/生理专业知识的紧密结合，以开发新技术，实现其在新手术选择方面的潜力，并测试其交付功能的能力。目前，植入的听力设备由一套射频感应线圈供电，这些线圈通过磁场传递能量。这样的系统有一些严重的基本限制：感应线圈在尺寸和效率之间进行权衡，较小的设备效率较低，并且对对准和定位误差非常敏感。对准误差的高度敏感性迫使对准磁铁的使用，这使得在不移除磁铁或接受图像中的大阴影区域的情况下，不可能对植入的患者进行MRI扫描。核磁共振扫描是许多疾病的权威测试，许多

We propose to develop a high-efficiency transcutaneous ultrasound link to provide power to implanted hearing devices. This requires a cohesive combination of engineering expertise to develop new technology, and clinical/physiological expertise to realise its potential in terms of new surgical options and to test its ability to deliver functionally. At present, implanted hearing devices are powered with a set of radiofrequency induction coils that transfer power through the magnetic field. Such systems have some serious and fundamental limitations: Induction coils trade off size and efficiency, with smaller devices being less efficient, and are quite sensitive to alignment and positioning errors. The high sensitivity to alignment error forces the use of alignment magnets which make it impossible to perform MRI scans on the implanted patient without either removing the magnet, or accepting large shadow areas in the images. MRI scanning is the definitive test for many disorders, and many