CONNECTORIZED COCHLEAR IMPLANT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

摘要

An exemplary method includes cochlear implant circuitry, which is disposed within a cochlear implant module configured to be implanted within a patient, performing the following: 1) detecting that an implantable antenna is connected to a modular connector coupled to the cochlear implant module, 2) operating in accordance with a radio frequency (“RF”) inductive link communication protocol while the implantable antenna is connected to the modular connector, 3) detecting a disconnection of the implantable antenna from the modular connector and a connection of an implantable sound processor to the modular connector, and 4) dynamically switching from operating in accordance with the RF inductive link communication protocol to operating in accordance with a hard wired baseband link communication protocol in response to the connection of the implantable sound processor to the modular connector.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
detecting, by cochlear implant circuitry disposed within a cochlear implant module configured to be implanted within a patient, that an implantable antenna is connected to a modular connector coupled to the cochlear implant module; operating, by the cochlear implant circuitry, in accordance with a radio frequency (“RF”) inductive link communication protocol while the implantable antenna is connected to the modular connector; detecting, by the cochlear implant circuitry, a disconnection of the implantable antenna from the modular connector and a connection of an implantable sound processor to the modular connector; and dynamically switching, by the cochlear implant circuitry, from operating in accordance with the RF inductive link communication protocol to operating in accordance with a hard wired baseband link communication protocol in response to the connection of the implantable sound processor to the modular connector.