Abstract: A method, including placing a transcutaneous power transfer apparatus at a location on a surface of the skin proximate an implanted medical device, transferring power from the apparatus to the implanted medical device, and actively cooling the transcutaneous power transfer apparatus below the ambient temperature prior to and/or after commencing transfer of power from the apparatus to the implanted medical device.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for estimating skin flap thickness (“SFT”) of a recipient of an implantable medical device system. In particular, in accordance with the techniques presented herein, the implantable medical device comprises an external component having a magnet configured to magnetically couple the external component to an implantable component of the implantable medical device system through a skin flap of a recipient of the implantable medical device system. The SFT is estimated based on a strength of the magnet. One or more operational parameters for the implantable medical device system may be determined and/or set based on the estimated SFT.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein are relevant to testing capacitors to identify potentially faulty DC blocking capacitors in implantable stimulators. In an example, the test includes selecting an active electrode, a return electrode, and a reference electrode. Short duration monophasic stimulation is used to charge up the DC blocking capacitors of the active and return electrodes. The electrodes are subsequently disconnected from all other nodes except a discharge circuit (e.g., a star circuit) and the tissue. The reference electrode is used to measure the voltage of the DC blocking capacitor of the active electrode during the charging phase and the discharging phase (via the discharge circuit). The characteristics of one or more of the capacitors charging or discharging can be sensed and then analyzed to determine whether the one or more capacitors are functioning properly. Faulty capacitors can be identified by comparing actual and expected characteristics.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for electronically locking an electronic device in response to detection of a safety critical fault. As used herein, a “safety critical fault” is a fault having a potential to cause harm to an individual using the device. In particular, an electronic device in accordance with certain embodiments presented herein is configured to determine when the electronic device has experienced a safety critical fault. In response, the electronic device automatically restarts itself and, following restart, is automatically forced into a locked mode. The locked mode prevents execution of a run-time program stored in the electronic device.

Abstract: A method, wherein the method includes obtaining data, wherein, the data contains audio content, visual content, or audio content and visual content processing data based on the audio and/or visual content using results from machine learning to develop output, and stimulating tissue of a recipient to evoke a sensory percept based on the output.

Abstract: An improved arrangement for detecting DC current leakage in implanted devices is disclosed. Currents are monitored, so that any unexpected imbalance indicates that a fault condition has occurred. The principle of the system is that if everything working correctly, the same current should be flowing into the tissue from VDDH-ELEC as is passing out of the tissue into VSS_ELEC. Any difference is indicative of current flowing into or out of the tissue from unknown paths, which is indicative of some fault. This replaces routine monitoring for specific faults.

Abstract: An improved arrangement for detecting DC current leakage in implanted devices is disclosed. Currents are monitored, so that any unexpected imbalance indicates that a fault condition has occurred. The principle of the system is that if everything working correctly, the same current should be flowing into the tissue from VDDH-ELEC as is passing out of the tissue into VSS_ELEC. Any difference is indicative of current flowing into or out of the tissue from unknown paths, which is indicative of some fault. This replaces routine monitoring for specific faults.

Abstract: A method and device for measuring an evoked neural response comprising a sensor (25) for obtaining a sensed signal representing the evoked neural response, a high gain amplifier (30) having a signal input (31) for receiving the sensed signal and having a reference input (32), and means for altering or setting a reference voltage at the reference input (32) to prevent the amplifier (30) saturating with variations of the sensed signal.