Optimization of MEMS Capacitive Accelerometer as Fully Implantable Middle Ear Microphone for Hearing Aid
نویسندگان
چکیده
This work describes the design and optimization of three prototypes of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) capacitive accelerometer-based middle ear microphone. The microphone is intended for middle ear hearing aids as well as future fully implantable cochlear prosthesis. The analysis is done using COMSOL Multiphysics. The maximum applied acceleration was considered 1g. Human temporal bones acoustic response characterization results are used to derive the accelerometer design requirements. The accelerometer can be attached to the middle ear bone structure, umbo to convert the bone vibration to an electrical signal representing the original acoustic information. The acceleration of umbo is measured in the frequency range from 250 Hz to 10 kHz with input tones between 70 and 100 dB SPL. The capacitance sensitivities and capacitance values of three different prototypes with different gap spacing between fixed and movable electrodes is considered for optimizing the design. Keywords—Implantable microphone, micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) accelerometer, middle ear hearing aid, middle ear microphone.
منابع مشابه
Optimization of Device Geometry of a Fully-Implantable Hearing Aid Microphone
Introduction: The hearing impairment is affecting more than 360 million people all over the world suffer [1]. In India alone, 63 million people suffer from significant auditory loss [2]. Considerable interest in middle ear implants has emerged over the years to facilitate patients who do not receive significant benefits with conventional hearing aids. Also, the social stigma of wearing external...
متن کاملOptimization of MEMS Based Capacitive Accelerometer for Fully Implantable Hearing Aid Application
INTRODUCTION: According to the 2015 estimates of WHO, 278 million people have disabling hearing impairment. In India, 63 million people suffer from significant auditory loss. The majority of all hearing loss is sensorineural loss which refers to hair cells damage in cochlea, a snail like structure inside the inner ear which connects to the auditory nerve in the brain. The use of conventional he...
متن کاملOptimization of Device Geometry of a Fully Implantable MEMS Hearing Aid Microphone by Genetic Algorithm
The paper presents the performance optimization of a MEMS accelerometer based microphone for the fully implantable hearing application. A genetic algorithm is employed to optimize the device geometry parameters satisfying the design constraints. The analytical model run on MATLAB and the simulation model implemented in COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS 4.2 show good agreement. Optimization with Genetic algor...
متن کاملA MEMS Capacitive Accelerometer Design as Middle Ear Microphone Based on Ossicular Chain Micromechanic Characterization at Umbo for Fully Implantable Cochlear Prosthesis
An accelerometer attached to an umbo is proposed as a middle ear microphone for future fully implantable cochlear prostheses. The micromechanic characterization of cadaveric temporal bones indicates that a miniature accelerometer with a sensing resolution of 35 µg/ Hz, a bandwidth of 8 kHz, and a packaged weight less than 20 mg is required for detecting normal conversation, and that the acceler...
متن کاملUltraminiature encapsulated accelerometers as a fully implantable sensor for implantable hearing aids.
Experiments were conducted to evaluate a silicon accelerometer as an implantable sound sensor for implantable hearing aids. The main motivation of this study is to find an alternative sound sensor that is implantable inside the body, yet does not suffer from the signal attenuation from the body. The merit of the accelerometer sensor as a sound sensor will be that it will utilize the natural mec...
متن کامل