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arXiv · 2610.06263

Towards an Earpiece for Wearable and Dry Ultrasonic Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Sebastian Frey·Farouk Ghezraoui·Marc Nölke·Marco Giordano·Luca Benini·Christoph Leitner
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Abstract

Ultrasound (US)-based auricular vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS) is emerging as a versatile, noninvasive modality for neuromodulation - spanning clinical therapies (e.g., pain management, depression) and general well-being applications. However, most existing US-based aVNS systems remain bulky and require wet coupling media (e.g., ultrasound gel) to achieve both spatially localized stimulation and efficient acoustic transmission. We present a wearable US stimulation system combining a personalized, dry-coupled earpiece with a battery-powered, wireless US probe. The earpiece integrates a 2 MHz piezoelectric transducer fully encapsulated in Humimic material designed for anatomical fit and stable coupling without externally applied gel. Hydrophone measurements of the fully encapsulated earpiece in water give a peak rarefactional pressure of 0.24 MPa at 15 mm for a 15 V unipolar excitation. We further demonstrate in vivo feasibility through fully dry, in-ear 2 MHz pulse-echo acquisitions under realistic wearing conditions, confirming effective US transmission without the need for coupling gel. These results demonstrate the integration of a personalized dry acoustic interface with battery-powered stimulation electronics, providing a wearable platform for investigating US-based aVNS. Future studies will focus on functional outcomes, including heart rate variability and pupillary responses during stimulation.

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Sebastian Frey, Farouk Ghezraoui, Marc Nölke, Marco Giordano, Luca Benini, Christoph Leitner. 2026-10-05. Towards an Earpiece for Wearable and Dry Ultrasonic Vagus Nerve Stimulation. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.06263

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