Eye-mounted hearing aid

• US 10,419,860 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Cahan, Amos, Sakuma, Katsuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ojo, Oyesola C
• Application Number:
  US15/591,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20180332409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 381313
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/125 with contact lenses contact lenses per se G02C7/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/1602 Corrective lenses for use in addition to the natural lenses of the eyes or for pseudo-phakic eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0008 Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36 for stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 17/00 Piezoelectric transducers; Electrostrictive transducers piezoelectric or electrostrictive elements in general H10N30/00; details of piezoelectric or electrostrictive motors, generators or positioners H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method of stimulating a cornea. A non-limiting example of the method includes capturing a sound with a microphone. A non-limiting example of the method also includes transducing the sound to an electric signal by a microprocessor. A non-limiting example of the method also includes stimulating a piezo-electric element adjacent to a receptor of the cornea, wherein the piezo-electric element is positioned on an eye lens with an electric signal. A non-limiting example of the method also includes mechanically stimulating a receptor of the cornea with the stimulated piezo-electric element.

Claims

1. A system for stimulating the cornea, the system comprising:

an eye lens;

a microphone positioned on the eye lens and configured to receive an auditory signal;

a plurality of piezo elements positioned upon the eye lens, each of the plurality of piezo elements comprising a piezoelectric structure that vibrates at a different resonant frequency;

a microcontroller in electrical communication with the plurality of piezo elements, the microcontroller configured to;

identify a frequency in the auditory signal;

determine a resonant frequency associated with the frequency; and

selectively activate one of the plurality of piezo elements based on the resonant frequency; and

a power supply in electrical communication with the plurality of piezo elements.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising memory in communication with the microcontroller.

3. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an external device, wherein the external device is physically separated from the eye lens and comprises NFC components.

4. The system according to claim 3 further comprising an NFC tag positioned upon the eye lens and an NFC reader positioned upon the external device.

5. The system according to claim 3 further comprising a second external device in wireless communication with the external device.

6. The system according to claim 3, wherein the external device comprises eyeglasses.

7. A system for stimulating the cornea, the system comprising:

an eye lens comprising a plurality of piezo elements, a first microcontroller in communication with the piezo elements, an NFC tag in communication with the first microcontroller, and an antenna in communication with the NFC tag, each of the plurality of piezo elements comprising a piezoelectric structure that vibrates at a different resonant frequency;

an external device comprising an NFC reader, a second microcontroller in communication with the NFC reader, and memory in communication with the second microcontroller; and

a microphone in communication with the piezo elements, the microphone configured to receive an auditory signal;

wherein the first microcontroller is configured to;

identify a frequency in the auditory signal;

determine a resonant frequency associated with the frequency; and

selectively activate one of the plurality of piezo elements based on the resonant frequency.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the power supply is positioned upon the external device.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the microphone is positioned upon the external device.

10. The system according to claim 7 further comprising a wireless transmitter and receiver.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the wireless transmitter and receiver is in communication with an external device.

12. The system according to claim 7, wherein the external device comprises eyeglasses.