Integrated implantable hearing device, microphone and power unit
First Claim
1. A method for use with an implantable auditory stimulation system, comprising:
- generating a first drive signal at a first supercutaneous unit, the first drive signal being based on a first captured sound signal;
transcutaneously wirelessly transmitting said first drive signal from said first supercutaneous unit to a second subcutaneous implant module of the implantable auditory stimulation system;
activating a subcutaneously implanted stimulation device in communication with the second subcutaneous implant module to evoke a hearing percept based on the transmitted first drive signal;
generating a second drive signal at a first subcutaneous implant module; and
transmitting said second drive signal from said first subcutaneous implant module to the second subcutaneous implant module.
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Abstract
An implantable hearing unit is provided that includes an implantable microphone, a rechargeable power storage device and a speech signal processor. The hearing unit further includes a signal coupling device that is adapted for electrical interconnection to an implantable auditory stimulation device, which is operative to stimulate an auditory component of a patient. Such a stimulation device may include cochlear implants, brain stem stimulation systems, auditory nerve stimulation systems, and middle or inner ear transducer systems. The signal coupling device is operative to provide processed drive signals from the signal processor to the stimulation device as well provide power from the power storage device to operate the stimulation device. In one arrangement, the signal coupling device is a wireless coupling between first and second coils. In such an arrangement, the hearing unit may be utilized with an existing implanted stimulation device to make that device a fully implanted hearing system.
22 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for use with an implantable auditory stimulation system, comprising:
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generating a first drive signal at a first supercutaneous unit, the first drive signal being based on a first captured sound signal; transcutaneously wirelessly transmitting said first drive signal from said first supercutaneous unit to a second subcutaneous implant module of the implantable auditory stimulation system; activating a subcutaneously implanted stimulation device in communication with the second subcutaneous implant module to evoke a hearing percept based on the transmitted first drive signal; generating a second drive signal at a first subcutaneous implant module; and transmitting said second drive signal from said first subcutaneous implant module to the second subcutaneous implant module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for use with an implantable auditory stimulation system, comprising:
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transmitting a first drive signal from a first subcutaneously implanted component of the implantable auditory stimulation system implanted in a recipient to a subcutaneously implanted stimulation device in communication with the first subcutaneously implanted component to evoke a hearing percept based on the transmitted first drive signal; transmitting a second drive signal from a second subcutaneously implanted component of the implantable auditory stimulation system implanted in the recipient to the subcutaneously implanted stimulation device to evoke a hearing percept based on the transmitted second drive signal; transcutaneously receiving, at said first subcutaneously implanted component at least one of magnetic signals or electromagnetic signals; and utilizing said at least one of magnetic signals and electromagnetic signals to recharge a power supply associated with said first subcutaneously implanted component. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method, comprising:
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evoking a first hearing percept based on a first captured sound captured externally to a recipient with an external sound capture device, the first hearing percept being evoked using a subcutaneously implanted stimulation device; capturing a second sound using an implantable microphone subcutaneously implanted within the recipient that is in signal communication with the subcutaneously implanted simulation device; and evoking a second hearing percept based on the second captured sound, the second hearing percept being evoked using the subcutaneously implanted stimulation device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification