Round window coupled hearing systems and methods
First Claim
1. A device to transmit user perceivable sound to an ear of a user, the ear having an eardrum, a middle ear, an ossicular chain within the middle ear, and a round window membrane located within a round window niche, the device comprising:
- a support configured to couple to the round window membrane, the support sized for placement on the round window membrane located within the round window niche; and
a transducer configured to reside entirely within the middle ear and to receive a signal representative of the user perceivable sound transmitted wirelessly through the eardrum from an input, wherein the transducer is further configured to affix to an anatomical structure within the middle ear without contacting the ossicular chain within the middle ear when the transducer is positioned in the middle ear medial to the eardrum and to couple to the round window membrane through the support when the support is placed on the round window membrane in order to transmit the sound solely in response to the received signal,wherein the input is configured to receive the user perceivable sound from an ambient environment, process the received user perceivable sound to generate the signal, and transmit the signal to the transducer.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A support can be configured for placement in the middle ear to couple a transducer to the round window, such that the transducer can be removed from the round window without damaging the round window. The support can be configured to couple the transducer to the sound window such that the support can be removed from the round window. The support may be configured to decouple the transducer from the round window such that the transducer can be removed from the middle ear of the user, for example when the support is affixed to the middle ear. Removal of the transducer from the middle ear without damaging the round window can allow safe removal of the transducer, for example when the patient wishes to receive MRI imaging.
398 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A device to transmit user perceivable sound to an ear of a user, the ear having an eardrum, a middle ear, an ossicular chain within the middle ear, and a round window membrane located within a round window niche, the device comprising:
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a support configured to couple to the round window membrane, the support sized for placement on the round window membrane located within the round window niche; and a transducer configured to reside entirely within the middle ear and to receive a signal representative of the user perceivable sound transmitted wirelessly through the eardrum from an input, wherein the transducer is further configured to affix to an anatomical structure within the middle ear without contacting the ossicular chain within the middle ear when the transducer is positioned in the middle ear medial to the eardrum and to couple to the round window membrane through the support when the support is placed on the round window membrane in order to transmit the sound solely in response to the received signal, wherein the input is configured to receive the user perceivable sound from an ambient environment, process the received user perceivable sound to generate the signal, and transmit the signal to the transducer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method of transmitting user perceivable sound to an ear of a user, the ear having an eardrum, a middle ear, an ossicular chain within the middle ear, and a round window membrane located within a round window niche, the method comprising:
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receiving the user perceivable sound from an ambient environment; processing the received user perceivable sound to generate a signal representative of the user perceivable sound; transmitting the signal wirelessly through the eardrum to a transducer coupled to a support placed on the round window membrane located within the round window niche; and vibrating the round window membrane with the transducer through the support placed on the round window membrane solely in response to the wireless signal, wherein the transducer is positioned entirely in a middle ear medial to the eardrum without contacting the ossicular chain within the middle ear and affixed to an anatomical structure within the middle ear.
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34. A method of providing a hearing prosthesis to transmit user perceivable sound to an ear of a user, the ear having an eardrum, a middle ear, an ossicular chain within the middle ear, and a round window membrane located within a round window niche, the method comprising:
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positioning a transducer entirely in a middle ear of the user medial to the eardrum and affixing the transducer to an anatomical structure within the middle ear, wherein the transducer is positioned in the middle ear without contacting the ossicular chain within the middle ear; and placing a support on the round window membrane located within the round window niche, such that the transducer is coupled to the round window membrane through the support placed on the round window niche to transmit the sound to the user, wherein the transducer is configured to receive a signal representative of the user perceivable sound transmitted wirelessly through the eardrum from an input and transmit the user perceivable sound solely in response to the received signal, and wherein the input is configured to receive the user perceivable sound from an ambient environment, process the received user perceivable sound to generate the signal, and transmit the signal to the transducer. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
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Specification