Low acceleration sensitivity microphone

• US 20050222487A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Inventors: Schneider, Robert Edwin, Miller, Scott Allan III, Waldmann, Bernd, Basinger, David L., Andrews, Travis Rian
• Granted Patent: US 7,214,179 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/016 for microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

An implanted microphone is provided that has reduced sensitivity to vibration and attendant acceleration forces. In this regard, the microphone differentiates between the desirable and undesirable components of a transcutaneously received signal. More specifically, the present invention utilizes an output that is indicative of acceleration forces acting on the implanted microphone (e.g., an acceleration signal) to counteract and/or cancel the effects of acceleration induced pressures in an output signal of a microphone diaphragm. This may be done in a variety of ways, including but not limited to, pneumatically, mechanically, electrical analog, or digitally, or combinations thereof. In one arrangement, the generated output may be filtered to match the an acceleration response of the output signal of the microphone diaphragm such that upon removal of the motion signal from the microphone output, the remaining signal is an acoustic signal.

Claims

1. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a housing having an internal chamber with an aperture thereto;

a first diaphragm sealably positioned across said aperture, wherein said first diaphragm is operative to move in response to an acoustic force and an acceleration force present in a media overlying said first diaphragm;

a cancellation surface interconnected to said housing, wherein at least a portion of said cancellation surface moves relative to said housing in response to said acceleration force acting on said housing; and

a sensor for generating a first output signal indicative of relative movement between said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface.

2. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said output signal corresponds to said acoustic forces.

3. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface each have a resonant frequency of less than about 2000 Hz.

4. The microphone of claim 3, wherein said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface each have a resonant frequency of less than about 200 Hz.

5. The microphone of claim 3, wherein said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface have substantially equal resonant frequencies.

6. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said sensor is further operative to measure at least one of:

a pressure associated with an enclosed space between said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface;

a physical change between pre-selected regions on said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface;

a electrical change between pre-selected regions on said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface; and

a force change between pre-selected regions on said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface.

7. The microphone of claim 6, wherein said physical change comprises at least one of:

a distance between pre-selected regions on said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface;

a velocity between pre-selected regions on said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface.

8. The microphone of claim 6, wherein said electrical change between pre-selected regions on said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface comprises at least one of;

a voltage;

a current;

a capacitance; and

an inductance.

9. The microphone of claim 8, further comprising:

a first electrode associated with said first diaphragm; and

a second electrode associated with said cancellation surface.

10. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said cancellation surface comprises a compliantly supported proof mass.

11. The microphone of claim 10, wherein said sensor comprises a piezo-active material having a first portion in contact with said first diaphragm and a second portion in contact with said proof mass.

12. The microphone of claim 11, wherein said piezo-active material compliantly supports said proof mass.

13. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface define a trapped volume, and wherein said first diaphragm and said cancellation surface are operative to move relative to at least a portion of said trapped volume.

14. The microphone of claim 13, wherein said sensor comprises a microphone element operative to sense a change in pressure in said trapped volume.

15. The microphone of claim 13, wherein said trapped volume is at least partially filled with an acoustic media.

16. The microphone of claim 15, wherein said acoustic media comprises at least one of:

a gas;

a liquid;

an elastomer; and

a gel.

17. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said cancellation surface comprises a second diaphragm.

18. The microphone of claim 17, wherein said second diaphragm is disposed within said housing and in a spaced relationship with said first diaphragm.

19. The microphone of claim 17, wherein said first and second diaphragms are like shaped.

20. The microphone of claim 17, wherein the peripheries of said first and second diaphragms are rigidly interconnected.

21. The microphone of claim 17, wherein said second diaphragm comprises a mass loaded diaphragm.

22. The microphone of claim 21, wherein a mass loading of said second diaphragm is substantially equal to a mass loading of said first diaphragm by said overlying media.

23. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said first diaphragm further comprises:

a reinforcing plate attached to a surface of said first diaphragm.

24. The microphone of claim 1, wherein:

said first diaphragm is operative to generate a microphone output signal corresponding to movement of said first diaphragm; and

said cancellation surface is operative to generate a cancellation output signal corresponding to movement of said cancellation surface.

25. The microphone of claim 24, wherein said sensor is operative to receive and combine said microphone output signal and said cancellation output signal to generate said first output signal.

26. The microphone of claim 25, wherein said sensor subtracts said cancellation output signal form said microphone output signal to generate said first output signal.

27. The microphone of claim 25, further comprising at least one of:

a microphone filter for filtering said microphone output signal; and

a cancellation surface filter for filtering said cancellation output signal.

28. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a housing having an internal chamber with an aperture thereto;

a first diaphragm sealably positioned across said aperture;

a second diaphragm at least partially disposed within said housing and in a spaced relation to said first diaphragm, wherein said first and second diaphragms define a trapped volume;

a proof mass attached to said second diaphragm; and

a sensor operative to sense pressure changes of said trapped volume and generate an output signal indicative thereof.

29. The microphone of claim 28, wherein:

said first diaphragm is adapted to move in response to acoustic forces and acceleration forces present in a media overlying said first diaphragm; and

said proof mass is adapted to move said second diaphragm in response to acceleration forces acting on said housing.

30. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said second diaphragm is disposed in a substantially parallel relationship with said first diaphragm.

31. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said first and second diaphragms have substantially similar shapes.

32. The microphone of claim 28, wherein peripheral portions of said first and second diaphragms are rigidly interconnected.

33. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said trapped volume is at least partially filled with an acoustic media.

34. The microphone of claim 33, wherein said acoustic media comprises at least one of:

a gas;

a liquid;

an elastomer; and

a gel.

35. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said trapped volume is at least partially filled with an electrically active material.

36. The microphone of claim 35, wherein said electrically active material comprises at least one of:

a piezo-electric material; and

a compressible electret material.

37. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a housing having an internal chamber with an aperture thereto;

a first diaphragm sealably positioned across said aperture, said first diaphragm being operative to receive pressure variations in overlying media and generate a corresponding first output signal;

a cancellation surface interconnected to said housing, said cancellation surface being operative to generate a second output signal indicative of an acceleration acting on said housing; and

a device for using at least a portion of each of said first output signal and said second output signal to generate a combined output signal, said combined output signal being operative to actuate an actuator of a hearing instrument.

38. The microphone of claim 37, wherein said first output signal further comprises:

an acoustic component corresponding with an acoustic signal and an acceleration component corresponding with an acceleration present within said overlying media.

39. The microphone of claim 38, wherein said device removes said second output signal from said first output signal, wherein an acceleration component of said combined output signal is less than said acceleration component of said first output signal.

40. The microphone of claim 37, wherein said device comprises an electric summation device for combining electric signals and wherein said first and second output signals are electric signals.

41. The microphone of claim 37, further comprising:

a microphone filter for filtering said first output signal; and

a cancellation surface filter for filtering said second output signal.

42. The microphone of claim 41, wherein each said filter is operative to adjust at least one of:

a magnitude of a received signal; and

a phase of a received signal.

43. The microphone of claim 37, wherein said cancellation surface comprises an accelerometer.

44. The microphone of claim 37, wherein said cancellation surface comprises a second diaphragm.

45. The microphone of claim 44, wherein said second diaphragm further comprises:

a proof mass attached to a surface of said second diaphragm.

46. A method for use in an implantable microphone, comprising the steps of:

providing a first output corresponding to a transcutaneously received pressure signal, said first output having an acoustic component and an acceleration component;

supplying a second output corresponding to an acceleration force acting on said implantable microphone;

using at least a portion of each of said first and second outputs to generate a combined output, wherein an acceleration component of said combined output is less than said acceleration component of said first output.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

generating a stimulation signal using said combined output, said stimulation signal being operative for actuating an actuator of an implantable hearing instrument.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein using said first and second outputs comprises acoustically combining said first and second output to generate said combined output.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein using said first and second outputs comprises electronically combining said first and second outputs to generate said combined output.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said combining step further comprises:

inverting said second output, wherein said second output is subtracted from said first output.

51. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

filtering at least one of said first and second outputs.

52. The method of claim 52, wherein said filtering step is performed prior to using said first and second outputs to generate said combined output.

53. A method for use in an implantable microphone, comprising the steps of:

locating a diaphragm to receive ambient acoustic signals;

positioning a cancellation surface to be isolated from ambient acoustic signals, wherein at least a portion of said cancellation surface is operable to respond to acceleration forces;

providing a first output from said first diaphragm in response to an applied acceleration, wherein said first output includes a first acceleration component and an acoustic component; and

supplying a second output from said cancellation surface in response to said applied acceleration, wherein said second output includes a second acceleration component.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

using at least a portion of said first and second outputs to generate a third output.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein a third acceleration component of said third output is less than said first acceleration component of said first output.

56. The method of claim 54, wherein said using step comprises subtracting said second output from said first output.

57. The method of claim 54, wherein said using step comprises pneumatically combining said first and second outputs.

58. The method of claim 54, wherein said using step comprises electrically combining said first and second outputs.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising:

filtering at least one of said first and second outputs prior to said using step.

60. The method of claim 54, further comprising:

using said third output to generate a stimulation signal for actuating an actuator of an implantable hearing instrument.

61. The method of claim 53, wherein said positioning of said cancellation surface step comprises disposing said cancellation surface within a housing of an implantable microphone.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein said positioning said cancellation surface step comprises disposing an accelerometer within said housing.

63. The method of claim 53, wherein said supplying a second output step comprises deflecting a second diaphragm in response to said applied acceleration.

64. The method of claim 53, wherein said positioning a cancellation surface comprises co-locating the cancellation surface with the diaphragm.

65. The method of claim 53, wherein said positioning a cancellation surface comprises affixing the cancellation surface to the diaphragm.