Totally implantable hearing system
First Claim
1. A hearing system for improving a user'"'"'s hearing, comprising:
- a sound processing device adapted to receive and convert sound into an electrical signal;
a coil assembly for receiving the electrical signal from the sound processing device and converting the electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal and wherein the coil assembly is sized to be implanted in a trough within a bony canal wall of the user adjacent to and separate from an ear canal of the user; and
a magnet assembly adapted to be positioned within a middle ear of an ear of the user and in contact with at least a portion of an ossicle within the middle ear, wherein the magnet assembly is vibratingly responsive to the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the coil assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A totally implantable hearing system having a sound processing device, a coil assembly, and a magnet assembly. The magnet assembly is implanted in the middle ear of a user and is in contact with at least a portion of an ossicle of the middle ear. The sound processing device receives and converts sound into an electrical signal. The coil assembly receives and converts the electrical signal from the sound processing device into an electromagnetic signal, and transmits the electromagnetic signal into the middle ear of the user such that the electromagnet signals interact with the magnet assembly, thereby causing the magnet assembly and the ossicle to vibrate thereby creating the perception of sound in the user. The coil assembly is preferably implanted within the bony canal wall adjacent the outer ear canal of the user such that at least a portion of the coil assembly extends into the middle ear space of the user. The system preferably has a spacer connected to the magnet assembly and/or the coil assembly to substantially maintain a spatial separation between the magnet assembly and the coil assembly, while allowing for the magnet assembly to vibrate the ossicle in response to the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the coil assembly.
62 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A hearing system for improving a user'"'"'s hearing, comprising:
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a sound processing device adapted to receive and convert sound into an electrical signal;
a coil assembly for receiving the electrical signal from the sound processing device and converting the electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal and wherein the coil assembly is sized to be implanted in a trough within a bony canal wall of the user adjacent to and separate from an ear canal of the user; and
a magnet assembly adapted to be positioned within a middle ear of an ear of the user and in contact with at least a portion of an ossicle within the middle ear, wherein the magnet assembly is vibratingly responsive to the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the coil assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A hearing system for improving a user'"'"'s hearing, comprising:
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a sound processing device adapted to receive and convert sound into an electrical signal;
a coil assembly for receiving the electrical signal from the sound processing device and converting the electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal and wherein the coil assembly is sized to be implanted in a trough within a bony canal wall of the user adjacent to and separate from an ear canal of the user;
a magnet assembly adapted to be positioned within a middle ear of an ear of the user and in contact with at least a portion of an ossicle within the middle ear, wherein the magnet assembly is vibratingly responsive to the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the coil assembly; and
a spacer engaged with at least one of the magnet assembly and the coil assembly and disposed between the coil assembly and the magnet assembly such that the spacer substantially maintains a spatial separation between the magnet assembly and the coil assembly while allowing for the magnet assembly to vibrate the ossicle in response to the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the coil assembly. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A method of enhancing a patient'"'"'s hearing by mechanically stimulating ossicles in a middle ear of the patient, comprising:
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implanting in the patient'"'"'s skull a sound processing device adapted to receive and convert sound into an electrical signal;
implanting a coil assembly into an artificially created trough in a bony canal wall of the patient, the coil assembly for receiving the electrical signal from the sound processing device and converting the electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal; and
implanting in the middle ear of the patient a magnet assembly and attaching the magnet assembly to at least a portion of an ossicle within the middle ear, wherein the magnet assembly is vibratingly responsive to the electromagnetic signal transmitted by the coil assembly for causing vibrations in the ossicle. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification