Implantable microphone with shaped chamber

• US 20070009132A1
• Filed: 01/20/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Inventors: Schneider, Robert, Miller, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,489,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/369
• 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 implantable microphone is disclosed having an external diaphragm and housing that forming chamber capable of being pressurized by deformational movement of the diaphragm induced by pressure waves (e.g., acoustic signals) propagating through overlying tissue. The chamber is shaped such that the volume of the chamber upon deflection of the diaphragm is reduced compared to a static volume of the chamber (i.e., volume of the chamber with no diaphragm deflection). As a result, the change in pressure within the chamber for a given diaphragm displacement is greater than it would be within a chamber having a cylindrical volume, leading to greater microphone sensitivity. In one arrangement, the chamber is shaped such that it is deeper at its center than at its edges, for example, to form a conical or paraboloidal volume.

Claims

1. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a housing;

a diaphragm sealably positioned across a recessed surface of the housing, wherein said recessed surface and said diaphragm collectively define a chamber and wherein said diaphragm defines a reference plane;

a pressure sensitive element operatively interconnected to said chamber for detecting pressure fluctuations and generating an output signal, said output signal being operative to actuate an actuator of a hearing instrument; and

wherein a depth of said recessed surfaces varies relative to said reference plane across at least a portion of a width of said recessed surface.

2. The microphone of claim 1, wherein a depth at a peripheral edge of said recessed surface is less than a first depth at a first location spaced from said peripheral edge.

3. The microphone of claim 2, wherein a second depth at a second location spaced from said peripheral edge is greater than said first depth, wherein said second location is spaced further from said peripheral edge than said first location.

4. The microphone of claim 1, wherein a center of said recessed surface is deeper than a peripheral edge of said recessed surface.

5. The microphone of claim 4, wherein said depth of said recessed surface varies in a range between 0.0 inches and about 0.0050 inches.

6. The microphone of claim 5, wherein said depth of said recessed surface varies in a range between about 0.0002 inches and about 0.0030 inches.

7. The microphone of claim 1, wherein a volume of said chamber is less than about 15 cubic millimeters.

8. The microphone of claim 7, where said volume is less than about 7 cubic millimeters.

9. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said diaphragm has a modulus of elasticity of at least about 70 GPa.

10. The microphone of claim 9, wherein said diaphragm has a modulus of elasticity of at least about 100 GPa.

11. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said diaphragm has a thickness between about 0.0002 in and about 0.008 in.

12. The microphone of claim 1, wherein a perpendicular distance between said reference plane and said recessed surface, over at least a portion of a width of said recessed surface, increases as a function of a horizontal distance from a peripheral edge of said recessed surface.

13. The microphone of claim 12, wherein said function is a linear function.

14. The microphone of claim 12, wherein said function is a non-linear function.

15. The microphone of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional profile of said recessed surface is conical over at least a portion of said recessed surface.

16. The microphone of claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional profile of said recessed surface is parabolic over at least a portion of said recessed surface.

17. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said diaphragm is operative to deflect toward said recessed surface in response to a pressure differential across said diaphragm, and wherein in response to a predetermined pressure differential an entirety of said recessed surface is at a distance of less than 0.0015 in. from said diaphragm.

18. The microphone of claim 17, wherein an entirety of said recessed surface is at a distance of less than 0.0005 in. from said diaphragm.

19. The microphone of claim 18, wherein no portion of said recessed surface is at a distance of less than 0.0002 in. from said diaphragm.

20. The microphone of claim 1, wherein a periphery of said recessed surface is circular.

21. The microphone of claim 20, wherein a diameter of said recessed surface is less than 30 mm.

22. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said chamber has a first volume when said diaphragm is in a static non-deflected position and wherein said chamber has a second volume when said diaphragm is deflected in response to a predetermined pressure differential, and wherein a ratio of said second volume divided by said first volume is less than 0.4.

23. The microphone of claim 22, wherein said ratio is less than 0.2.

24. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises an electroacoustic transducer.

25. The microphone of claim 1, wherein said pressure sensitive element comprises a conductive element.

26. The microphone of claim 25, wherein said conductive element comprises an electret material.

27. The microphone of claim 25, wherein said conductive element forms at least a portion of said recessed surface.

28. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a housing;

a diaphragm sealably positioned over a surface of said housing to define a chamber therebetween, said chamber having a first volume when said diaphragm is in a static position;

a pressure sensitive element operatively interconnected to said chamber for detecting pressure fluctuations and generating an audio output signal; and

wherein said chamber has a second volume when said diaphragm is deflected in response to a predetermined pressure differential, and wherein a ratio of said second volume divided by said first volume is less than 0.4.

29. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said ratio is less than 0.2.

30. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said predetermined pressure differential comprises a one atmosphere pressure differential.

31. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said surface of said housing comprises a recessed surface.

32. The microphone of claim 28, wherein a depth of said recessed surface as measured from said diaphragm at said static position varies over at least a portion of the width of said recessed surface.

33. The microphone of claim 32, wherein an inner portion of said recessed surface has a depth that is greater than a depth of a peripheral edge of said recessed surface.

34. The microphone of claim 32, wherein said depth of said recessed surface varies in a range between 0.0 inches and about 0.0050 inches.

35. The microphone of claim 28, wherein said first volume is less than 15 cubic millimeters.

36. The microphone of claim 35, wherein said first volume is less than 7 cubic millimeters.

37. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a recessed surface that increases from a first depth between about 0.0 inches and about 0.0010 inches at a peripheral edge of said recessed surface to a second depth between about 0.0020 inches and 0.0050 inches at mid-point of said recessed surface;

a diaphragm sealably positioned across said recessed surface, wherein said recessed surface and said diaphragm collectively define a chamber, and wherein said diaphragm defines a reference plane from which said first and second depths are measured; and

a pressure sensitive element operatively interconnected to said chamber for detecting pressure fluctuations and generating an output signal, said output signal being operative to actuate an actuator of a hearing instrument.

38. The microphone of claim 37, wherein said recessed surface increases continually over at least a portion of a distance between said peripheral edge and said mid-point.

39. The microphone of claim 37, wherein at least a portion of a profile of said recessed surface is conical.

40. The microphone of claim 37, wherein at least a portion of a profile of said recessed surface is parabolic.

41. The microphone of claim 37, wherein a volume of said chamber when said diaphragm is in a static non-deflected position is less than 15 cubic millimeters.

42. The microphone of claim 41, wherein said volume is less than 7 cubic millimeters.

43. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a housing

a diaphragm sealably positioned across a recessed surface of the housing, wherein said recessed surface and said diaphragm collectively define a chamber and wherein said diaphragm defines a reference plane;

an electroacoustic transducer operatively interconnected to said chamber for detecting pressure fluctuations and generating an audio output signal, said audio output signal being operative to actuate an actuator of a hearing instrument; and

wherein along at least one cross-sectional profile of said chamber a perpendicular distance between said reference plane and said recessed surface continually increases between a first edge of said recessed surface and a mid-point of said recessed surface.

44. The microphone of claim 43, wherein said midpoint is disposed on a common reference line between said first edge and a second edge of said recessed area.

45. The microphone of claim 43, further comprising:

at least a second cross-sectional profile where a perpendicular distance between said reference plane and said recessed surface is constant over at least a portion of a width of said recessed surface.

46. An implantable microphone, comprising:

a housing having a recessed surface;

a diaphragm sealably positioned across said recessed surface to define a chamber, wherein said diaphragm is operative to deflect toward said recessed surface in response to a pressure differential across said diaphragm;

an electroacoustic transducer operatively interconnected to said chamber for detecting pressure fluctuations and generating an audio output signal, said audio output signal being operative to actuate an actuator of a hearing instrument; and

wherein in response to a predetermined pressure differential, an entirety of said recessed surface is at a distance of less than about 0.005 in. from said diaphragm.

47. The microphone of claim 46, wherein at said predetermined pressure differential, no portion of said recessed surface is within a distance of 0.0002 inches of said diaphragm.