Implantable transducer with transverse force application

• US 20070083078A1
• Filed: 10/06/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Inventors: Easter, James, Bedoya, Jose
• Granted Patent: US 7,753,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• 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 hearing aid transducer is provided that allows providing movement for stimulation purposes in at least first and second directions. This allows for moving an auditory component in a direction that may be substantially aligned with a natural direction of movement for the auditory component. In one arrangement, a middle ear transducer having an elongated vibratory member that extends into a patient'"'"'s tympanic cavity is operative to move a tip of the vibratory member in at least first and second directions. A first direction may be along a long axis of the vibratory member while a second direction may be in a direction that is at least partially transverse to the long axis of the vibratory member. Further, the transducer may be positionable to provide alignment of the vibratory member such that the transverse direction of movement is substantially aligned with a direction of natural movement of a middle ear component (e.g. ossicles bone) to be stimulated.

Claims

1. An implantable hearing aid transducer, comprising:

a transducer body adapted for fixed positioning relative to a skull of a patient;

a vibratory member extending from the transducer body along a first axis and having a distal portion for stimulating an auditory component;

a first driver for displacing said distal end of said elongated member along a movement path in response to transducer drive signals, wherein said movement path has a displacement component that is at least partially transverse to said first axis.

2. The transducer of claim 1, further comprising a second driver that is operative to displace said distal portion of said vibratory member along said first axis.

3. The transducer of claim 2, wherein said first and second drivers are operative to displace said distal end along said first axis and along said movement path simultaneously.

4. The transducer of claim 2, wherein said first and second drivers are operative to selectively displace said distal portion along said first axis and along said movement path based on a frequency of said transducer drive signal.

5. The transducer of claim 1, wherein the transducer body includes an aperture extending through at least the first side thereof, and wherein the vibratory member is extends through said aperture.

6. The transducer of claim 1, wherein said distal end of said vibratory member is adapted for physical interconnection to a middle ear component.

7. The transducer of claim 1, wherein said first driver is disposed proximate to said distal portion of said vibratory member.

8. The transducer of claim 7, wherein a resonant frequency of said vibratory member and said first driver is less than about 2000 Hz.

9. The transducer of claim 7, wherein said first driver comprises a floating mass for producing inertial reactions to said distal portion of said vibratory member.

10. The transducer of claim 1, wherein said first driver applies a force to said vibratory member at a location within said transducer body, wherein said force is applied in a direction that is at least partially transverse to said first axis.

11. The transducer of claim 10, wherein a proximal end of said vibratory member is rigidly mounted to said transducer body.

12. The transducer of claim 1, wherein said vibratory member further includes:

a pivot disposed between and interconnecting a first portion of said vibratory member including said distal portion and a second portion of said vibratory member extending from said transducer body, wherein said pivot defines a second axis that is at least partially transverse to said first axis.

13. The transducer of claim 12, wherein said first driver is adapted to rotate said distal portion about said second axis.

14. The transducer of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said first driver is disposed within said transducer body.

16. The transducer of claim 1, wherein said vibratory member further comprises:

a portion adapted for physical interconnection with said auditory component.

15. An implantable hearing aid transducer, comprising:

a transducer body;

a vibratory member moveable relative to said transducer body for stimulating an auditory component; and

a driver for selectively driving said vibratory member in first and second different directions in response to transducer drive signals.

17. The transducer of claim 15, wherein said vibratory member further comprises a first component for magnetically engaging a second component attached to an auditory component of a patient.

18. The transducer of claim 17, wherein said first component comprises one of a magnet and a coil and said second component comprises one of a coil and a magnet, respectively.

19. The transducer of claim 15, wherein said vibratory member comprises an actuator having a distal end for stimulating said auditory component and wherein a length axis of said actuator defines said first direction.

20. The transducer of claim 19, wherein the transducer body includes an aperture extending through at least the first side thereof, and wherein said elongated actuator is advanceable along said first axis through said aperture.

21. The transducer of claim 19, wherein said distal end supports said driver.

22. The transducer of claim 15, wherein said driver comprises:

a first driver for driving said vibratory member in said first direction; and

a second driver for driving said vibratory member in said second direction.

23. The transducer of claim 15, wherein said vibratory member is pivotally interconnected to said transducer body, and wherein said driver is operative to apply a moment to said vibratory member.

24. The transducer of claim 15, wherein said transducer body is adapted for fixed positioning relative to tissue of a patient.

25. A method for stimulating an auditory component, comprising:

advancing a vibratory member to a position relative to an auditory component of a patient;

aligning a movement path of said vibratory member with a desired direction of movement of said auditory component, wherein said movement path is at least partially transverse to a direction of advancement of said vibratory member;

driving said vibratory member along said movement path to stimulate said auditory component.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

interconnecting said vibratory member to said auditory component.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

receiving transducer drive signals, wherein said vibratory member is driven in response to said transducer drive signals.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

driving said vibratory member along a direction substantially aligned with said direction of advancement.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said vibratory member is selectively driven along at least one of said movement paths and said direction of advancement based on a frequency of said transducer drive signals.

30. A method for implanting a hearing aid transducer within a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting a transducer body subcutaneously within the patient;

positioning a distal portion of a vibratory member extending from the transducer body relative to a middle ear component, wherein said vibratory member extends along a first axis and said distal portion is moveable along a movement path that is at least partially transverse to said first axis;

rotating said transducer body to at least partially align said movement path with a desired direction of movement of said middle ear component; and

securing the transducer body to maintain said movement path in alignment with said desired direction of movement.

31. The method of claim 30, the method comprising:

physically coupling said distal portion of the vibratory member to the middle ear component.

32. The method of claim 30, the method comprising:

magnetically coupling said distal portion of the vibratory member to the middle ear component.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the magnetically coupling step comprises:

first attaching one of a magnet and a coil to said distal portion of said vibratory member;

second attaching the other of a coil and a magnet to the middle ear component; and

disposing said distal portion relative to said middle ear component.

34. An implantable hearing aid transducer, comprising:

a transducer body adapted for fixed positioning relative to a skull of a patient;

a vibratory member extending from the transducer body along a first axis and having a distal end;

a first driver suspended proximate to said distal end for displacing said distal end of said vibratory member along a movement path in response to transducer drive signals, wherein said movement path has a component that is at least partially transverse to said first axis.

35. The implantable transducer of claim 34, further comprising:

a second driver for displacing said distal end of said vibratory member in a direction along said first axis.

36. The implantable transducer of claim 34, wherein said first driver is adapted to physically engage an auditory component of a patient.

37. A method for operating an implantable transducer, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving transducer drive signals in the transducer;

based on a frequency of said transducer drive signals selecting between at least first and second movement directions for vibrating a vibratory member moveably connected to the transducer; and

vibrating the vibratory member along a selected movement direction to stimulate a middle ear component.

38. A hearing aid comprising:

an acoustic signal receiver to receive acoustic sound and generate acoustic response signals;

a signal processor to process the acoustic response signals to generate transducer drive signals;

an implantable transducer to process the transducer drive signals and stimulate a middle ear component, the transducer comprising;

a transducer body;

a vibratory member moveable relative to said transducer body for stimulating an auditory component; and

a driver for selectively driving said vibratory member along first and second directions of movement in response to transducer drive signals.