Bone conductive devices for improving hearing

• US 20070191673A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Gerate GmbH (MED-EL Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Vibrant Med-El Hearing Technology GmbH
• Inventors: Lampacher, Peter, Ball, Geoffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,246,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/25
• 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

The present invention relates to implantable medical devices for improving sound perception by subjects with conductive or mixed conductive/sensorineural hearing loss. In particular, the present invention provides methods and devices for vibrating the skull of a hearing impaired subject.

Claims

1. A device for improving sound perception in a subject, comprising:

a fully implantable vibratory unit configured to be mounted to a temporal bone of a subject and suitable for vibrating said temporal bone in response to an externally generated electrical signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said vibratory unit comprises a transducer comprising a first mass that vibrates relative to a second mass.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said first mass is a magnet, and said second mass is a coil coupled to a housing, and wherein said magnet is positioned within said housing such that an electrical signal through said coil causes said magnet to vibrate relative to said housing.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said coil is made of a material that does not interfere with magnetic resonance imaging applications.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein said housing is mounted to said temporal bone by a mounting means selected from the group consisting of bone screw, bone cement, and bone suture.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein said transducer has a diameter of less than 30 mm and a width of less than 7 mm.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein said transducer comprises a dual opposing magnet and a coil, and wherein said dual opposing magnet comprises a first magnet and a second magnet coupled together and positioned such that either magnetic south poles or magnetic north poles of said magnets are in close proximity permitting magnetic flux lines to align adjacent to said coil.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said first and second magnets comprise said first mass.

9. The device of claim 2, wherein said transducer comprises a magnet situated between two coils coupled to a housing, and wherein said magnet is positioned within said housing such that an electrical signal through said coils causes said magnet to vibrate in a twisting fashion (torque) relative to said housing.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a receiver unit suitable for conducting an electrical signal produced in response to sound, to said implantable vibratory unit.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein said receiver unit is an implantable receiver unit configured to be placed at a subcutaneous position behind an ear of said subject.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said implantable receiver unit comprises a receiver coil and a magnet, disposed within and attached to a housing.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein said implantable receiver unit is connected to said implantable vibratory unit with a lead of less than 15 mm in length.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said lead is suitable for damping vibration from said vibratory unit to said receiver unit.

15. The device of claim 10, further comprising an external audio processor unit suitable for converting sound into an electric signal.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein said external audio processor unit is configured to be magnetically affixed to skin of said subject in a position above said implantable receiver unit.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein said external audio processor unit comprises an attachment magnet, a microphone, a battery, and a coil, disposed within and attached to a housing.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein said vibratory unit comprises an implantable magnet, and a separate means to affix said external audio processor unit to skin of said subject.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein said external audio processor unit is held in place by first and second implantable magnets, wherein said vibratory unit comprises said first but not said second implantable magnet.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein said external audio processor unit is configured to be attached to a pair of glasses worn by said subject in a position above said implantable receiver unit, and wherein said external audio processor unit does not comprise a magnet.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein said attachment magnet comprises multiple magnets.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein multiple magnets are alternated between North and South field direction.

23. The device of claim 16, wherein said external audio processor unit comprises a ferrous material.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein said ferrous material is ferrite.

25. A device for improving sound perception in a subject, comprising:

an external package comprising a receiver coil, a magnet, a microphone, a battery, and a coil, disposed within and attached to a housing;

an implantable attachment magnet; and

an implantable drive magnet, wherein said implantable magnets are configured to be mounted to a temporal bone of a subject.

26. A method of improving sound perception in a subject, comprising the steps of:

a) providing a device comprising;

i) a fully implantable vibratory unit, and

ii) a fully implantable receiver unit;

b) surgically implanting said device by mounting said vibratory unit to a temporal bone of a subject, and placing said receiver unit at a subcutaneous position behind an ear of said subject; and

c) conducting an electrical signal produced in response to sound from said receiver unit to said vibratory unit so as to cause said vibratory unit to impart vibrations to said temporal bone for improving sound perception by said subject.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said device further comprises an external audio processor unit, step b further comprises magnetically affixing said audio processor unit to skin of said subject above said receiver unit, and step c further comprises transmitting an electrical signal in response to sound from said audio processor unit to said receiver unit.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said vibratory unit and said receiver unit are connected by leads of less than 15 mm in length.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said subject has conductive or mixed hearing loss.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein said subject has a stuttering problem.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said hearing loss is bilateral.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein said subject has one or more of the following conditions, malformation of the external ear canal or middle ear, chronic otitis media, tumor of the external ear canal or tympanic cavity.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein said subject has a maximum measurable bone conduction level of less than 50 dB at 50, 1000, 2000 and 3000 Hertz.

34. A method of improving sound perception in a subject in need thereof, comprising conducting an electrical signal produced in response to sound from a receiver unit placed at a subcutaneous position behind an ear of a subject, to a vibratory unit mounted unit to a temporal bone of said subject, so as to cause said vibratory unit to impart vibrations to said temporal bone for improving sound perception by said subject.