IMPLANTABLE HEARING AID TRANSDUCER WITH ADVANCEABLE ACTUATOR TO FACILIATE COUPLING WITH THE AUDITORY SYSTEM

• US 20080249351A1
• Filed: 10/08/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Inventors: Miller, Scott Allan, Kasic, James Frank, Schneider, Robert Edwin
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,824 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

A hearing aid transducer that includes an actuator advanceable relative to the transducer to couple with a middle ear component. In one aspect of the invention, the actuator is a separate structure from the transducer that is insertable into an aperture defined between a first and second end of the transducer. This permits separate connection of the actuator to the middle ear component and the transducer to improve coupling of the transducer to the middle ear component, e.g., minimizing loads on the middle ear component.

Claims

1. 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;

aligning an aperture in a first side of the transducer body with a desired interface point on a middle ear component;

securing the transducer body in the aligned position relative to the desired interface point; and

advancing an actuator through the aperture toward the middle ear component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the aperture extends through a second side of the transducer body.

3. The method of claim 2, the method comprising:

prior to the advancing step, using the aligned aperture to form an interface at the desired interface point on the middle ear component.

4. The method of claim 2, the method comprising:

prior to the advancing step, inserting the actuator into the aperture.

5. The method of claim 1, the method comprising:

coupling a distal end of the actuator to the middle ear component.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the aligning step comprises:

axially advancing the transducer body relative to the desired interface point using a carrier assembly; and

laterally positioning the transducer body relative to the desired interface point using a swivel assembly.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the aligning step comprises:

inserting a guide through the aperture; and

aligning the aperture with the desired interface point on the middle ear component using the guide.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the coupling step comprises:

coupling a first actuator member to the middle ear component;

advancing a second actuator member through the aperture; and

connecting the first and second actuator members.

9. The method of claim 5, the method comprising:

connecting the actuator within the aperture.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting step comprises:

connecting the actuator within the aperture in a detachable manner.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting step comprises:

connecting the actuator within the aperture with an adhesive.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting step comprises:

connecting the actuator within the aperture with a shape memory metal.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting step comprises:

connecting the actuator within the aperture with a reshapeable material

14. 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;

aligning an aperture extending through first and second sides of the transducer body with a desired interface point on a middle ear component; and

securing the transducer body in the aligned position relative to the desired interface point; and

inserting an actuator through the aperture to couple the actuator with the middle ear component.

15. The method of claim 14, the method comprising:

coupling the actuator to the middle ear component.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the inserting step comprises:

inserting the actuator through a tube extending through the aperture.

17. The method of claim 16 the method comprising:

connecting the actuator to the tube.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the aligning step comprises:

inserting a guide through the aperture; and

aligning the aperture and the desired interface point on the middle ear component using the guide.

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

receiving transducer drive signals in the transducer;

processing the drive signals to axially vibrate a tube movably connected within an aperture defined in the transducer between first and second sides thereof; and

axially vibrating, with the tube, an actuator connected to the tube to stimulate a middle ear component.