METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING VIBRATIONS

• US 20090097684A1
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: PHAN, Loc X., SAADAT, Vahid, ABOLFATHI, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/326
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0093 Features of implants not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 8/0098 Immediate loaded implants
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/46 Special adaptations for use as contact microphones, e.g. on musical instrument, on stethoscope throat mountings H04R1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or transducer assembly through a tooth or teeth are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.

Claims

1. A bone conduction apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a shape conforming to at least a portion of at least one tooth of a patient, wherein one or more portions of the housing engage at least one surface of the at least one tooth such that an occlusal surface of the tooth remains unobstructed by the housing; and

an actuatable transducer disposed within or upon the housing and in vibratory communication with the at least one surface of the at least one tooth.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises an oral appliance having a shape which conforms to the at least one tooth.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more lateral portions are conformable to the at least one side surface such that an occlusal surface remains open.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one or more lateral portions engage a lingual and/or buccal surface of the tooth.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more portions of the housing comprise lateral portions which are connected via one or more cross-members.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the transducer is biased into contact against a side surface of the at least one tooth via the housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an electronic assembly disposed within or upon the housing and which is in communication with the transducer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a power supply in electrical communication with transducer.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a processor in electrical communication with the transducer.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a microphone for receiving auditory signals and which is in electrical communication with the processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a receiver in wireless communication with an externally located transmitter assembly.

12. A method of securing a transducer for bone conduction, comprising:

positioning a housing along at least one surface of at least one, tooth such that the housing conforms to a portion of the tooth, wherein the housing temporarily engages the at least one surface such that an occlusal surface of the tooth remains unobstructed by the housing; and

biasing an actuatable transducer into vibratory communication with the at least one surface via the housing.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein positioning comprises engaging one or more lateral portions of the housing against at least one side surface of the tooth.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein positioning comprises engaging a lingual and/or buccal surface of the tooth.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein positioning further comprises disposing an electronic assembly within or upon the housing in communication with the transducer.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein biasing comprises pressing the transducer against at least one side surface of the tooth.

17. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving an auditory signal via a microphone disposed within or along the housing.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting the auditory signal into at least one side surface through vibratory conductance via the transducer.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving an auditory signal via a microphone located independently from the housing.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising wirelessly transmitting the auditory signal via an externally located transmitter assembly to the transducer.