DENTAL BONE CONDUCTION HEARING APPLIANCE

• US 20090226020A1
• Filed: 03/04/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Soundmed, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Spiridigliozzi, John, Abolfathi, Amir
• Application Number:
  US12/042,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20090226020A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/361
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• 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 intra-oral hearing appliance includes an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth.

Claims

1. An intra-oral hearing appliance, comprising:

a. an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission;

b. a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and

c. a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth.

2. The appliance of claim 1, comprising an actuator driver or amplifier coupled to the actuator.

3. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a second chamber to house a power source to drive the actuator and the transceiver.

4. The appliance of claim 3, comprising a bridge coupling the first and second chambers.

5. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises electrical cabling or an antenna embedded in the bridge.

6. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises one of:

a wired frame, a polymeric material, a combination of polymeric material and a wired frame.

7. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a mass coupled to the actuator.

8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the mass comprises one of a weight, a battery, an electronics module.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric transducer.

10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a rectangular beam bender.

11. The appliance of claim 1, comprising one or more ceramic or alumina stands coupled to the actuator.

12. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a compressible material coupled to the actuator.

13. The appliance of claim 12, comprising a non compressible material covering the actuator and the compressible material.

14. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a rechargeable power source coupled to the transceiver and the actuator.

15. The appliance of claim 14, comprising an inductive charger coupled to the battery.

16. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a custom oral device.

17. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a pre-built housing for the actuator.

18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the pre-built housing comprises an arm and one or more bottom contacts, the arm and the contacts adapted to bias a mass against a tooth.

19. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a microphone coupled to the transceiver, the microphone being positioned intraorally or extraorally.

20. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a data storage device.

21. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a first microphone to pick up body conduction sound, a second microphone to pick up ambient sound, and a noise canceller to subtract ambient sound from the body conduction sound.

22. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator transmits sound through a tooth, a maxillary bone, a mandibular bone, or a palatine bone.

23. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a linking unit coupled to the transceiver, the linking unit adapted to communicate with an external sound source.

24. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a wireless transceiver.

25. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a C-shaped wire providing a spring force to secure the actuator to one or more teeth.