Method for the electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve and multichannel hearing prosthesis for carrying out the method

• US 4,428,377 A
• Filed: 03/03/1981
• Issued: 01/31/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Hoffmann, Christian, Zwicker, Eberhard, Zollner, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Cohen, Lee S.
• Application Number:
  US06/240,129
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 128/784-786, 128/789, 128/419 R, 128/421, 179/107 R, 179/107 PC, 179/107 BC, 179/107 E, 179/107 FD
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/04 Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense, e.g. through the touch sense electronic stimulation of auditory nerves A61N1/36036
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/353 Frequency, e.g. frequency shift or compression

Abstract

In the exemplary embodiments, the sound signals are converted into electrical signals, which are wirelessly transmitted to an implanted receiver, and from the latter, electric stimuli in electrode channels are brought to act on the auditory nerve. The transmission proceeds in the time division multiplex technique in such a manner that the electrical signals are subjected to a pulse modulation and are transmitted in an HF-channel. Thus, the receiver can be reduced with regard to the volume of its construction as well as with regard to its energy requirement. The disclosed method and hearing prostheses for its realization are particularly suited for attending to the needs of the extremely hard of hearing.

Claims

1. A hearing prosthesis for the electric stimulation of the auditory nerve, comprising

(a) an implantable receiver means having multiple electrode output means for the supply of electric stimulation to the auditory nerve and having receiving coil means for receiving transmitted stimulation signals,

(b) wireless transcutaneous signal transmission means for transmitting stimulation signals to the receiving coil means via an inductive coupling with the receiving coil means of said implantable receiver means for effecting the electric stimulation of the auditory nerve via the multiple electrode output means of the implantable receiver means,

(c) a signal processing installation including means for receiving an acoustic signal and having a plurality of low frequency output channels for supplying respective frequency bands of the acoustic signal,

(d) said signal processing installation having high frequency generator means for controlling the sampling of the respective output channels,

(e) said signal processing installation having pulse amplitude modulated transmission means controlled by said high frequency generator means and coupled with said low frequency output channels and with said wireless transcutaneous signal transmission means for sequentially sampling the output channels and transmitting signal samples to the wireless transcutaneous signal transmission means from the respective output channels in pulse amplitude modulated fashion and with a pulse envelope of alternating polarity, and

(f) said implantable receiver means having demultiplexer means coupled with said receiving coil means and with said multiple electrode output means for supplying electric stimulation signals in accordance with respective received signal samples to the respective electrode output means in sequence.

2. A hearing prosthesis according to claim 1, with

said high frequency generator means having an amplifier coupled with said wireless transcutaneous signal transmission means for the transmission of an amplified high frequency signal to said receiving coil means separately from said signal samples, and

said implantable receiver means having operating energy supply means coupled with said receiving coil means for converting the received amplified high frequency signal into operating electric energy for the implantable receiver means.

3. A hearing prosthesis according to claim 2, with said demultiplexer means having a control input coupled with said receiving coil means for receiving said high frequency signal to control demultiplexing operation, and having respective demultiplexer outputs including respective individual signal sample storage capacitor means for providing electric stimulation signals to the respective electrode output means.

4. A hearing prosthesis according to claim 1, with said implantable receiver means comprising individual capacitance means connected with the respective electrode output means and connected with respective outputs of said demultiplexer means for sequentially receiving respective demultiplexed signal samples therefrom.