Multi-channel cochlear implant system
First Claim
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1. A system for electrically stimulating sensory nerves via electrically powered stimulating electrodes, the system comprising:
- means for generating a plurality of channels of electrical information in response to an external stimulus;
means for transmitting said plurality of channels of electrical information across a first single wireless transcutaneous path, said means for transmitting including means for combining said plurality of channels of electrical information into a single wide bandwidth amplitude modulated ("AM") signal containing said plurality of channels of electrical information for transmission across said transcutaneous path;
means for receiving said single wide bandwidth AM signal containing said plurality of channels of electrical information transmitted across the single transcutaneous path;
means for recovering from said received wide bandwidth AM signal said plurality of channels of electrical information contained therein;
means for distributing said recovered plurality of channels of electrical information to a plurality of stimulating electrodes in a predetermined sequence in time;
means for generating a periodically varying narrow bandwidth signal distinct from said wide bandwidth AM signal;
means for transmitting electrical power via the periodically varying narrow bandwidth signal across a second single wireless transcutaneous path;
means for receiving said periodically varying signal transmitted across said second transcutaneous path to obtain said transmitted electrical power; and
means for coupling said obtained electrical power to said means for recovering and said means for distributing, whereby said means for recovering and said means for distributing can operate without an implanted battery.
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Abstract
A method and system is described for electrically stimulating the auditory nerve with multiple channels of audio information. Audio information is transmitted from an external microphone to a speech processor through a single transcutaneous path to an implanted receiving device. Power is transmitted through a second transcutaneous path to power the implanted device.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system for electrically stimulating sensory nerves via electrically powered stimulating electrodes, the system comprising:
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means for generating a plurality of channels of electrical information in response to an external stimulus; means for transmitting said plurality of channels of electrical information across a first single wireless transcutaneous path, said means for transmitting including means for combining said plurality of channels of electrical information into a single wide bandwidth amplitude modulated ("AM") signal containing said plurality of channels of electrical information for transmission across said transcutaneous path; means for receiving said single wide bandwidth AM signal containing said plurality of channels of electrical information transmitted across the single transcutaneous path; means for recovering from said received wide bandwidth AM signal said plurality of channels of electrical information contained therein; means for distributing said recovered plurality of channels of electrical information to a plurality of stimulating electrodes in a predetermined sequence in time; means for generating a periodically varying narrow bandwidth signal distinct from said wide bandwidth AM signal; means for transmitting electrical power via the periodically varying narrow bandwidth signal across a second single wireless transcutaneous path; means for receiving said periodically varying signal transmitted across said second transcutaneous path to obtain said transmitted electrical power; and means for coupling said obtained electrical power to said means for recovering and said means for distributing, whereby said means for recovering and said means for distributing can operate without an implanted battery. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for supplying information and electrical power to an implanted medical device, the system comprising:
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means for transmitting information to the implanted device over a first wireless transcutaneous path, said means for transmitting including means for generating a wide bandwidth signal carrying the information to be transmitted across said path; means, forming part of the implanted device, for receiving the transmitted wide bandwidth signal; means for generating a periodically varying narrow bandwidth signal from an external power source, said narrow bandwidth signal having a bandwidth of about at least an order of magnitude less than said wide bandwidth signal; means for transmitting said periodically varying narrow bandwidth signal across a second wireless transcutaneous path; means for receiving said periodically varying signal across the second wireless transcutaneous path; and means for coupling said electrical power from said receiving means to said implanted device, whereby said implanted medical device can operate without an implanted battery. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method of supplying electrical power to an implanted cochlear device, comprising the steps of:
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generating a periodically varying signal of nominal frequency from an external self-contained electrical power source; transmitting said periodically varying signal across a single wireless transcutaneous path to the implanted cochlear device; automatically and substantially continuously sensing the amount of electrical power being drawn from the electrical power source; automatically and substantially continuously adjusting the frequency of the periodically varying signal until a minimum amount of electrical power is drawn from the self-contained power source; receiving said periodically varying signal across the single wireless transcutaneous path; and coupling said received periodically varying signal to said implanted device, whereby said implanted cochlear device can operated without an implanted battery, and the efficiency of the power usage from the power source is substantially continuously optimized. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A method of providing multi-channel information to implanted electrically operated stimulating electrodes for electrically stimulating sensory nerves, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a plurality of channels of electrical information in response to an external stimulus using a speech processor; digitizing the electrical information for presentation to a microprocessor; using the microprocessor to direct the operation of the speech processor; converting digital information from the microprocessor to a wide bandwidth analog signal including clock and synchronization pulses and information from said plurality of said channels of electrical information, transmitting said wide bandwidth analog signal including said clock and synchronization pulses and information from said plurality of channels of electrical information across a single transcutaneous path; receiving said wide bandwidth analog signal transmitted across the single transcutaneous path; recovering from said received wide bandwidth analog signal said information from said plurality of channels of electrical information by among other things detecting said synchronization and clock pulses in the received analog signal; and distributing said plurality of channels of electrical information to a plurality of stimulating electrodes in a predetermined sequence in time. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for electrically stimulating sensory nerves via electrically powered stimulating electrodes, the system comprising:
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means for generating a plurality of channels of electrical information in response to an external stimulus; means for transmitting said plurality of channels of electrical information across a first single wireless transcutaneous path, said means for transmitting including means for combining said plurality of channels of electrical information into a single amplitude modulated ("AM") signal containing said plurality of channels of electrical information for transmission across said transcutaneous path; means for receiving said single wide bandwidth AM signal containing said plurality of channels of electrical information transmitted across the single transcutaneous path; means for recovering from said wide bandwidth AM signal, said plurality of channels of electrical information contained therein; and means for distributing said recovered plurality of channels of electrical information to a plurality of stimulating electrodes in a predetermined sequence, and wherein said single AM signal includes a synchronization pulse, and said means for decoding further includes means for detecting said synchronization pulse as part of recovering said plurality of channels of electrical information. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification