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Cochlear implant employing frequency-division multiplexing and frequency modulation

  • US 5,069,210 A
  • Filed: 04/17/1989
  • Issued: 12/03/1991
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1989
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A cochlear prosthesis comprising:

  • a transmitter part arranged to be carried by a user and comprising;

    a sound-to-electrical signal transducer for deriving an electrical analog signal representative of incident acoustic signals in the audible frequency range;

    sound processing means connected to said transducer for dividing the electrical analog signal into a plurality of component signals;

    frequency modulating means connected to said sound processing means for deriving a plurality of frequency modulated signals each having a respectively different center frequency and each frequency modulated with a respective component signal;

    bandpass filter means composed of a plurality of first filter elements, each element being connected to receive a respective frequency modulated signal from said frequency modulating means and having a selected pass band centered on a respective center frequency of said frequency modulating means;

    frequency multiplexing means connected to said filter means for combining the signals passed by all of said filter elements; and

    transmitting antenna means connected to said frequency multiplexing means for emitting a radiation signal corresponding to the signals combined by said frequency multiplexing means; and

    a receiver part arranged to be surgically implanted in the user'"'"'s body and comprising;

    receiving antenna means arranged to be positioned in proximity to said transmitting antenna means for converting the radiation signal emitted by said transmitting antenna means into a received signal corresponding to the signals combined by said frequency multiplexing means;

    frequency demultiplexing means including a plurality of second filter elements, said frequency demultiplexing means being connected to said receiving antenna means for causing each said second filter element to pass a respective portion of the received signal lying in a respective frequency band;

    demodulator and amplifier means connected to said frequency demultiplexing means for individually demodulating and amplifying the signal portion passed by each said second filter element; and

    a plurality of output electrodes each arranged to be implanted at a selected location in a cochlea of the user and each connected to said amplifier means for receiving a respective individually amplified received signal portion,wherein said first filter elements are surface acoustic wave filters.

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