Multichannel implantable cochlear stimulator
First Claim
1. A cochlea stimulation system, comprising:
- audio signal receiving means, including a headpiece coupled to a signal and energy coupling means, the headpiece having transmitting and receiving means and means for transferring data through the signal and energy coupling means at one frequency for data that originates from an implanted cochlea stimulator (ICS) and is sent to an externally wearable signal processor (WP); and
at another frequency data and energy originate from the WP and are sent to the ICS;
said WP receives and processes audio signals received by the audio signal receiving means and includes means for generating data indicative of the audio signal;
means for transmitting the data to the ICS, the ICS including;
means for receiving transmissions from the WP,processor means for processing such transmissions to generate stimulation signals,a plurality of electrically isolated capacitor-coupled cochlea stimulating electrodes for receiving the stimulation signals,means in the ICS responsive to data from the WP for selectively monitoring at least one of the electrodes or voltages in the processor and for generating ICS status indicating signals,means in the ICS for transmitting such ICS status indicating signals to the WP; and
means in the WP for receiving and processing the ICS status indicating signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cochlea stimulation system includes a patient wearable system comprising an externally wearable signal processor (WP) and a headpiece in electronic communication with an implanted cochlear stimulator (ICS). The ICS comprises eight output stages each having two electrically isolated capacitor-coupled electrodes, designated "A" and "B", circuits for monitoring the voltages on these electrodes, and circuits for both transmitting status information to and receiving control information from the WP. Based upon information received from the WP, a processor within the ICS can control both the frequency and the widths of the output stimulation pulses applied to the electrodes and may select which electrodes to monitor. The ICS receives power and data signals telemetrically through the skin from the WP. To save power, the ICS may be "powered down" by the WP based upon the absence of audio information or "powered up" if audio is present. The WP communicates with the headpiece over a co-axial cable using one frequency for transmitting signals and a second different frequency for receiving signals.
193 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A cochlea stimulation system, comprising:
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audio signal receiving means, including a headpiece coupled to a signal and energy coupling means, the headpiece having transmitting and receiving means and means for transferring data through the signal and energy coupling means at one frequency for data that originates from an implanted cochlea stimulator (ICS) and is sent to an externally wearable signal processor (WP); and
at another frequency data and energy originate from the WP and are sent to the ICS;said WP receives and processes audio signals received by the audio signal receiving means and includes means for generating data indicative of the audio signal; means for transmitting the data to the ICS, the ICS including; means for receiving transmissions from the WP, processor means for processing such transmissions to generate stimulation signals, a plurality of electrically isolated capacitor-coupled cochlea stimulating electrodes for receiving the stimulation signals, means in the ICS responsive to data from the WP for selectively monitoring at least one of the electrodes or voltages in the processor and for generating ICS status indicating signals, means in the ICS for transmitting such ICS status indicating signals to the WP; and means in the WP for receiving and processing the ICS status indicating signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A cochlea stimulation system, comprising:
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audio signal receiving means; an externally wearable signal processor (WP) for receiving and processing the audio signals received by the audio signal receiving means and including means for generating data indicative of the audio signal; means for transmitting the data to an implanted cochlea stimulator (ICS), the ICS including; means for receiving transmissions from the WP, processor means for processing such transmissions to generate stimulation pulses and for controlling the pulse width of the stimulation pulses, a plurality of electrically isolated capacitor-coupled cochlea stimulating electrodes for receiving the stimulation pulses, means in the ICS responsive to data from the WP for selectively monitoring at least one of the electrodes or voltages in the ICS and for generating ICS-status-indicating signals, and means in the ICS for transmitting such ICS-status-indicating signals to the WP; and means in the WP for receiving and processing the ICS-status-indicating signals. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A cochlea stimulation system, comprising:
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audio signal receiving means; an externally wearable signal processor (WP) for receiving and processing the audio signals received by the audio signal receiving means and including means for generating data indicative of the audio signal; means for transmitting the data to an implanted cochlea stimulator (ICS), the ICS including; means for receiving transmissions from the WP, a processor for processing such transmissions to generate stimulation signals, a plurality of electrically isolated capacitor-coupled cochlea stimulating electrodes for receiving the stimulation signals, means for selectively controlling the frequency at which stimulating signals are applied to selected ones of the electrodes, means responsive to data from the WP for selectively monitoring at least one of the electrodes or voltages in the ICS and for generating ICS-status-indicating signals, means for transmitting such ICS-status-indicating signals to the WP; and means in the WP for receiving and processing the ICS-status-indicating signals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A cochlea stimulation system, comprising:
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audio signal receiving means; an externally wearable signal processor (WP) for receiving and processing the audio signals received by the audio signal receiving means and including means for generating data indicative of the audio signal; means for transmitting the data to an implanted cochlea stimulator (ICS), the ICS including; means for receiving transmissions from the WP, processor means for processing such transmissions to generate stimulation signals, a plurality of electrically isolated capacitor-coupled cochlea stimulating electrodes for receiving the stimulation signals, means responsive to data from the WP for selectively monitoring at least one of the electrodes or voltages in the ICS and for generating ICS-status-indicating signals therefrom, and means for transmitting such ICS status indicating signals to the WP; means in the WP for receiving and processing the ICS status indicating signals; means for transmitting power signals from the WP to the ICS; means in the ICS for processing the power signals and generating power for the processor; and means in the WP responsive to at least a portion of the status indicating signals for controlling the power level of transmissions to the ICS.
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15. A cochlea stimulation system, comprising:
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audio signal receiving means; an externally wearable signal processor (WP) for receiving and processing the audio signals received by the audio signal receiving means and including means for generating data indicative of the audio signal; means for transmitting the data to an implanted cochlea stimulator (ICS), the ICS including means for receiving transmissions from the WP, processor means for processing such transmissions to generate stimulation signals, a plurality of electrically isolated capacitor-coupled cochlea stimulating electrodes for receiving the stimulation signals, means responsive to data from the WP for selectively monitoring at least one of the electrodes or voltages in the processor and for generating ICS-status-indicating signals, and means for transmitting such ICS status indicating signals to the WP; means in the WP for receiving and processing the ICS-status-indicating signals; and means for powering down the ICS when audio signals are not received by the WP and for rapidly powering up the ICS in response to the reception of audio signals at the WP.
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Specification