Biocompatible fully implantable hearing aid transducers
First Claim
1. In a hearing aid system that is adapted for implantation into a subject whose body has a head that includes a bony otic capsule which encloses a fluid-filled inner ear;
- the hearing aid system including;
a battery for energizing operation of said hearing aid system, said battery being adapted for implantation in the subject; and
a microactuator also adapted for implantation in the subject in a location from which a transducer included in said microactuator may mechanically generate vibrations in the fluid within the inner ear of the subject, the microactuator receiving an electrical driving signal and producing vibrations in the fluid within the inner ear responsive to the received electrical driving signal;
wherein the improvement comprises a noise cancelling sound acquisition sub-system that includes;
at least two microphones both of which are adapted for subcutaneous implantation in the subject, and for independently generating an electrical signal in response to impingement of sound waves upon the subject; and
signal processing means adapted for implantation in the subject, said signal processing means also being adapted for receiving both electrical signals produced by said microphones, for appropriately processing the received electrical signal to reduce noise present in the received electrical signal, and for re-transmitting the processed electrical signal to said microactuator for supplying the electrical driving signal thereto.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved fully implantable hearing aid (10) in a first aspect includes at least two microphones (28) to provide improved noise cancellation, and, with an array (132) of microphones (28), improved directivity. In a second aspect, the hearing aid (10) includes an improved microactuator (32'"'"') in which deflections of a pair of piezoelectric plates (68) are coupled by liquid (52'"'"') to a flexible diaphragm (44'"'"') for stimulating fluid (20a) within an inner ear (17) of a subject (12). In a third aspect, the improved hearing aid (10) includes a directional booster (200) that the subject (12), having an implanted hearing aid (10), may wear on their head (122) for increasing directivity of perceived sound. A fourth aspect of the present invention is an improved implantable microactuator (32", 32'"'"'") that generates a mechanical displacement of a diaphragm (82) or a face (96) in response to an applied electrical signal. A liquid coupling between the piezoelectric transducer (54", 54'"'"'") and the diaphragm (82) or face (96) provides a mechanical impedance match for the transducer (54", 54'"'"'").
253 Citations
22 Claims
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1. In a hearing aid system that is adapted for implantation into a subject whose body has a head that includes a bony otic capsule which encloses a fluid-filled inner ear;
- the hearing aid system including;
a battery for energizing operation of said hearing aid system, said battery being adapted for implantation in the subject; and a microactuator also adapted for implantation in the subject in a location from which a transducer included in said microactuator may mechanically generate vibrations in the fluid within the inner ear of the subject, the microactuator receiving an electrical driving signal and producing vibrations in the fluid within the inner ear responsive to the received electrical driving signal; wherein the improvement comprises a noise cancelling sound acquisition sub-system that includes; at least two microphones both of which are adapted for subcutaneous implantation in the subject, and for independently generating an electrical signal in response to impingement of sound waves upon the subject; and signal processing means adapted for implantation in the subject, said signal processing means also being adapted for receiving both electrical signals produced by said microphones, for appropriately processing the received electrical signal to reduce noise present in the received electrical signal, and for re-transmitting the processed electrical signal to said microactuator for supplying the electrical driving signal thereto. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- the hearing aid system including;
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17. An improved hearing aid system that is adapted for implantation into a subject having a fluid-filled inner ear that is enclosed by a bony otic capsule;
- the improved hearing aid system including;
a microphone adapted for subcutaneous implantation in the subject and for generating an electrical signal in response to impingement of sound waves upon the subject; signal processing means adapted for receiving the electrical signal from the microphone, for processing the electrical signal, and for re-transmitting a processed electrical signal, said signal processing means also being adapted for implantation in the subject; and a battery for supplying electrical power to said signal processing means, said battery also being adapted for implantation in the subject; wherein the improvement comprises a microactuator that includes; a hollow body having an open first end, an open first face that is separated from the first end, an open second face that is also separated from the first end and from the first face; a first flexible diaphragm sealed across the first end of said body, and adapted for deflecting outward from and inward toward the body, and for contacting the fluid within the inner ear; second and third flexible diaphragms respectively sealed across the first and the second faces of said body thereby hermetically sealing said body; and first and second plates of piezoelectric material that are mechanically coupled respectively to said second and third flexible diaphragms and that are respectively adapted for receiving the processed electrical signal, whereby upon application of the processed electrical signal to said first and second plates, said first and second plates indirectly deflect said first flexible diaphragm by directly deflecting said second flexible diaphragm and said third flexible diaphragm, which deflections are coupled by said liquid within the body from said second flexible diaphragm and said third flexible diaphragm to said first flexible diaphragm. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
- the improved hearing aid system including;
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22. An improved hearing aid system that is adapted for implantation into a subject having a fluid-filled inner ear that is enclosed by a bony otic capsule;
- the improved hearing aid system including;
a microphone adapted for subcutaneous implantation in the subject and for generating an electrical signal in response to impingement of sound waves upon the subject; signal processing means adapted for receiving the electrical signal from the microphone, for processing the electrical signal, and for re-transmitting a processed electrical signal, said signal processing means also being adapted for implantation in the subject; a battery for supplying electrical power to said signal processing means, said battery also being adapted for implantation in the subject; and a microactuator also adapted for implantation in the subject in a location from which a transducer included in said microactuator may mechanically generate vibrations in the fluid within the inner ear of the subject, the microactuator receiving the processed electrical signal from the signal processing means and producing vibrations in the fluid within the inner ear responsive to the received processed electrical signal; wherein the improvement comprises; a photo-voltaic cell adapted for implantation subdermally within the subject where ambient light impinges upon the photo-voltaic cell, and for coupling electrical power to said signal processing means, in conjunction with electrical power supplied by the battery, for energizing operation of the hearing aid system.
- the improved hearing aid system including;
Specification