Apparatus and method for combined acoustic mechanical and electrical auditory stimulation
First Claim
1. A hearing prosthesis for a user in an acoustic environment having a range of audio frequencies, the prosthesis comprising:
- a microphone that converts the sounds of the acoustic environment into a representative electrical signal output;
an electrical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal that delivers to the auditory nerve of the user an electrical stimulation signal representative of a first subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment; and
an acoustic mechanical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal that delivers to the inner ear structure of the user a mechanical stimulation signal representative of a second subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment.
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Abstract
A hearing prosthesis is described for a user in an acoustic environment having a range of audio frequencies. The prosthesis includes an electrical stimulation module, and acoustic mechanical stimulation module, and a stimulation amplifier. The electrical stimulation module delivers to the auditory nerve of the user an electrical stimulation signal representative of a first subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment. The acoustic mechanical stimulation module delivers to the inner ear structure of the user a mechanical stimulation signal representative of a second subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment. The stimulation amplifier in communication with the electrical stimulation module and the acoustic mechanical stimulation module that determines, for each stimulation module, an amplification magnitude envelope for the subrange of frequencies for that stimulation module.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A hearing prosthesis for a user in an acoustic environment having a range of audio frequencies, the prosthesis comprising:
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a microphone that converts the sounds of the acoustic environment into a representative electrical signal output;
an electrical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal that delivers to the auditory nerve of the user an electrical stimulation signal representative of a first subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment; and
an acoustic mechanical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal that delivers to the inner ear structure of the user a mechanical stimulation signal representative of a second subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of a hearing prosthesis system for processing sounds in an acoustic environment having a range of audio frequencies, the method comprising:
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converting, with a microphone, the sounds of the acoustic environment into a representative electrical signal output;
delivering to the auditory nerve of a user, an electrical stimulation signal from an electrical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal, the electrical stimulation signal representative of a first subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment; and
delivering to the inner ear structure of the user, a mechanical stimulation signal from an acoustic mechanical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal, the mechanical stimulation signal representative of a second subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification