Implantable middle ear implant
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for enhancing a patient'"'"'s hearing capability by mechanically stimulating ossicles in the middle ear of the patient using a cochlear implant device otherwise capable of electrical stimulation of neuro pathways in the cochlea of the patient, said system comprising:
- an actuator implantable in the patient'"'"'s middle ear energizable to mechanically vibrate the patient'"'"'s middle ear ossicles;
a cochlear implant device having a plurality of output terminals configurable to drive a cochlear electrode array for electrical stimulation of neuro pathways in the cochlea of the patient wherein said cochlear implant device is instead configured for producing an output drive signal on at least one of said output terminals for energizing said actuator;
a microphone for producing electric signals representative of sound energy incident thereon; and
a sound processor responsive to said electric signals produced by said microphone for producing digital signals for application to said cochlear implant device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hearing aid comprised of conventional cochlear implant electronics implanted in the middle ear and coupled to an actuator configured to mechanically vibrate the middle ear ossicles. The implant electronics, typically used for driving an electrode array implanted in the cochlea, is used instead to supply electric drive signals to the actuator for mechanically vibrating the ossicles.
42 Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A system for enhancing a patient'"'"'s hearing capability by mechanically stimulating ossicles in the middle ear of the patient using a cochlear implant device otherwise capable of electrical stimulation of neuro pathways in the cochlea of the patient, said system comprising:
-
an actuator implantable in the patient'"'"'s middle ear energizable to mechanically vibrate the patient'"'"'s middle ear ossicles;
a cochlear implant device having a plurality of output terminals configurable to drive a cochlear electrode array for electrical stimulation of neuro pathways in the cochlea of the patient wherein said cochlear implant device is instead configured for producing an output drive signal on at least one of said output terminals for energizing said actuator;
a microphone for producing electric signals representative of sound energy incident thereon; and
a sound processor responsive to said electric signals produced by said microphone for producing digital signals for application to said cochlear implant device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method for enhancing a patient'"'"'s hearing by mechanically stimulating ossicles in the middle ear of the patient using a multichannel electronic device otherwise capable of electrical stimulation of neuro pathways in the cochlea of the patient, said method comprising:
-
implanting in the patient'"'"'s middle ear an actuator for mechanically vibrating the patient'"'"'s middle ear ossicles;
implanting in the patient'"'"'s middle ear a multichannel electronic device suitable for driving a cochlear electrode array but instead configured for driving said mechanical actuator; and
connecting at least one channel output of said electronic device to said actuator. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
providing a microphone for producing electric signals representative of sound energy incident thereon; and
providing a sound processor responsive to said microphone produced electric signals for controlling said electronic device.
-
-
10. The method of claim 8 wherein none of said output terminals are coupled to a cochlear electrode array.
-
11. The method of claim 8 wherein said implanting step further comprises implanting said actuator in direct physical contact with the ossicles.
-
12. The method of claim 8 wherein said multichannel electronic device is a cochlear implant device configurable to provide different frequency-related signals to each of said output terminals of said cochlear implant device, further comprising the step of configuring said cochlear implant device to provide said output drive signal mapped to the entire frequency spectrum to said actuator.
-
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of ensuring that none of said output terminals are coupled to a cochlear electrode array.
-
14. A system for enhancing a patient'"'"'s hearing by mechanically stimulating ossicles in the middle ear of the patient using a cochlear implant device otherwise capable of electrical stimulation of neuro pathways in the cochlea of the patient, said system comprising:
-
an actuator implanted in the patient'"'"'s middle ear energizable to mechanically vibrate the patient'"'"'s middle ear ossicles; and
a multiple output channel electronic device suitable for driving an implanted cochlear electrode array to electrically stimulate neuro pathways in the cochlea of the patient but instead configured to provide an output signal mapped to the entire spectrum for driving said mechanical actuator;
said electronic device being implanted in the patient'"'"'s middle ear; and
means connecting at least one of said electronic device output channels to said actuator for energizing said actuator to mechanically vibrate the patient'"'"'s ossicles. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification