Active vibration attenuation for implantable microphone

• US 7,556,597 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Otologics, LLC
• Inventors: Waldmann, Bernd, Miller, Scott Allan III, Basinger, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilbert; Samuel G
• Application Number:
  US10/982,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20050101831A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 600/25, 381/322, 381/71.7, 381/71.6, 381/71.1, 381/23.1, 381312-321, 381/324
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 19/016 for microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

The invention is directed to an implanted microphone having reduced sensitivity to vibration. In this regard, the microphone differentiates between the desirable and undesirable vibration by utilizing at least one motion sensor to produce a motion signal when an implanted microphone is in motion. This motion signal is used to yield a microphone output signal that is less vibration sensitive. In a first arrangement, the motion signal may be processed with an output of the implantable microphone transducer to provide an audio signal that is less vibration-sensitive than the microphone output alone. In another arrangement, the motion signal may be utilized to actuate at least one actuator. Such an actuator may be capable of applying a force to move the implantable microphone or an implant capsule so as to reduce movement of a microphone diaphragm relative to the skin of a patient which covers the microphone diaphragm.

Claims

1. A system for isolating an implantable hearing aid microphone from non-ambient vibrations, comprising:

an implant capsule for housing at least one hearing aid component subcutaneously;

a microphone supported relative to said capsule;

a motion sensor operative to generate a motion signal indicative of movement of said microphone; and

an actuator operative to apply a force between said implant capsule and said microphone in response to said motion signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said force applied by said actuator is operative to generate relative movement between said microphone and said implant capsule.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said actuator is operative to generate said force in response to said motion signal being in a frequency range of about 100 Hz to about 10 kHz.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a compliant base member disposed on an outside surface of said implant capsule, wherein said compliant base member is adapted to be disposed between said implant capsule and an implant capsule mounting surface upon implantation.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said motion sensor includes an axis of sensitivity passing through a center of mass of said microphone.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said actuator is positioned to exert a force along said axis passing through said center of mass.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor operative to;

receive an output signal from said microphone and said motion signal; and

remove at least a portion of said motion signal from said output signal to generate an audio signal, said audio signal being operative to actuate an actuator of a hearing instrument.

8. A method for attenuating vibration in an implantable hearing aid microphone, comprising the steps of:

generating a motion signal indicative of movement of an implantable support member associated with an implantable microphone diaphragm;

applying a force at least in part to said support member in response to said motion signal, said force being operative to reduce relative movement between said microphone diaphragm and tissue overlying said microphone diaphragm.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said generating step comprises generating a signal indicative of non-acoustic vibration received by said microphone diaphragm.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said applying step comprises applying a force between an implant capsule that at least in part supports said microphone diaphragm and said support member.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said force is operative to move said microphone diaphragm relative to said support member.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said force is operative to move said microphone diaphragm relative to overlying tissue.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said force is applied along an axis that is substantially normal to a principal direction of movement of said diaphragm in response to acoustic stimulation.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said microphone diaphragm, a transducer, and a microphone housing define a microphone assembly.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said force is applied along an axis that extends though a center of mass of said microphone assembly.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said force is applied along an axis that is substantially normal to a principal direction of movement of said diaphragm in response to acoustic stimulation.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said generating step comprises generating a motion signal that is indicative of movement of said center of mass.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein generating step comprises generating a motion signal that is indicative of movement in a direction normal to a principal direction of movement of said diaphragm in response to acoustic stimulation.