Dental bone conduction hearing appliance

• US 8,433,083 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2011
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sonitus Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Abolfathi, Amir A., Spiridigliozzi, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US13/108,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20110280416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 381/151, 381/322, 381/324, 381/326, 381/331, 381/380, 600/25, 607 56- 57, 181/128
• US Class Current: 381/151
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• 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

An intra-oral hearing appliance includes an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth.

Claims

1. An intra-oral appliance for transmitting vibrations, comprising:

a. an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission;

b. a transceiver in communication with the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and

c. a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth by producing an interference fit between the first chamber and at least two surfaces of the one or more teeth.

2. The appliance of claim 1, comprising an actuator driver or amplifier coupled to the actuator.

3. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a second chamber to house a power source to drive the actuator and the transceiver.

4. The appliance of claim 3, comprising a bridge coupling the first and second chambers.

5. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises a thickness of about two millimeters or less.

6. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises one of:

a wired frame, a polymeric material, a combination of polymeric material and a wired frame.

7. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a mass coupled to the actuator.

8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the mass comprises one of a weight, a battery, an electronics module.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric transducer.

10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a rectangular beam bender.

11. The appliance of claim 1, comprising one or more ceramic or alumina stands coupled to the actuator.

12. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a compressible material coupled to the actuator.

13. The appliance of claim 12, comprising a non-compressible material covering the actuator and the compressible material.

14. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a rechargeable power source coupled to the transceiver and the actuator.

15. The appliance of claim 14, comprising an inductive charger coupled to the battery.

16. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a custom oral device.

17. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a pre-built housing for the actuator.

18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the pre-built housing comprises an arm and one or more bottom contacts, the arm and the contacts adapted to bias a mass against a tooth.

19. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a thickness of about six millimeter or less.

20. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a length of about twenty millimeters or less.

21. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a width of about fifteen millimeters or less.