Light activated hearing aid device
First Claim
1. A process for improving hearing perception in a human with an at least partially functional cochlea comprising:
- the steps ofproducing pulsed irradiation in a pulsed light source,receiving an acoustic signal and generating a signal representing an acoustic signal,controlling and modulating the intensity and frequency of the pulsed irradiation in response to the signal representing an acoustic signal,conducting the pulsed irradiation by at least one optical fibre optically coupled to the pulsed light source to an output surface of the optical fibre opposite the pulsed light source and emitting the irradiation from the output surface onto and directly in front of is functional element of the natural vibration transduction pathway, directly stimulating the functional element by the pulses generated within the pulsed light source,which functional element is functionally coupled for transduction of vibration to the cochlea and is selected from the group comprising the skull, the tympanic membrane, the hammer, the incus, the stapes, the outside of the cochlea, the otic capsule, the round window membrane, and the oval window membrane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a hearing aid device for humans with impaired hearing, who have an at least partially functional cochlea and a functional nervous signalling pathway from the cochlea via the auditory nerve to the brain. The hearing aid device contains a receiver, a transducer of the sound or other acoustic signals into electrical current serving as a signal representing a sound, a pulsed irradiation source connected to the transducer for receiving the electrical current and for generating modulated pulsed irradiation in dependence from the electrical current, and preferably one or more optical fibers optically coupled to the exit of the pulsed irradiation source, wherein the optical path for conduction of irradiation within the device ends directly opposite a functional element of the natural vibration transduction pathway, e.g. adjacent the skull, the tympanic membrane, the hammer, the incus, the stapes, the outside of the cochlea, the otic capsule, the round window membrane, or the oval window membrane.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A process for improving hearing perception in a human with an at least partially functional cochlea comprising:
- the steps of
producing pulsed irradiation in a pulsed light source, receiving an acoustic signal and generating a signal representing an acoustic signal, controlling and modulating the intensity and frequency of the pulsed irradiation in response to the signal representing an acoustic signal, conducting the pulsed irradiation by at least one optical fibre optically coupled to the pulsed light source to an output surface of the optical fibre opposite the pulsed light source and emitting the irradiation from the output surface onto and directly in front of is functional element of the natural vibration transduction pathway, directly stimulating the functional element by the pulses generated within the pulsed light source, which functional element is functionally coupled for transduction of vibration to the cochlea and is selected from the group comprising the skull, the tympanic membrane, the hammer, the incus, the stapes, the outside of the cochlea, the otic capsule, the round window membrane, and the oval window membrane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- the steps of
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7. A process for improving hearing perception in a human with an at least partially functional cochlea comprising the steps of
receiving, an acoustic signal and generating a signal representing an acoustic signal, producing pulsed irradiation in a pulsed light source having an output surface for emitting irradiation, controlling and modulating the intensity and frequency of the pulsed irradiation, emitting the irradiation from the output surface onto and directly in front of a functional element of the natural vibration transduction pathway, directly stimulating the functional element by the pulses generated within the pulsed light source, which functional element is functionally coupled for transduction of vibration to the cochlea and is selected from the group comprising the skull, the tympanic membrane, the hammer, the incus, the stapes, the outside of the cochlea, the ode capsule, the round window membrane, and the oval window membrane.
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11. A process for producing and using a hearing aid device for a hearing impaired human having an at least partially functional cochlea, the process comprising the steps of
providing a pulsed light source capable of producing pulsed irradiation, coupling a control unit to the pulsed light source for controlling and modulating the frequency of pulsed irradiation, and optically coupling at least one optical fibre to the pulsed light source for reception of pulsed irradiation produced by the pulsed light source, arranging the pulsed light source and the optical fibre to form an optical path terminating in an output surface emitting pulsed irradiation from the end section of the optical fibre opposite the pulsed light source, and dimensioning the optical fibre for termination in the output surface adjacent to and spaced from an at least partially functional element of the natural vibration transduction pathway of the human for transmission of irradiation to the output surface to stimulate the functional element of the natural vibration conduction pathway, directly stimulating the functional element by the pulses generated within the pulsed light source, which functional element is functionally coupled for transduction of vibration to the cochlea and is selected from the group comprising the skull the tympanic membrane, the hammer, the incus, the stapes, the outside of the cochlea, the otic capsule, the round window membrane, and the oval window membrane.
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17. A process for producing and using a hearing aid device for a hearing impaired human having an at least partially functional cochlea, the process comprising the steps of
providing a pulsed light source capable of producing pulsed irradiation, coupling a control unit to the pulsed light source for controlling and modulating the frequency of pulsed irradiation, and arranging the pulsed light source to form an optical path terminating in an output surface emitting pulsed irradiation, dimensioning the pulsed light source for termination in the output surface adjacent to and spaced from an at least partially functional element of the natural vibration transduction pathway for transmission of pulsed irradiation to the output surface to stimulate the functional element of the natural vibration conduction pathway, directly stimulating the functional element by the pulses generated within the pulsed light source, which functional element is functionally coupled for transduction of vibration to the cochlea and is selected from the group comprising the skull the tympanic membrane, the hammer, the incus, the stapes, the outside of the cochlea, the otic capsule, the round window membrane, and the oval window membrane.
Specification