Optical electro-mechanical hearing devices with separate power and signal components

• US 8,715,152 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2009
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EarLens Corporation
• Original Assignee: EarLens Corporation
• Inventors: Puria, Sunil, Fay, Jonathan P., Felsenstein, Lee, Stone, James, Killion, Mead C., Pluvinage, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): MATTHEWS, CHRISTINE HOPKINS
• Application Number:
  US12/486,116
• Publication Number:
  US 20100048982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 600/25, 607/57, 381/312, 381/318
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/008 using optical signals for detecting or generating sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• 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

A device to transmit an audio signal comprises at least one light source configured to transmit the audio signal with at least one wavelength of light. At least one detector is configured to detect the audio signal and generate at least one electrical signal in response to the at least one wavelength of light. A transducer is supported with and configured to vibrate at least one of an eardrum, an ossicle or a cochlea. Active circuitry is coupled to the transducer to drive the transducer in response to the at least one electrical signal, so as to provide the user with high quality sound.

Claims

1. A device to transmit an audio signal having a first energy and a second energy different from the first energy, the device comprising:

at least one light source configured to transmit the audio signal with at least one wavelength of light;

at least one detector configured to detect the audio signal and generate at least one electrical signal in response to the at least one wavelength of light;

a transducer supported with and configured to vibrate at least one of an eardrum, an ossicle or a cochlea;

active circuitry coupled to the at least one detector and the transducer to drive the transducer in response to the electrical signal; and

circuitry coupled to an input and the at least one light source, the circuitry configured to receive the audio signal and determine the first energy of the audio signal and the second energy of the audio signal, the circuitry configured to output a first amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source at a first time and a second amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source at a second time to power the active circuitry, the first amount of low frequency light energy bias different from the second amount of low frequency light energy bias in order to accommodate substantially different power consumption of the active circuitry and the transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a power storage device coupled to the at least one detector and the active circuitry to power the active circuitry with energy from the at least one detector.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the power storage device and the active circuitry are configured with at least one of a size or a mass for support with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea.

4. The device of claim 2 wherein the at least one light source and the at least one detector are configured to supply power to the power storage device and the active circuitry so as to drive the transducer with energy from the at least one light source.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein the power storage device comprises at least one of a capacitor or a miniature rechargeable battery.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the detector comprises at least one of as crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, micromorphous silicon, black silicon, cadmium telluride, copper indium, gallium selenide, or indium gallium arsenide.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the transducer comprises at least one of a piezo electric transducer, a flex tensional transducer, a wire coil, a magnet or an acoustic speaker.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the active circuitry comprises at least one of a transistor, an amplifier, a logic gate or a flip flop.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising circuitry configured to receive the audio signal from an input transducer and wherein the circuitry is configured to transmit the audio signal with a pulse width modulated signal from the at least one light source to the at least one detector.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein the pulse width modulated signal comprises at least one of a delta PWM signal, a differential drive PWM signal, a delta-sigma PWM signal or a differential delta-sigma PWM signal.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the first amount of low frequency light energy bias comprises a first amount of DC bias and the second amount of low frequency light energy bias comprises a second amount of DC bias of the at least one light source in response to the audio signal to power the active circuitry.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one light source comprises a first light source configured to transmit the audio signal and a second light source configured to transmit power and wherein the circuitry is configured to adjust an amount of power transmitted with the second light source from the first amount to the second amount in response to the audio signal.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry comprises a sound processor configured to measure the first energy and the second energy of the audio signal.

14. A system to transmit an audio signal having a first energy and a second energy different from the first energy, the system comprising:

an input transducer assembly comprising,

an input,

at least one light source configured to emit at least one wavelength of light,

circuitry coupled to the input and the at least one light source, the circuitry configured to receive the audio signal and determine the first energy of the audio signal and the second energy of the audio signal; and

an output transducer assembly comprising,

at least one detector configured to detect the at least one wavelength of light,

active circuitry coupled to the at least one detector;

a transducer electrically coupled to the active circuitry, the transducer configured to vibrate at least one of an eardrum, an ossicle, or a cochlea of the user in response to the at least one wavelength of light;

wherein the circuitry is configured to output a first amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source at a first time and a second amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source at a second time to power the active circuitry;

wherein the circuitry is configured to provide the first amount of low frequency light energy bias different from the second amount of low frequency light energy bias in order to accommodate substantially different power consumption of the active circuitry and the transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the output transducer assembly is configured to be supported with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the output transducer assembly comprises a power storage device with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle and wherein the power storage device is configured with at least one of a size or a mass to vibrate with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the active circuitry is coupled to the detector and the transducer to drive the transducer in response to the at least one wavelength of light and wherein the active circuitry is configured with at least one of a size or a mass to vibrate with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the input transducer assembly is configured to transmit the at least one wavelength of light as a pulse width modulated signal and wherein the output transducer assembly is configured to vibrate the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea in response to the pulse width modulated signal.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one wavelength of light comprises a first wavelength of light and a second wavelength of light and the at least one light source comprises a first light source configured to emit the first wavelength and a second light source configured to emit the second wavelength of light and wherein the at least one detector comprises a first detector configured to move the transducer with a first movement in response to the first at least one wavelength of light and a second detector configured to move the transducer with the second movement, the first movement in response to the second at least one wavelength, the second movement opposite the first movement.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one wavelength of light comprises at least one of an ultraviolet light, a visible light or an infrared light.

21. A method of transmitting an audio signal having a first energy and a second energy different from the first energy, the method comprising:

receiving the audio signal with circuitry coupled to an input and at least one light source, wherein the circuitry determines the first energy of the audio signal and the second energy of the audio signal;

emitting at least one wavelength of light from the at least one light source and wherein the circuitry outputs a first amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source and a second amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source in order to power active circuitry;

detecting the at least one wavelength of light with at least one detector to generate an electrical signal; and

vibrating at least one of an eardrum, an ossicle, or a cochlea of a user with a transducer in response to the electrical signal, wherein the transducer is coupled to the active circuitry and the first amount of low frequency light energy bias differs from the second amount of low frequency light energy bias in order to accommodate substantially different power consumption of the active circuitry and the transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein transducer is supported with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein transducer comprises a power storage device supported with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea and wherein the power storage device vibrates when the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea is vibrated.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the active circuitry is supported with the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea and wherein the active circuitry is coupled to the detector and the transducer to drive the transducer in response to the at least one wavelength of light and wherein the active circuitry vibrates when the at least one of the eardrum, the ossicle or the cochlea vibrates.

25. A device to stimulate a target tissue with an audio signal having a first energy and a second energy different from a first energy, the device comprising:

at least one light source configured to transmit the audio signal with a pulse modulated light signal comprising at least one wavelength of light; and

at least one detector configured to couple to the target tissue to stimulate the target tissue in response to the pulse modulated light signal, the at least one detector configured to detect the audio signal and generate at least one electrical signal in response to the at least one wavelength of light;

at least one of a transducer or at least two electrodes coupled to the at least one detector;

active circuitry coupled to the at least one detector and the at least one of the transducer or the at least two electrodes to drive the at least one of the transducer or the at least two electrodes in response to the electrical signal; and

circuitry coupled to an input and the at least one light source, the circuitry configured to receive the audio signal and determine the first energy of the audio signal and the second energy of the audio signal, the circuitry configured to output a first amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source at a first time and a second amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source at a second time to power the active circuitry, the first amount of low frequency light energy bias different from the second amount of low frequency light energy bias in order to accommodate substantially different power consumption of the active circuitry and the transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

26. The device of claim 25 wherein the at least one detector is configured to stimulate the tissue with at least one of a vibration or a current.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the at least one detector is configured to stimulate the tissue with the current and wherein the at least one detector is coupled to the at least two electrodes.

28. The device of claim 26 wherein the target tissue comprises a cochlea of a user and wherein the modulated light signal comprises an audio signal.

29. A method of stimulating a target tissue with an audio signal having a first energy and a second energy different from the first energy, the method comprising:

receiving the audio signal with circuitry coupled to an input and at least one light source, wherein the circuitry determines the first energy of the audio signal and the second energy of the audio signal;

emitting a pulse modulated light signal comprising at least one wavelength of light from at least one light source and wherein the circuitry outputs a first amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source and a second amount of low frequency light energy bias from the at least one light source to power active circuitry;

detecting the at least one wavelength of light with at least one detector to generate an electrical signal in response to the pulse modulated light signal; and

stimulating the target tissue with at least one of a transducer or at least two electrodes in response to the electrical signal and wherein the at least one of the transducer or the at least two electrodes is coupled to the active circuitry and the first amount of low frequency light energy bias differs from the second amount of low frequency light energy bias in order to accommodate substantially different power consumption of the active circuitry and the transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the target tissue is stimulated with at least one of a vibration or a current.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the target tissue is stimulated with the current and wherein an implantable detector is coupled to the at least two electrodes and stimulates the tissue in response to the pulse modulated light signal comprising the at least one wavelength of light.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein the target tissue comprises a cochlea of a user.