Sound acquisition and analysis systems, devices and components for magnetic hearing aids
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A sound acquisition system for a magnetic hearing aid, comprising:
- an electromagnetic (“
EM”
) transducer disposed in a housing;
a magnetic spacer operably coupled to the EM transducer and comprising at least a first magnetic member, the EM transducer, the housing and the magnetic spacer forming external portions of the magnetic hearing aid;
a magnetic implant configured to be placed beneath a patient'"'"'s skin and adjacent to or in a patient'"'"'s skull, the magnetic implant comprising at least a second magnetic member, the magnetic spacer and magnetic implant together being configured such that the first and second magnetic members are capable of holding the magnetic hearing aid in position on the patient'"'"'s skull over at least portions of the implanted magnetic implant, anda sound acquisition device configured to be positioned between the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, and to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, such that sound signals generated by the EM transducer in the hearing aid may be acquired by a sound sensor forming a portion of the sound acquisition device as the sound signals pass through the sound acquisition device into the patient'"'"'s skull, the sound sensor comprising a piezoelectric sensor.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are various embodiments of components and devices in a sound acquisition system for a magnetic hearing aid that include a sound acquisition device. In one embodiment, the sound acquisition device is configured to be positioned between a magnetic spacer and a magnetic implant, and to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, such that sound signals generated by an EM transducer in the hearing aid may be acquired by a sound sensor forming a portion of the sound acquisition device as the sound signals pass through the sound acquisition device into the patient'"'"'s skull or a test fixture.
133 Citations
37 Claims
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1. A sound acquisition system for a magnetic hearing aid, comprising:
-
an electromagnetic (“
EM”
) transducer disposed in a housing;a magnetic spacer operably coupled to the EM transducer and comprising at least a first magnetic member, the EM transducer, the housing and the magnetic spacer forming external portions of the magnetic hearing aid; a magnetic implant configured to be placed beneath a patient'"'"'s skin and adjacent to or in a patient'"'"'s skull, the magnetic implant comprising at least a second magnetic member, the magnetic spacer and magnetic implant together being configured such that the first and second magnetic members are capable of holding the magnetic hearing aid in position on the patient'"'"'s skull over at least portions of the implanted magnetic implant, and a sound acquisition device configured to be positioned between the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, and to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, such that sound signals generated by the EM transducer in the hearing aid may be acquired by a sound sensor forming a portion of the sound acquisition device as the sound signals pass through the sound acquisition device into the patient'"'"'s skull, the sound sensor comprising a piezoelectric sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A sound acquisition device configured to be used in a sound measurement system for a magnetic hearing aid, the system comprising an electromagnetic (“
- EM”
) transducer disposed in a housing, a magnetic spacer operably coupled to the EM transducer and comprising at least a first magnetic member, the EM transducer, the housing and the magnetic spacer forming external portions of the magnetic hearing aid, and a magnetic implant configured to be placed beneath a patient'"'"'s skin and adjacent to or in a patient'"'"'s skull, the magnetic implant comprising at least a second magnetic member, the magnetic spacer and magnetic implant together being configured such that the first and second magnetic members are capable of holding the magnetic hearing aid in position on the patient'"'"'s skull over at least portions of the implanted magnetic implant, the sound acquisition device being configured to be positioned between the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, and to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, such that sound signals generated by the EM transducer in the hearing aid may be acquired by a sound sensor forming a portion of the sound acquisition device as the sound signals pass through the sound acquisition device into the patient'"'"'s skull, the sound sensor comprising a piezoelectric sensor. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
- EM”
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25. A method of acquiring sound signals generated by an external magnetic hearing aid configured to be coupled to a magnetic implant, the magnetic hearing aid comprising an electromagnetic (“
- EM”
) transducer disposed in a housing and a magnetic spacer operably coupled to the EM transducer and comprising at least a first magnetic member, the magnetic implant being configured to be placed beneath a patient'"'"'s skin and adjacent to or in the patient'"'"'s skull, the magnetic implant comprising at least a second magnetic member, the magnetic spacer and magnetic implant together being configured such that the first and second magnetic members are capable of holding the magnetic hearing aid in position on the patient'"'"'s skull over at least portions of the magnetic implant when the magnetic implant is implanted in the patient and the magnetic hearing aid is placed thereover, the sound acquisition device being configured to be positioned between the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, and to be magnetically coupled to the magnetic spacer and the magnetic implant, such that sound signals generated by the EM transducer in the hearing aid may be acquired by a sound sensor forming a portion of the sound acquisition device as the sound signals pass through the sound acquisition device into the patient'"'"'s skull, the sound sensor comprising a piezoelectric sensor, the method comprising;(a) acquiring the sound signals sensed by the sound sensor; (b) processing the acquired sound signals, and (c) analyzing the sound signals. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 34, 35, 36, 37)
- EM”
- 32. The method of claimer 27, wherein analyzing the amplified sound signals further comprises at least one of determining a frequency response of the hearing aid, determining an amplitude response of the hearing aid, and determining a phase response of the hearing aid.
Specification