Hearing prosthesis with a standard wire interface

• US 9,403,004 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Meskens, Werner, Baelen, Erika, van den Heuvel, Koen, van Gerwen, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morales, Jon Eric C
• Application Number:
  US14/668,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20150196759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 496 Days
• Field of Search: 607/55, 607/57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• 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

Methods, systems, and devices for receiving a data signal and a power signal by a hearing prosthesis are disclosed. An input signal is received at a first unit of a hearing prosthesis. The first unit receives the input signal at a wired interface module that conforms to a standardized interface. The first unit identifies a data signal and a power signal included in the input signal. The first unit transfers at least a portion of the power signal to a second unit of the hearing prosthesis. The second unit is implanted in a body and is configured to stimulate an auditory organ, allowing a user to perceive at least a portion of a sound.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a processing unit; and

a headpiece unit,

wherein the processing unit comprises a power supply, an audio transducer, one or more processors, and a first wired interface module,

wherein the audio transducer is configured to receive a sound from an environment,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to (i) receive from the audio transducer a first sound signal indicative of the sound, (ii) receive from an external device a data signal including a second sound signal indicative of audio, (iii) generate a stimulation signal based on at least one of the first sound signal or the second sound signal, wherein the stimulation signal includes information indicative of a stimulus to be delivered to an auditory organ,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to (i) determine an amplitude of the received first sound signal, (ii) perform a comparison of the determined amplitude of the first sound signal to a threshold value, (iii) based on the comparison, make a decision of whether to generate the stimulation signal based on the first sound signal or rather to generate the stimulation signal based on the second sound signal, and (iv) generate the stimulation signal in accordance with the decision,

wherein the first wired interface module is configured to transmit to the headpiece unit an input signal that includes the stimulation signal and a power signal,

wherein the headpiece unit includes a transceiver, an induction coil, and a second wired interface module,

wherein the second wired interface module is configured to receive the input signal that includes the stimulation signal and the power signal,

wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the stimulation signal to an implanted component of a hearing prosthesis,

wherein the induction coil is configured to transfer at least a portion of the power signal to the implanted component,

wherein at least the second wired interface module conforms to at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) protocol or an RS-232 protocol, and wherein the second wired interface module includes a component configured to (i) separate the input signal into the stimulation signal and the power signal, (ii) route the stimulation signal to the transceiver, and (iii) route at least a portion of the power signal to the induction coil.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive a telemetry signal from the implanted component of the hearing prosthesis, wherein the telemetry signal includes information indicative of a parameter used by the implanted component to deliver the stimulus to the organ; and

send the telemetry signal to the second wired interface module.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the second wired interface module is further configured to:

receive the telemetry signal from the transceiver;

generate an output signal based on the telemetry signal; and

output the output signal.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second wired interface module includes at least one data line and at least one power line, wherein the stimulation signal is received at the at least one data line and the power signal is received at the at least one power line.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising an isolation component configured to provide the second wired interface module with reinforced galvanic isolation from a mains distribution power.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein at least the second wired interface module conforms to one of a USB physical interface protocol or an RS-232 physical interface protocol.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least the second wired interface module conforms to one of a USB electrical interface protocol or an RS-232 electrical interface protocol.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein at least the second wired interface module conforms to a USB data protocol.

9. A device comprising:

a wired interface module that conforms to at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) protocol or an RS-232 protocol;

a power supply; and

an audio transducer configured to receive a sound from an environment one or more processors configured to (i) receive a data signal from an external device via the wired interface module, (ii) receive a power signal from the external device via the wired interface module, (iii) process the data signal, and (iv) transfer at least a portion of the power signal to the power supply,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive from the audio transducer a first sound signal indicative of the sound,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive from the wired interface module, in the data signal, a second sound signal that includes information indicative of audio, and to generate a stimulation signal based on at least one of the first sound signal and the second sound signal, wherein the stimulation signal includes information usable by a component of the device to stimulate an auditory organ,

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to (i) determine an amplitude of the received first sound signal, (ii) perform a comparison of the determined amplitude of the first sound signal to a threshold value, (iii) based on the comparison, make a decision of whether to generate the stimulation signal based on the first sound signal or rather to generate the stimulation signal based on the second sound signal, and (iv) generate the stimulation signal in accordance with the decision.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine whether the amplitude of the first sound signal is greater than the threshold value;

in response to determining that the amplitude is greater than the threshold value, generate the stimulation signal based on the first sound signal; and

in response to determining that the amplitude is less than or equal to the threshold value, generate the stimulation signal based on the second sound signal.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

determine whether the amplitude of the first sound signal is greater than or equal to the threshold value;

in response to determining that the amplitude is greater than or equal to the threshold value, generate the stimulation signal based on the first sound signal; and

in response to determining that the amplitude is less than the threshold value, generate the stimulation signal based on the second sound signal.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the data signal includes a request for a status of a component of the device, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

generate a response signal that includes information indicative of the status of the component of the device; and

send the response signal to the external device via the wired interface module.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the data signal includes a request for a current setting of a parameter used by the one or more processors to process a sound, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

generate an update signal that includes information indicative of the current setting of the parameter; and

send the update signal to the external device via the wired interface module.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein the data signal includes information for processing a sound in a bilateral hearing prosthesis system.

15. The device claim 9, wherein the wired interface module includes at least one isolation component, wherein the at least one isolation component includes at least one opto-coupler or at least one transformer.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the wired interface module conforms to one of a USB physical interface protocol or an RS-232 physical interface protocol.

17. The device of claim 9, wherein the wired interface module conforms to one of a USB electrical interface protocol or an RS-232 electrical interface protocol.

18. The device of claim 9, wherein the wired interface module conforms to a USB data protocol.

19. A device comprising:

a transceiver configured to transmit a stimulation signal to an implanted component of a hearing prosthesis, wherein the stimulation signal include information indicative of a stimulus to be delivered to an auditory organ;

an induction coil configured to transfer at least a portion of a power signal to the implanted component;

a wired interface module configured to receive an input signal that includes the stimulation signal and the power signal, wherein the wired interface module includes at least one data line and at least one power line, wherein the stimulation signal is received at the at least one data line and the power signal is received at the at least one power line, wherein the wired interface module conforms to at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (“

USB”

) protocol or an RS-232 protocol, and wherein the wired interface module includes a component configured to (i) separate the input signal into the stimulation signal and the power signal, (ii) route the stimulation signal to the transceiver, and (iii) route at least a portion of the power signal to the induction coil; and

an isolation component configured to provide the wired interface module with reinforced galvanic isolation from a mains distribution power.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the transceiver is further configured to:

receive a telemetry signal from the implanted component of the hearing prosthesis, wherein the telemetry signal includes information indicative of a parameter used by the implanted component to deliver the stimulus to the organ; and

send the telemetry signal to the wired interface module.