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

• US 9,591,409 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• 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:
  US14/988,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20160134976A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, 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 an eardrum wherein the transducer is driven in response to the at least one electrical signal;

circuitry configured to receive the audio signal and determine a first energy of the audio signal and a 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, 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 transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

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

3. 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.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is 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.

5. The device of claim 4 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.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is coupled to an input configured to receive the audio signal, the circuitry is coupled to the at least one light source, and the circuitry is configured to adjust an output of the at least one light source to power the transducer in response to the audio signal.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is configured to measure the audio signal to determine the first energy and the second energy of the audio signal and to adjust an amount of energy transmitted with the at least one light source in response to the first energy and the second energy of the audio signal.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein the circuitry is configured to adjust at least one of a DC bias or an amplitude of pulses of the at least one light source in response to the audio signal to power the circuitry.

9. The device of claim 6 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 in response to the audio signal.

10. The device of claim 6 wherein the circuitry comprises a sound processor configured to measure the audio signal and to adjust the output of the at least one light source to power the circuitry in response to the audio signal.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one wavelength of light comprises at least one of an ultraviolet light, a visible light or an infrared light.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the first or second amount of low frequency light energy bias is increased in response to an increase in the first energy and the second energy of the audio signal.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one detector and the transducer convert light energy into electrical energy and mechanical energy.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the mechanical energy is vibration.

15. 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;

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

vibrating the eardrum with a transducer in response to the electrical signal, wherein 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 transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the transducer is supported by the eardrum.

17. 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 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 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 a transducer in response to the electrical signal and 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 transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the target tissue is stimulated with a vibration.