Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A bone conduction apparatus, comprising:
- a housing having a shape conforming to at least a portion of at least one tooth of a patient, wherein the housing engages the at least one tooth such that an occlusal surface of the tooth remains unobstructed by the housing;
a transducer disposed within or upon the housing and in vibratory communication with the at least one surface of the at least one tooth, wherein said apparatus produces an interference fit between the apparatus and at least two surfaces of the at least one tooth; and
at least one microphone in communication with the transducer, wherein the at least one microphone is separated at a distance from the housing.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or transducer assembly through a tooth or teeth are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
220 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A bone conduction apparatus, comprising:
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a housing having a shape conforming to at least a portion of at least one tooth of a patient, wherein the housing engages the at least one tooth such that an occlusal surface of the tooth remains unobstructed by the housing; a transducer disposed within or upon the housing and in vibratory communication with the at least one surface of the at least one tooth, wherein said apparatus produces an interference fit between the apparatus and at least two surfaces of the at least one tooth; and at least one microphone in communication with the transducer, wherein the at least one microphone is separated at a distance from the housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of transmitting vibrations via at least one tooth, comprising:
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providing an apparatus comprising a housing having a shape conforming to at least a portion of at least one tooth of a patient, wherein the housing engages the at least one tooth such that an occlusal surface of the tooth remains unobstructed by the housing, a transducer disposed within or upon the housing and in vibratory communication with the at least one surface of the at least one tooth, wherein said apparatus produces an interference fit between the apparatus and at least two surfaces of the at least one tooth, and at least one microphone in communication with the transducer, wherein the at least one microphone is separated at a distance from the housing; positioning the housing onto the at least one tooth; and maintaining contact between a surface of the at least one tooth and the actuatable transducer such that the transducer transmits vibrations to the surface of the at least one tooth. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification