Speech processor headpiece
First Claim
1. A system for use with a cochlear implant, the system comprising:
- a core having a core housing, with a top surface and a bottom surface, in which a sound processor and a transmitter that transmits signals to the cochlear implant are located;
a first modular power supply, including a first power supply housing with a top surface and a bottom surface and at least one battery carried by the housing, configured to releasably engage the core, to supply electrical power to the core and to form with the core a first non-behind-the-ear head wearable headpiece that defines a bottom surface which faces the wearer and a top surface that faces away from the wearer, the bottom surface of the core housing defining at least a portion of the bottom surface of the first headpiece, and the top surfaces of the core housing and the first modular power supply housing defining respective portions of the top surface of the first headpiece; and
a second modular power supply, including a second power supply housing with a top surface and a bottom surface and a cable connected to a battery pack, configured to releasably engage the core when the first modular power supply is not engaged therewith, to supply electrical power to the core and to form with the core a second non-behind-the-ear head wearable headpiece that defines a bottom surface which faces the wearer and a top surface that faces away from the wearer, the bottom surface of the core housing defining at least a portion of the bottom surface of the second headpiece, and the top surfaces of the core housing and the second modular power supply housing defining respective portions of the top surface of the second headpiece.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cochlear implant system includes: an electrode array implanted within a cochlea; an internal processor in communication with the electrode array; an implanted antenna which is electrically coupled to the internal processor; and a modular external headpiece which is removably positioned over the implanted antenna, the modular external headpiece including a core containing a sound processor for processing sound and providing a corresponding signal to the implanted antenna; and a modular component configured to releasably engage the core and supply electrical power to the core. A modular speech processor headpiece includes a core comprising a microphone and sound processor for producing a signal representing ambient sound to be transmitted to a cochlear implant, the core further comprising a number of electrical contacts; and a modular component containing a number of electrical contacts corresponding to the electrical contacts of the core; wherein the core is configured to engage with the modular component such that electrical communication is made between the core and the modular component.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A system for use with a cochlear implant, the system comprising:
-
a core having a core housing, with a top surface and a bottom surface, in which a sound processor and a transmitter that transmits signals to the cochlear implant are located; a first modular power supply, including a first power supply housing with a top surface and a bottom surface and at least one battery carried by the housing, configured to releasably engage the core, to supply electrical power to the core and to form with the core a first non-behind-the-ear head wearable headpiece that defines a bottom surface which faces the wearer and a top surface that faces away from the wearer, the bottom surface of the core housing defining at least a portion of the bottom surface of the first headpiece, and the top surfaces of the core housing and the first modular power supply housing defining respective portions of the top surface of the first headpiece; and a second modular power supply, including a second power supply housing with a top surface and a bottom surface and a cable connected to a battery pack, configured to releasably engage the core when the first modular power supply is not engaged therewith, to supply electrical power to the core and to form with the core a second non-behind-the-ear head wearable headpiece that defines a bottom surface which faces the wearer and a top surface that faces away from the wearer, the bottom surface of the core housing defining at least a portion of the bottom surface of the second headpiece, and the top surfaces of the core housing and the second modular power supply housing defining respective portions of the top surface of the second headpiece. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method, comprising the steps of:
-
disconnecting a first modular component from a non-behind-the-ear head-wearable sound processor which, prior to disconnecting, includes a core component and the first modular component; wherein the core component defines a bottom surface that faces the wearer'"'"'s head during use and a top surface, and includes a sound processor, a microphone that is operably connected to the sound processor, and a transmitter that transmits signals to a cochlear implant, and wherein the first modular component has a top surface and a battery which, prior to disconnecting, supplies power to the core component when connected to the core component such that the top surfaces of the first modular component and the core component together define the top surface of the non-behind-the-ear head-wearable sound processor; and connecting a second modular component, which is configured to supply power to the core component and which has a top surface, to the core component in place of the first modular component in such a manner that, after the second modular component has been connected to the core component, the top surfaces of the second modular component and the core component together define the top surface of the non-behind-the-ear head-wearable sound processor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification