Hearing assistance system comprising electrodes for picking up brain wave signals
First Claim
1. A hearing assistance system comprising:
- a first part adapted for being mounted fully or partially at a first ear or in an ear canal of the first ear of a user, the first part including;
a first housing, anda number of first electrodes located at a surface of said first housing to allow said first electrodes to contact the skin of the user when said first part is operationally mounted on the user, each of the first electrodes being adapted to pick up a low-voltage electric signal from the user'"'"'s brain;
a second part adapted for being mounted on the body spatially separated from said first part, the second part including;
a number of second electrodes arranged to allow said second electrodes to contact the skin of the user when second said part is operationally mounted on the user, andat least one of the second electrodes of the second part being configured as a reference electrode and adapted to pick up a reference voltage intended to constitute a reference voltage for the low-voltage electric signal(s) from the user'"'"'s brain picked up by the first electrodes thereby allowing a voltage difference signal to be determined for each of said first electrodes;
a comparison unit for determining said voltage difference signal(s); and
an electric interface allowing said reference voltage or a measure representative thereof to be transferred from said second part to said comparison unit.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The application relates to a hearing assistance system comprising first and second spatially separated parts adapted for being mounted fully or partially at a first ear and on the head of a user, respectively, the first and second parts comprising a number of first and second electrodes located at a surface of first and second housings, respectively, to allow said first and second electrodes to contact the skin of the user when said parts are operationally mounted on the user'"'"'s head. The first and second electrodes are adapted to pick up low-voltage electric signals from the user'"'"'s brain and a reference voltage, respectively, to provide voltage difference signals. An improved binaural hearing assistance system further comprising a comparison unit for determining the voltage difference signal, and an electric interface allowing the reference voltage or a measure representative thereof to be transferred from said second part to said comparison unit is provided.
16 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A hearing assistance system comprising:
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a first part adapted for being mounted fully or partially at a first ear or in an ear canal of the first ear of a user, the first part including; a first housing, and a number of first electrodes located at a surface of said first housing to allow said first electrodes to contact the skin of the user when said first part is operationally mounted on the user, each of the first electrodes being adapted to pick up a low-voltage electric signal from the user'"'"'s brain; a second part adapted for being mounted on the body spatially separated from said first part, the second part including; a number of second electrodes arranged to allow said second electrodes to contact the skin of the user when second said part is operationally mounted on the user, and at least one of the second electrodes of the second part being configured as a reference electrode and adapted to pick up a reference voltage intended to constitute a reference voltage for the low-voltage electric signal(s) from the user'"'"'s brain picked up by the first electrodes thereby allowing a voltage difference signal to be determined for each of said first electrodes; a comparison unit for determining said voltage difference signal(s); and an electric interface allowing said reference voltage or a measure representative thereof to be transferred from said second part to said comparison unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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6. A hearing assistance system comprising:
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a first part adapted for being mounted fully or partially at a first ear or in an ear canal of the first ear of a user, the first part including; a first housing, and a number of first electrodes located at a surface of said first housing to allow said first electrodes to contact the skin of the user when said first part is operationally mounted on the user, each of the first electrodes being adapted to pick up a low-voltage electric signal from the user'"'"'s brain; and a second part adapted for mounting on the body spatially separated from said first part, the second part including; a number of second electrodes arranged to allow said second electrodes to contact the skin of the user when second said part is operationally mounted on the user, and at least one of the second electrodes of the second part being configured as a reference electrode and adapted to pick up a reference voltage intended to constitute a reference voltage for the low-voltage electric signal(s) from the user'"'"'s brain picked up by the first electrodes thereby allowing a voltage difference signal to be determined for each of said first electrodes, wherein the hearing assistance system comprises a comparison unit for determining said voltage difference signal(s), and an electric interface allowing said reference voltage or a measure representative thereof to be transferred from said second part to said comparison unit, in the electric interface comprises a body-network, and each of the first and second parts of the hearing assistance system comprises one of a Tx- and Rx-ground electrode exhibiting substantially equal virtual Tx- and Rx-ground potentials established via a capacitive coupling to an external ground, at least partly via the user'"'"'s body.
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16. A hearing assistance system comprising:
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a first part including a first hearing aid adapted for mounting fully or partially at a first ear or in an ear canal of the first ear of a user, the first hearing aid including; a first housing, and a number of first electrodes located at a surface of said first housing to allow said first electrodes to contact the skin of the user when said first part is operationally mounted on the user, each of the first electrodes being adapted to pick up a low-voltage electric signal from the user'"'"'s brain; a second part adapted for being mounted on the body spatially separated from said first part, the second part including; a number of second electrodes arranged to allow said second electrodes to contact the skin of the user when second said part is operationally mounted on the user, and at least one of the second electrodes of the second part being configured as a reference electrode and adapted to pick up a reference voltage intended to constitute a reference voltage for the low-voltage electric signal(s) from the user'"'"'s brain picked up by the first electrodes; a comparison unit for determining and/or processing voltage difference signal(s); and an electric interface allowing said reference voltage or a measure representative thereof to be transferred from said second part to said comparison unit, thereby allowing a voltage difference signal to be determined and/or processed for each of said first electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (17, 19, 20)
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18. A hearing assistance system comprising:
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a first part including a first hearing aid adapted for mounting fully or partially at a first ear or in an ear canal of the first ear of a user, the first part including; a first housing, and a number of first electrodes located at a surface of said first housing allowing said first electrodes to contact the skin of the user when said first part is operationally mounted on the user, each of the first electrodes being adapted to pick up a low-voltage electric signal from the user'"'"'s brain; a second part adapted for mounting on the body spatially separated from said first part, the second part including; a number of second electrodes arranged to allow said second electrodes to contact the skin of the user when second said part is operationally mounted on the user, and at least one of the second electrodes of the second part being configured as a reference electrode and adapted to pick up a reference voltage intended to constitute a reference voltage for the low-voltage electric signal(s) from the user'"'"'s brain picked up by the first electrodes; a comparison unit for determining and/or processing voltage difference signal(s); and an electric interface allowing said reference voltage or a measure representative thereof to be transferred from said second part to said comparison unit, thereby allowing a voltage difference signal to be determined and/or processed for each of said first electrodes, wherein in the electric interface comprises a body-network, and each of the first and second parts of the hearing assistance system comprises one of a Tx- and Rx-ground electrode exhibiting substantially equal virtual Tx- and Rx-ground potentials established via a capacitive coupling to an external ground, at least partly via the user'"'"'s body.
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Specification