Optically Coupled Acoustic Middle Ear Implant Systems and Methods

• US 20100312040A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EarLens Corporation
• Original Assignee: SoundBeam, LLC
• Inventors: Rucker, Paul, Perkins, Rodney C., Puria, Sunil
• Granted Patent: US 9,055,379 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/49 Reducing the effects of electromagnetic noise on the functioning of hearing aids, by, e.g. shielding, signal processing adaptation, selective (de)activation of electronic parts in hearing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• 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

An assembly comprising a sound transducer can be implanted in the middle ear in a manner that simplifies surgery. The assembly may comprise a narrow cross-sectional profile such that the assembly can be positioned in the middle ear through an incision in the eardrum, for example without cutting bone. The incision can be closed and electromagnetic energy transmitted through the closed incision to a transducer configured to vibrate the ear in response to the electromagnetic energy. In many embodiments, the sound transducer comprises a speaker positioned in the middle ear, and the sound transducer can couple to vibratory structure of the ear with air so as to simplify surgery. The assembly may be affixed to a substantially fixed structure of the ear, for example the promontory, so as to inhibit user perceivable occlusion and inhibit motion of the assembly, such that the user can perceive clear sound with little occlusion.

Claims

1. A device to transmit sound to an ear of a user, the ear comprising a middle ear and an eardrum, the device comprising:

an assembly configured to couple to a tissue of a middle ear of a user, the assembly comprising,

at least one transducer configured to receive electromagnetic energy transmitted through the eardrum; and

a sound transducer coupled to the at least one transducer and configured to transmit the sound to the user in response to the electromagnetic energy when the assembly is supported with the tissue of the middle ear of the user.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the sound transducer comprises a speaker.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the sound transducer comprises a diaphragm configured to vibrate and displace air to transmit the sound to the user.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the assembly further comprises a housing extending at least partially around the transducer comprising the diaphragm to define a chamber within the assembly.

5. The device of claim 4 and the chamber comprises a volume and the transducer is configured to increase the volume to increase an air pressure of the middle ear and to decrease to volume to decrease the air pressure of the middle ear to transmit the sound to the user.

6. The device of claim 5 and wherein the diaphragm is configured to move away from chamber to increase the volume of the chamber and to move toward the chamber to decrease the volume of the chamber.

7. The device of claim 5 and wherein the chamber comprises a sealed chamber to inhibit air flow in and out of the chamber when the diaphragm increases and decreases the volume of the chamber.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the assembly comprises an anchoring structure configured to anchor the assembly to a substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear of user.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the anchoring structure comprises at least one of a flange, a surface coating or holes configured to receive an autograft tissue to affix the assembly to the substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear comprises at least one of a promontory or a round window niche.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear comprises the promontory and wherein the assembly comprises a concave portion shaped to receive a portion of the promontory.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear comprises the round window niche and wherein at least a portion of the assembly is sized to fit within the round window niche.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein the at least the portion of the assembly sized to fit within the round window niche comprises a maximum cross sectional dimension across of no more than about 3 mm.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the at least a portion is configured to couple to the round window with air.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the transducer is configured to transmit a first majority of the sound comprising the first frequencies to the user with the eardrum and to transmit a second majority of the sound comprising the second frequencies to the user with the round window.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein the at least a portion is configured to couple substantially to the eardrum with first frequencies below about 4 kHz and to couple substantially to the round window with frequencies above about 10 kHz.

17. The device of claim 1 wherein the sound transducer is configured to couple to a vibratory structure of the ear when the assembly is affixed to the substantially fixed tissue.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the vibratory structure of the ear comprises at least one of an eardrum, an ossicle or a round window.

19. The device of claim 17 wherein the sound transducer is configured to couple to at least one of an eardrum or a round window of the ear of the user with a fluid.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein the fluid comprises air and the sound transducer is configured to couple to the eardrum of the user with the sound transducer oriented away from the eardrum.

21. The device of claim 19 wherein the sound transducer is configured to couple to the round window and wherein at least a portion of the assembly is sized to fit at least partially within a round window niche of the middle ear of the user to couple the sound transducer to the round window.

22. The device of claim 21 wherein sound transducer comprises an extension sized to fit within the round window niche to couple to the round window with a fluid.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein the fluid comprises air and wherein sound transducer is configured to couple to the round window with the air extending between the sound transducer and the round window.

24. The device of claim 23 wherein the extension comprises a channel extending from a diaphragm to an opening, the opening positioned on extension to orient toward the round window when the assembly is supported with the tissue of the middle ear.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein the diaphragm comprises a first cross sectional area of the channel and the opening comprises a second cross sectional area of the channel and wherein the first area is at least about five times the second area to concentrate sound energy at the opening oriented toward the round window.

26. The device of claim 22 wherein the fluid comprises a liquid and wherein sound transducer is configured to couple to the round window with the liquid extending between the sound transducer and the round window.

27. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one transducer comprises at least one of a photodetector or a coil and wherein the at least one transducer oriented to receive the electromagnetic radiation transmitted through the eardrum.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the at least one transducer comprises the photodetector and wherein the photodetector comprises a first photodetector sensitive to a first at least one wavelength of light and a second photodetector sensitive to a second at least one wavelength of light, the first at least one wavelength of light different from the second at least one wavelength of light.

29. The device of claim 1 wherein the sound transducer comprises at least one of a balanced armature transducer, a coil or a magnet.

30. The device of claim 1 further comprising an emitter configured to emit the electromagnetic radiation through the eardrum.

31. The device of claim 29 wherein the emitter comprises at least one of an LED, a laser diode or a coil.

32. The device of claim 29 wherein the emitter is configured for placement within an ear canal of the user.

33. The device of claim 29 wherein the emitter is coupled to a waveguide, the waveguide configured for placement at least partially within the ear canal of the user to couple the emitter to the at least one transducer.

34. The device of claim 1 further comprising a first microphone configured for placement in an ear canal of the user or near an ear canal opening to detect high frequency sound localization cues having frequencies above at least about 4 kHz.

35. The device of claim 29 further comprising second microphone configured for placement away from in the ear canal and the ear canal opening to detect low frequency sound having frequencies below about 4 kHz.

36. The device of claim 1 wherein the at least one transducer comprises a photodetector having a first surface to receive light and wherein the assembly comprises a second concave surface to receive a portion of a promontory of the middle ear, the first surface opposite the second surface, and wherein the sound transducer is disposed between the first surface and the second concave surface.

37. The device of claim 36 wherein the first surface is inclined relative to the second surface and wherein a first portion of the assembly comprises a first thickness extending between the first surface and the second surface and wherein a second portion of the assembly comprises a second thickness extending between the first surface and the second surface, the first thickness less than the second thickness.

38. The device of claim 37 wherein the sound transducer comprises a balanced armature transducer having a coil, a permanent magnet and a reed, the reed coupled to a diaphragm, and wherein diaphragm is disposed on the first portion between the first surface and the second surface and the permanent magnet is disposed on the second portion between the first surface and the second surface.

39. The device of claim 36 further comprising at least one lens positioned on the first surface to couple optically to at least a portion of the eardrum and transmit light scattered from the eardrum to the first surface.

40. A method of transmitting sound to an ear of a user, the ear having an eardrum and a middle ear, the method comprising:

transmitting electromagnetic energy through the eardrum to a transducer configured to receive the electromagnetic energy; and

emitting sound from a sound transducer positioned in the middle ear to transmit the sound to the ear of the user in response to the electromagnetic energy.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein sound transducer is affixed to a fixed structure of the middle ear and coupled with a fluid to a vibratory structure of the ear.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the fixed structure comprises at least one of a promontory of the middle ear or a round window niche of the middle ear.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the sound transducer is affixed to the fixed structure with an autograft composed of tissue of the user.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein vibratory structure comprises at least one of the eardrum, an ossicle or a round window of the ear.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein at least a portion of the assembly is positioned within a round window niche of the middle ear of the user.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the sound transducer is coupled to a round window of an inner ear of the ear with a fluid disposed between the sound transducer and the round window.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the fluid comprises air and wherein the sound transducer is oriented toward the round window to couple the sound transducer to the round window.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the sound transducer is coupled to vibratory structures of the ear with the fluid such that the vibratory structures of the ear can vibrate with minimal damping due to a mass of the assembly and a mass of the fluid.

49. The method of claim 46, wherein the fluid comprises a liquid, and wherein the liquid extends from at least a portion of the round window to the sound transducer to couple the sound transducer to the round window.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein a volume of the liquid extending from the sound transducer to the round window comprises no more than about 50 uL.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the volume comprises no more than about 20 uL.

52. The method of claim 40, wherein at least a portion of the assembly is supported with a promontory of the middle ear.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the sound transducer is coupled with air to at least one of the eardrum or a round window of the ear.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein the sound transducer is coupled with air to the eardrum and wherein the sound transducer is oriented away from the eardrum to couple the sound transducer to the eardrum of the user.

55. The method of claim 40, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises light energy.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the light energy comprises at least one of ultraviolet light, visible light or infrared light.

57. The method of claim 40, wherein the electromagnetic energy is received by a transducer oriented toward the eardrum to receive the electromagnetic energy and wherein the transducer is coupled to the sound transducer such that the sound transducer emits the sound in response to the electromagnetic energy.

58. The method of claim 40, wherein at least a first microphone is positioned in an ear canal or near an opening of the ear canal to measure high frequency sound above at least about one 4 kHz comprising spatial localization cues.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein a second microphone is positioned away from the ear canal and the ear canal opening to measure at least low frequency sound below about 4 kHz.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein sound from the first microphone is transmitted to the user substantially with the eardrum and sound from the second microphone is transmitted to the user substantially with the round window to inhibit feedback.

61. The method of claim 40, wherein the sound transducer comprises an inner chamber having a volume, and wherein the volume decreases to decrease an air pressure of the middle ear and increase to increase the air pressure of the middle ear to transmit the sound to the user.

62. A device to transmit sound to an ear of a user, the ear comprising a middle ear, the device comprising:

an assembly configured for placement in the middle ear of the user, the assembly comprising,

at least one photo detector;

a structure to affix the assembly to a substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear; and

a speaker coupled to the at least one photodetector and configured to transmit the sound to the user when the assembly is affixed the substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear.

63. A device to transmit sound to an ear of a user, the device comprising:

means for transmitting the sound to the ear of the user. 64 A method of placing a hearing assembly in a middle ear of a user, the ear having an eardrum, the method comprising;

forming an incision the eardrum;

passing the assembly through the incision to position the assembly in the middle ear;

affixing the assembly to a substantially fixed tissue of the middle ear; and

closing the incision such that the eardrum heals. 65 The method of claim 64 wherein the incision in the eardrum extends around an outer portion of the eardrum. 66 The method of claim 64 wherein the eardrum comprises an annulus and wherein the incision extends at least partially into the annulus. 67 The method of claim 64 wherein the hearing assembly is sized to pass through the incision without cutting bone and wherein the hearing assembly is coupled to vibratory structures of the ear with a fluid such that occlusion is inhibited.