WO2004043290B1 - Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid - Google Patents

Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid

Info

Publication number
WO2004043290B1
WO2004043290B1 PCT/US2003/035348 US0335348W WO2004043290B1 WO 2004043290 B1 WO2004043290 B1 WO 2004043290B1 US 0335348 W US0335348 W US 0335348W WO 2004043290 B1 WO2004043290 B1 WO 2004043290B1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
hearing aid
case
implant
microphone
ear canal
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2003/035348
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2004043290A3 (en
WO2004043290A2 (en
Inventor
Alfred E Mann
Albert S Maltan
Yitzak Zilberman
Bryon L Moran
Ronald J Lebel
Original Assignee
Advanced Bionics Corp
Medical Res Products B Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Advanced Bionics Corp, Medical Res Products B Inc filed Critical Advanced Bionics Corp
Priority to EP03768716A priority Critical patent/EP1566074A4/en
Priority to JP2004551792A priority patent/JP2006508567A/en
Priority to AU2003291324A priority patent/AU2003291324B8/en
Publication of WO2004043290A2 publication Critical patent/WO2004043290A2/en
Publication of WO2004043290A3 publication Critical patent/WO2004043290A3/en
Publication of WO2004043290B1 publication Critical patent/WO2004043290B1/en

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/55—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired
    • H04R25/558—Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/55—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired
    • H04R25/554—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/31—Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/67—Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Prostheses (AREA)

Abstract

A hearing aid system including an implant (60) configured for insertion into a recess (40) formed under the skin of the retro-auricular space (50), which implant does not occlude the ear canal (30). The implant includes electronic circuitry (72), a transducer (65, e.g., speaker), antenna (64), and power source (66). The hearing aid also includes an external module (70), which module includes a microphone (163), electronics (172), antenna (164), and power source (166). A telemetry link (76) between the external module antenna and the implant antenna allows transmissions between the microphone module and the implant.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 13 April 2005 (13.04.2005); original claims 1 , 19 and 20 amended; remaining claims unchanged (5 pages)]
1. A hearing aid, comprising: an implant configured for insertion into a recess under the skin of a patient's retro-auricular space, for projecting acoustic energy into said patient's outer ear canal without occluding said ear canal, said implant comprising: a case having a proximal end and a distal end, an acoustic transducer mounted in said case proximate to said distal end for producing acoustic energy; implant electronic circuitry in said case having an output for driving said acoustic transducer; an implant antenna electrically connected to an input of said electronic circuitry; and a power source electrically connected to said electronic circuitry; a microphone module configured for use external to said case, said module comprising: a housing; external electronics within said housing; a microphone electrically connected to an input of said electronics; an external antenna electrically connected to an output of said electronics; a power source electrically connected to said external electronics; and a telemetry link between said external antenna and said implant antenna, and wherein audible sound received by said microphone is processed by said external electronics and transmitted by said telemetry link to said implant electronic circuitry for causing said transducer to project acoustic energy into said patient's outer ear canal.
-22-
2. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein the transducer is located at a distal end of the case, which distal end is positioned under the skin of the ear canal.
3. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein the transducer is located at a distal end of the case, which distal end protrudes slightly into the ear canal.
4. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein the implanted power source comprises a rechargeable battery.
5. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein the implanted power source comprises a super capacitor.
6. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein the implant case comprises one piece.
7. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein the implant case comprises more than one piece.
8. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein at least one microphone of the microphone module is located remotely from the microphone module.
9. The hearing aid of Claim 1 wherein at least one external antenna of the microphone module is located remotely from the microphone module.
10. The hearing aid of Claim 1 further comprising a coating on at least part of the implant case, which coating comprises at least one material for at least one of promoting healing, resisting infection, resisting inflammation, and facilitating integration of the implant with body tissue.
11. The hearing aid of Claim 1 further comprising signal processing circuitry for processing sensed signals and presenting processed signals that are compatible with sounds traveling naturally through the ear canal.
12. The hearing aid of Claim 1 further comprising signal processing circuitry that performs voice command recognition.
13. The hearing aid of Claim 1 further including means for communicating with a commercial electronics device. 4. The hearing aid of Claim 13 wherein the means for communicating includes a telemetry communication technique.
15. The hearing aid of Claim 13 wherein the means for communicating includes a direct electrical connection.
16. The hearing aid of Claim 1 further comprising: at least one external programming unit for customizing the hearing aid for a user; and means for communicating with the at least one external programming unit.
17. The hearing aid of Claim 16 wherein the at least one external programming unit is a remote control.
18. The hearing aid of Claim 17 wherein the microphone module includes the remote control.
// // //
-24-
19. A hearing aid, comprising: an implant configured for insertion into a recess under the skin of a patient's retro-auricular space for projecting acoustic energy into said patient's outer ear canal without occluding said ear canal, said implant comprising: a case having a proximal end and a distal end, acoustic transducer means mounted in said case proximate to said distal end for producing acoustic energy; implant circuit means in said case for supplying a drive signal to said acoustic transducer means; a microphone module external to said case, said module comprising: a housing; microphone means in said housing for converting sound energy to a representative electric signal; and means for communicating said representative electric signal to said implant circuit means for driving said acoustic transducer to project acoustic energy into said patient's outer ear canal. // // // // // // // // // // // // // //
-25-
20. A hearing aid system including: a case, having a proximal end and a distal end, configured for implantation in a patient's body with said case proximal end subcutaneously implanted proximate to a patient's retro-auricular space and said case distal end implanted proximate to said patient's outer ear canal; microphone means remote from said case for generating an output signal representative of audible sound; signal processing circuitry in said case responsive to said microphone output signal for producing an electric drive signal; and an acoustic transducer in said case at said distal end responsive to said electric drive signal for projecting an acoustic output signal into said patient's outer ear canal.
21. The system of claim 20 wherein said microphone means for generating said output signal comprises a housing mounted external to said patient's body and wherein said housing includes a microphone.
22. The system of claim 21 including wireless telemetry means for coupling said microphone means output signal to said signal processing circuitry.
// // // // // // // // // //
-26-
PCT/US2003/035348 2002-11-08 2003-11-05 Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid WO2004043290A2 (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP03768716A EP1566074A4 (en) 2002-11-08 2003-11-05 Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid
JP2004551792A JP2006508567A (en) 2002-11-08 2003-11-05 Implanted ear canal hearing aid
AU2003291324A AU2003291324B8 (en) 2002-11-08 2003-11-05 Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US42491202P 2002-11-08 2002-11-08
US60/424,912 2002-11-08

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2004043290A2 WO2004043290A2 (en) 2004-05-27
WO2004043290A3 WO2004043290A3 (en) 2005-05-19
WO2004043290B1 true WO2004043290B1 (en) 2005-06-30

Family

ID=32312890

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2003/035348 WO2004043290A2 (en) 2002-11-08 2003-11-05 Implanted outer ear canal hearing aid

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1566074A4 (en)
JP (1) JP2006508567A (en)
AU (1) AU2003291324B8 (en)
WO (1) WO2004043290A2 (en)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2663053A1 (en) * 2006-09-20 2008-03-27 Medical Research Products-B, Inc. Hearing aid system including implantable housing and exchangeable transducer
US9107013B2 (en) 2011-04-01 2015-08-11 Cochlear Limited Hearing prosthesis with a piezoelectric actuator
US20170195466A1 (en) * 2016-01-02 2017-07-06 Erato (Cayman) Holdings Co., Ltd. Radiofrequency communication device

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3741180A1 (en) * 1987-12-04 1989-07-06 Claus Dr Med Jansen ELECTROACOUSTIC CONVERTER
ATE327648T1 (en) * 1995-08-03 2006-06-15 Hans-Dieter Borowsky HEARING AID
US5836863A (en) * 1996-08-07 1998-11-17 St. Croix Medical, Inc. Hearing aid transducer support
EP1666087A3 (en) * 1997-02-26 2009-04-29 The Alfred E Mann Foundation for Scientific Research Battery-powered patient implantable device
DE29813577U1 (en) * 1998-07-22 1998-11-05 auric Hörsysteme GmbH & Co. KG, 48429 Rheine Hearing aid
DE10015421C2 (en) * 2000-03-28 2002-07-04 Implex Ag Hearing Technology I Partially or fully implantable hearing system
US6648813B2 (en) * 2000-06-17 2003-11-18 Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research Hearing aid system including speaker implanted in middle ear
DE20111070U1 (en) * 2001-05-26 2001-10-04 Auric Hoersysteme Gmbh & Co Kg Wireless coupling for sound transmission for hearing aids

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1566074A4 (en) 2011-01-26
AU2003291324B8 (en) 2008-10-09
AU2003291324B2 (en) 2008-05-22
JP2006508567A (en) 2006-03-09
EP1566074A2 (en) 2005-08-24
WO2004043290A3 (en) 2005-05-19
WO2004043290A2 (en) 2004-05-27
AU2003291324A1 (en) 2004-06-03

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