Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080255406 | Implantable Auditory Stimulation Systems Having a Transducer and a Transduction Medium - Systems and methods for improving sound perception in a subject equipped with an implantable vibratory unit comprising a transducer and a transduction medium in which the transducer is disposed within or against the transduction medium. The transducer is configured to impart vibrations to a vibratory structure of a subject's ear through the transduction medium in response to an electrical signal corresponding to sound. In certain embodiments, the transduction medium directly contacts the vibratory structure of the subject's ear, whereas the transducer does not. | 10-16-2008 |
20100048983 | Multipath Stimulation Hearing Systems - A prosthetic hearing system is described that provides multi-path stimulation of the patient auditory system. A mechanical stimulation component applies mechanical stimulation signals to cerebral tissue such as the dura mater, cerebrospinal fluid, vestibular structures, etc. using multiple separate mechanical stimulation channels. And an electrical stimulation component provides electrical stimulation of auditory neural tissue of the patient user. | 02-25-2010 |
20110022120 | Magnetic Attachment Arrangement for Implantable Device - A magnet arrangement is described for use in implantable devices. An implantable housing contains a portion of an implantable electronic system. A cylindrical implant magnet arrangement within the housing includes multiple adjacent magnetic sections wherein at least two of the magnetic sections have opposing magnetic orientations in opposite magnetic directions. There may also be a similar external housing having a corresponding magnet arrangement. | 01-27-2011 |
20110070747 | Communications/Audio Interface with Self-Orienting Magnet Attachment System - An electronic connection device is described. A magnetic connector interface has at least two adjacent magnetic interface elements. One is a north wiring interface element having an outer surface with a north magnetic field orientation and at least one wiring contact for providing electrical connection to at least one north electrical wire. The other interface element is a south wiring interface element having an outer surface with a south magnetic field orientation and at least one wiring contact for providing electrical connection to at least one south electrical wire. | 03-24-2011 |
20110105829 | Implantable Signal Delivery Systems - An implantable hearing prosthesis is described for a recipient patient. An implantable receiving coil receives an externally generated communication data signal. An implantable signal processor is in communication with the receiving coil for converting the communication data signal into a transducer stimulation signal. An implantable enclosed acoustic transducer is in communication with the signal processor for converting the transducer stimulation signal into an acoustic signal for generating acoustic vibrational stimulation of one or more hearing structures in the middle ear of the patient. The transducer can be enclosed in an implantable signal delivery baffle. A probe microphone system includes a baffle to seal middle ear structures to reduce ambient noise pickup. | 05-05-2011 |
20110178364 | Incus Replacement Partial Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis - An ossicular prosthesis is described which includes an elongated prosthesis member having a proximal end and a distal end. A cochlea striker mass is at the distal end of the prosthesis member and includes an outer striking surface for coupling vibration of the striker mass to an outer cochlea surface of a recipient patient. A locking clamp is at the proximal end of the prosthesis member and includes a clamp strap having a fixed end and a free end, and a locking head at the fixed end of the clamp strap which has a strap opening for insertion of the free end of the clamp strap. The clamp strap passes around an ossicle of the middle ear in a closed loop and is fixedly engaged by the locking head such that acoustic vibration of the ossicle is coupled by the prosthesis member to the cochlea surface. | 07-21-2011 |
20110202120 | Electrode Design for Reduced Trauma Insertion - An implantable electrode for a cochlear implant system is described. A basal electrode lead goes from an implant housing to a cochleostomy opening and contains electrode wires for carrying one or more electrical stimulation signals. An apical electrode array fits through the cochleostomy opening into a patient cochlea and has multiple electrode contacts for applying the electrical stimulation signals to target neural tissue in the cochlea. Resilient array projections extend radially outward from an outer surface of the electrode array. | 08-18-2011 |
20110208218 | Vascular Clamps for Vascular Repair - A magnetic vascular clamp for vascular repair is described. There are two clamp pieces, where each clamp piece forms a partial cylindrical section of an annular cylinder. Each clamp piece has an outer surface and an inner surface, structural ribs arranged across the inner surface from one sectional end to the other, and a pair of magnetic sectional end surfaces connecting the outer surface and the inner surface and having a characteristic magnetic field arrangement. The sectional end surfaces and magnetic field arrangements of each clamp piece cooperate with the sectional end surfaces and magnetic field arrangements of the other clamp piece to form a complete annular cylinder held together by the magnetic field arrangements and enclosing an inner cylinder so as to structurally support damaged vascular tissue therein with minimal fluid leakage. | 08-25-2011 |
20110216927 | Hearing System - A hearing system for use by a user is presented. The hearing system includes an external portion for placement external the user. The external portion includes a sound processing unit for providing amplified acoustic sound to an ear of the user. The hearing system further includes an implantable portion for implantation under the skin of the user. The implantable portion and the sound processing unit have magnetic characteristics such that a magnetic attraction exists there between to retain the sound processing unit in a desired position. | 09-08-2011 |
20110218386 | Incus Replacement Partial Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis - An ossicular prosthesis is described which includes an elongated prosthesis member having a proximal end and a distal end. A cochlea striker mass is at the distal end of the prosthesis member and includes an outer striking surface for coupling vibration of the striker mass to an outer cochlea surface of a recipient patient. A locking clamp is at the proximal end of the prosthesis member and includes a clamp strap having a fixed end and a free end, and a locking head at the fixed end of the clamp strap which has a strap opening for insertion of the free end of the clamp strap. The clamp strap passes around an ossicle of the middle ear in a closed loop and is fixedly engaged by the locking head such that acoustic vibration of the ossicle is coupled by the prosthesis member to the cochlea surface. | 09-08-2011 |
20110218388 | Ring Magnet for Obesity Management - A system and method for restricting an anatomical passageway includes a plurality of ring magnet pieces. Each of the plurality of ring magnet pieces has an inner and outer surface, and a pair of magnetic end sections between the outer surface and the inner surface, each end section having a characteristic magnetic field arrangement. An insert includes at least one of a magnet and a magnetic material. The ring magnet pieces are capable of forming, due to their magnetic field arrangements, an enclosed ring around an anatomical passageway. The insert is magnetically held in place by the ring magnet pieces when positioned in the anatomical passageway. | 09-08-2011 |
20110255731 | Transducer for Stapedius Monitoring - An electro-magnetic transducer assembly includes a first component. The first component includes at least one magnet, and optionally a first attachment mechanism for attaching the first component to a vibrating structure. A coil assembly includes a second attachment mechanism for removably attaching the coil assembly to the first component. The coil assembly further includes at least one coil that produces a signal representative of the vibration of the at least one magnet. An output port provides the signal. | 10-20-2011 |
20110295053 | Implantable Inner Ear Drive System - An acoustic drive device for an implantable hearing prosthesis is described. A cantilevered positioning stalk has a base end fixedly coupled to an implantable signal processor, an elongated center beam supported by the base end, and an unsupported free end of the positioning stalk. An acoustic drive unit is located at the free end of the positioning stalk and adapted to convert an electrical stimulation signal from the signal processor into an acoustic mechanical stimulation signal directed to an outer surface of a patient cochlea. | 12-01-2011 |
20120029267 | Electromagnetic Bone Conduction Hearing Device - An implantable hearing prosthesis for a recipient patient is described. An implantable attachment magnet is fixable beneath the skin of the patient to underlying skull bone and is adapted to magnetically connect with an external attachment magnet over the skin. An implantable signal transducer also is fixable beneath the skin of the patient to underlying skull bone and is adapted to transform a magnetic audio signal from an external signal drive coil into a corresponding mechanical stimulation signal for delivery by bone conduction of the skull bone as an audio signal to the cochlea. A connector member flexibly connects and positions the attachment magnet a fixed distance from the signal transducer. | 02-02-2012 |
20120172659 | Magnetic Attachment System for Implantable Device - A magnet arrangement is described for use with hearing implant systems. An external device for use with an implant system has an external device housing that contains external elements of a hearing implant system. A cylindrical external magnet arrangement within the housing has multiple magnetic sections lying in a common plane, including an inner center disc having an inner magnetic orientation in an inner magnetic direction, and an outer radial ring having an outer magnetic orientation in an outer magnetic direction opposite to the inner magnetic direction. | 07-05-2012 |
20120219166 | MRI Safe Actuator for Implantable Floating Mass Transducer - A floating mass transducer for a hearing implant includes a cylindrical transducer housing that is attachable to a middle ear hearing structure and that has an outer surface with one or more electric drive coils thereon. A cylindrical transducer magnet arrangement is positioned within an interior volume of the transducer housing and includes a magnetic pair of an inner rod magnet and an outer annular magnet. Current flow through the drive coils creates a coil magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic fields of the transducer magnet arrangement to create vibration in the transducer magnet which is coupled by the transducer housing to the middle ear hearing structure for perception as sound. Opposing magnetic fields of the transducer magnet arrangement cancel each other to minimize their combined magnetic field and thereby minimize magnetic interaction of the transducer magnet arrangement with any external magnetic field. | 08-30-2012 |
20120238799 | Magnetic Attachment Arrangement for Implantable Device - A magnet arrangement is described for use in implantable devices. An implantable housing contains a portion of an implantable electronic system. An implant magnet arrangement within the housing has adjacent magnetic sections that lie substantially in a common plane and include an inner center disc having an inner magnetic orientation in an inner magnetic direction, and an outer radial ring having an outer magnetic orientation in an outer magnetic direction opposite to the inner magnetic direction. | 09-20-2012 |
20120245407 | Line Transmission for Vibratory Actuation in Implantable Transducers - A transducer arrangement for a hearing implant is described. A bendable vibration transmission tube has a proximal end attached to a vibrational actuator, and a distal end with a drive surface for coupling vibration to an outer cochlea surface of a recipient patient. Multiple vibration coupling pieces have spherical outer surfaces and are arranged in a linear sequence within the transmission tube. A proximal-most coupling piece is in mechanical engagement with the vibrational actuator. A distal-most coupling piece is in mechanical engagement with the drive surface. The outer surfaces of adjacent coupling pieces are in mechanical engagement with each other. During surgical implantation to affix the vibrational actuator in the middle ear of the patient, the transmission tube accommodates bending so as to engage the drive surface against the cochlea surface, and vibration is coupled by the coupling pieces to the drive surface to vibrate the cochlea surface. | 09-27-2012 |
20120271097 | Bone Conductive Devices For Improving Hearing - A method is described for providing sound perception in a hearing impaired patient. An externally generated electrical audio stimulation signal is received in a receiver unit located under the skin of an implanted patient. The electrical audio stimulation signal is delivered to an implanted bone conduction transducer having a planar bone engagement surface mounted to a temporal bone surface of the patient. The electrical audio stimulation signal is transformed into a corresponding mechanical stimulation signal coupled to the temporal bone by the bone engagement surface for delivery by bone conduction through the temporal bone to the cochlear fluid of the patient for perception as sound. | 10-25-2012 |
20120290087 | Incus Replacement Partial Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis - An ossicular prosthesis is described which includes an elongated prosthesis member formed from a single foldable plane structure and having a proximal end and a distal end. A cochlear striker surface is located at the distal end of the prosthesis member for engaging an outer cochlear surface of a recipient patient. A transducer clamp is at the proximal end of the prosthesis member and includes multiple clamping fingers for securely engaging the outer surface of an enclosed acoustic signal transducer such that acoustic vibration of the signal transducer is coupled by the prosthesis member to the cochlear surface | 11-15-2012 |
20120296155 | Magnetic Attachment Arrangement for Implantable Device - An arrangement is described for an implantable medical system. An implant housing contains a portion of an implantable electronic system and has a planar outer surface adapted to lie parallel to overlying skin in an implanted patient. An implant magnet arrangement is located within the housing and adapted to magnetically interact with a corresponding external magnet in an external device on the skin of the implanted patient over the implant housing. The implant magnet arrangement includes an inner center disc having a magnetic dipole parallel to the planar outer surface of the implant housing with an inner magnetic orientation in an inner magnetic direction, and an outer radial ring having a magnetic dipole parallel to the planar outer surface of the implant housing with an outer magnetic orientation in an outer magnetic direction opposite to the inner magnetic direction. | 11-22-2012 |
20130035540 | Electromagnetic Bone Conduction Hearing Device - An external component for a hearing implant is described. An external housing contains an attachment magnet configured to magnetically connect with an implant magnet of an implanted signal transducer. A pair of external electromagnetic drive coils within the external housing are adjacent to the attachment magnet for conducting electrical current to develop magnetic drive signals through the skin to the signal transducer to generate responsive vibrations of the signal transducer for perception by the patient as sound. The drive coils are configured such that their respective magnetic drive signals have opposing magnetic directions. | 02-07-2013 |
20130090673 | Vascular Clamps for Vascular Repair - A magnetic vascular clamp for vascular repair is described. There is a vascular sleeve forming a flexible cylindrical bellows that cylindrically encloses a section of vascular tissue to allow freely movement of the enclosed vascular tissue within the vascular sleeve. A pair of sleeve anchor rings are at each end of the vascular sleeve and they form a fixed seal with underlying vascular tissue to minimize fluid leakage from within the vascular clamp. | 04-11-2013 |
20130165738 | Magnet Arrangement for Bone Conduction Hearing Implant - An implantable magnet arrangement is described for a hearing implant in a recipient patient. A pair of implant magnets are fixable in a common plane beneath the skin of the patient to underlying skull bone. At least one of the magnets is adapted to transform a magnetic drive signal from an external signal drive coil into a corresponding mechanical stimulation signal for delivery by bone conduction of the skull bone as an audio signal to the cochlea. Each implant magnet includes a pair of internal magnets lying in parallel planes which meet along a common junction with repelling like magnetic polarities facing towards each other, and the magnetic polarities of each implant magnet are reversed from each other. | 06-27-2013 |
20140012069 | Electromagnetic Bone Conduction Hearing Device - An external component for a bone conduction hearing implant is described. An external housing is fixedly attached on the skin of a hearing implant patient over an implanted bone conduction hearing transducer. An electromagnetic drive coil arrangement is fixed within the external housing for conducting electrical current to develop electromagnetic drive signals. An attachment magnet arrangement is suspended with the external housing by a flexible spring arrangement and magnetically coupled to the drive coil arrangement and to a corresponding implant magnet arrangement within the implanted bone conduction transducer. The electromagnetic drive signals magnetically interact with the attachment magnet arrangement which reacts by vibrating on the spring arrangement and magnetically interacting with the implant magnet arrangement to generate a bone conduction vibration signal by the implanted bone conduction hearing transducer for perception by the patient as sound. | 01-09-2014 |
20140128661 | MRI Safe Actuator for Implantable Floating Mass Transducer - A floating mass transducer has a cylindrical transducer housing within which is a cylindrical transducer magnet arrangement with a magnetic pair of: i. an inner rod magnet disposed along the cylinder axis with a first magnetic field direction, and ii. an outer annular magnet surrounding the inner rod magnet along the cylinder axis with a second magnetic field direction opposite to the first magnetic field direction. Current flow through the drive coils creates a coil magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic fields of the transducer magnet arrangement to create vibration in the transducer magnet which is coupled by the transducer housing to the middle ear hearing structure for perception as sound. In addition, the opposing magnetic fields of the transducer magnet arrangement cancel each other to minimize their combined magnetic field and thereby minimize magnetic interaction of the transducer magnet arrangement with any external magnetic field. | 05-08-2014 |
20140321681 | Lower Q Point Floating Mass Transducer - An implantable floating mass transducer is described for a hearing implant system in an implant patient. A cylindrical transducer housing contains a cylindrical inner mass magnet having an inner magnetic field with a first field direction. One or more signal drive coils are on the outer housing surface for conducting a transducer drive signal current to produce a signal magnetic field that interacts with the inner magnetic field to create vibration of the inner mass magnet which is coupled by the transducer housing to the internal hearing structure for sound perception by the implant patient. A ring-shape outer offset magnet is positioned around the outer housing surface with an outer magnetic field having a second field direction opposite to the first field direction so as to offset the inner magnetic field to minimize their combined magnetic field and thereby minimize magnetic interaction of the transducer with any external magnetic field. | 10-30-2014 |
20150073205 | Magnet Arrangement for Bone Conduction Hearing Implant - An implantable magnet arrangement is described for a hearing implant in a recipient patient. A pair of implant magnets are fixable in a common plane beneath the skin of the patient to underlying skull bone. At least one of the magnets is adapted to transform a magnetic drive signal from an external signal drive coil into a corresponding mechanical stimulation signal for delivery by bone conduction of the skull bone as an audio signal to the cochlea. Each implant magnet includes a pair of internal magnets lying in parallel planes which meet along a common junction with repelling like magnetic polarities facing towards each other. | 03-12-2015 |