Patent classifications
A61N1/36038
Headpieces and implantable cochlear stimulation systems including the same
A headpiece including a housing, a headpiece magnet carried by the housing, and a headpiece antenna carried by the housing.
Individualized own voice detection in a hearing prosthesis
Presented herein are techniques for training a hearing prosthesis to classify/categorize received sound signals as either including a recipient's own voice (i.e., the voice or speech of the recipient of the hearing prosthesis) or external voice (i.e., the voice or speech of one or more persons other than the recipient). The techniques presented herein use the captured voice (speech) of the recipient to train the hearing prosthesis to perform the classification of the sound signals as including the recipient's own voice or external voice.
Shifting of output in a sense prosthesis
A method, including the action of operating a sense prosthesis, such as a retinal implant, according to a first operating regime while the recipient has a first fatigue level, and operating the sense prosthesis according to a second operating regime while the recipient has a second fatigue level that is greater than the first fatigue level.
Combination implant system with removable earplug sensor and implanted battery
Cochlear implant systems can comprise an implantable subsystem comprising a cochlear electrode, a stimulator, a battery, and a first near field communication interface positioned subcutaneously proximate an ear canal. Cochlear implant systems can further comprise a removable earplug comprising a sensor, a second near field communication interface, and a signal processor. The removable earplug can be inserted into an ear canal to align the first and second near field communication interfaces. Once aligned, the battery can provide electrical power to the removable earplug via the near field communication interfaces. The signal processor can receive input signals from the sensor of the removable earplug and generate a stimulation signal representative of the auditory signals. The signal processor can communicate the stimulation signal to the stimulator via the near field communication interfaces.
Apparatus and methods for making cochlear implant electrode arrays
A method that may include the steps of positioning a contact assembly, including a plurality of electrically conductive contacts that are respectively connected to a plurality of lead wires, on a shell formed from a first resilient material to form an electrode array sub-assembly, positioning the electrode array subassembly in a cochlear implant electrode array mold, and introducing a second resilient material into the mold to form a cochlear implant electrode array flexible body, on which the contacts are located, that is defined by the first and second flexible materials.
Acoustic implant feedback control
An apparatus includes signal processing circuitry configured to generate processed data signals in response at least in part to transducer signals from at least one acoustic transducer and filtering signals, and to transmit the processed data signals via at least one communication channel to an actuating assembly of an auditory prosthesis. The apparatus further includes circuitry configured to monitor one or more of the signal processing circuitry, the processed data signals, and the at least one communication channel, and to generate filtering control signals in response at least in part thereto. The apparatus further includes filtering circuitry configured to generate the filtering signals in response at least in part to the processed data signals and the filtering control signals.
HEARING DEVICE AND A HEARING SYSTEM COMPRISING A MULTITUDE OF ADAPTIVE TWO CHANNEL BEAMFORMERS
A binaural hearing system comprises first and second hearing aids, each comprising antenna and transceiver circuitry allowing the exchange of audio signals between them and a BTE-part adapted for being located at or behind the external ear (pinna) of the user and comprising front and rear input transducers providing respective front and rear electric input signals. Each of the hearing aids comprises primary and secondary adaptive 2-channel beamformers each providing a spatially filtered signal based on first and second beamformer-input signals. The primary and secondary 2-channel beamformers are coupled in a cascaded structure. The inputs to the primary 2-channel beamformers are, locally generated, front and rear electric input signals. The inputs to the secondary 2-channel beamformer may be beamformed signals from the first and second hearing aids respectively. The spatially filtered signal of the secondary 2-channel beamformer may comprise an estimate of a target signal in the environment of the user.
TINNITUS TREATMENT WITH A COCHLEAR IMPLANT SYSTEM
An exemplary system includes a cochlear implant configured to be implanted within a recipient, the cochlear implant coupled to a lead having a plurality of electrodes, and a controller communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant. The controller is configured to direct the cochlear implant to apply stimulation current to a first electrode set of the plurality of electrodes to represent the audio signal to the recipient. The controller is further configured to direct the cochlear implant to apply treatment current to a second electrode set of the plurality of electrodes to treat tinnitus within the recipient, the second electrode set including electrodes different from the first electrode set.
COCHLEAR IMPLANTS HAVING MRI-COMPATIBLE MAGNET APPARATUS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
A cochlear implant including a cochlear lead, an antenna, a stimulation processor, and a magnet apparatus, associated with the antenna, including a case defining a central axis, a magnet frame within the case and rotatable about the central axis of the case, and a plurality of elongate diametrically magnetized magnets that are located in the magnet frame, the magnets defining a longitudinal axis and a N-S direction and being freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis relative to the magnet frame.
FUNCTIONALITY MIGRATION
A sensory supplement medical device, including a stimulation device configured to implement a first functionality of the sensory supplement medical device corresponding to the providing of sensory supplement to a recipient to evoke a sensory percept, wherein the sensory supplement medical device is configured to implement a secondary functionality different from the first functionality, and the sensory supplement medical device is configured to migrate the second functionality to a device remote from the sensory supplement medical device.