Patent Grant
11910165
The present invention relates generally to hearing prostheses, and more particularly, to external components of a hearing prosthesis.
Hearing loss, which may be due to many different causes, is generally of two types: conductive and sensorineural. Sensorineural hearing loss is due to the absence or destruction of the hair cells in the cochlea that transduce sound signals into nerve impulses. Various hearing prostheses are commercially available to provide individuals suffering from sensorineural hearing loss with the ability to perceive sound. For example, cochlear implants use an electrode array implanted in the cochlea of a recipient to bypass the mechanisms of the ear. More specifically, an electrical stimulus is provided via the electrode array to the auditory nerve, thereby causing a hearing percept.
Conductive hearing loss occurs when the normal mechanical pathways that provide sound to hair cells in the cochlea are impeded, for example, by damage to the ossicular chain or ear canal. Individuals suffering from conductive hearing loss may retain some form of residual hearing because the hair cells in the cochlea may remain undamaged.
Individuals suffering from conductive hearing loss typically receive an acoustic hearing aid. Hearing aids rely on principles of air conduction to transmit acoustic signals to the cochlea. In particular, a hearing aid typically uses a component positioned in the recipient's ear canal or on the outer ear to amplify a sound received by the outer ear of the recipient. This amplified sound reaches the cochlea causing motion of the perilymph and stimulation of the auditory nerve.
In contrast to hearing aids, certain types of hearing prostheses commonly referred to as bone conduction devices, convert a received sound into mechanical vibrations. The vibrations are transferred through the skull to the cochlea causing generation of nerve impulses, which result in the perception of the received sound. Bone conduction devices may be a suitable alternative for individuals who cannot derive sufficient benefit from acoustic hearing aids.
In an exemplary embodiment, there is a bone conduction device, comprising an external component including a vibratory portion configured to vibrate in response to a sound signal to evoke a hearing percept via bone conduction and including a coupling portion configured to removably attach the external component to an outer surface of skin of a recipient of the hearing prosthesis while imparting deformation to the skin of the recipient at a location of the attachment, in a one-gravity environment, of an amount that is about equal to or equal to that which results from the external component having mass.
In another exemplary embodiment, there is a bone conduction device, comprising an external component including a vibrator configured to vibrate in response to a sound signal to evoke a hearing percept via bone conduction, wherein the external component is configured to output respective vibrations from at least two surfaces opposite one another, the respective outputted vibrations being effectively substantially the same as one another.
In another exemplary embodiment, there is a bone conduction system, comprising a first bone conduction device of a first type configured to evoke a hearing percept within a first frequency range, and a second bone conduction device of a second type different from that of the first type and configured to evoke a hearing percept within a second frequency range, the second frequency range being a range including frequencies higher than the first frequency range.
In another exemplary embodiment, there is a method of evoking a hearing percept, comprising removably attaching an external component including a vibrator portion of a passive transcutaneous bone conduction device to skin of a recipient and generating vibrations with the vibrator portion such that the generated vibrations are transferred into skin of the recipient and into underlying bone of the recipient so as to evoke a hearing percept while the vibrator portion is removably attached to the skin of the recipient, wherein the removably attachment of the external portion is maintained while generating the vibrations without substantial static pressure on the skin contacting a first location of the external component through which vibrations are transferred to the skin.
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the attached drawings, in which:
In a fully functional human hearing anatomy, outer ear 101 comprises an auricle 105 and an ear canal 106. A sound wave or acoustic pressure 107 is collected by auricle 105 and channeled into and through ear canal 106. Disposed across the distal end of ear canal 106 is a tympanic membrane 104 which vibrates in response to acoustic wave 107. This vibration is coupled to oval window or fenestra ovalis 110 through three bones of middle ear 102, collectively referred to as the ossicles 111 and comprising the malleus 112, the incus 113 and the stapes 114. The ossicles 111 of middle ear 102 serve to filter and amplify acoustic wave 107, causing oval window 110 to vibrate. Such vibration sets up waves of fluid motion within cochlea 139. Such fluid motion, in turn, activates hair cells (not shown) that line the inside of cochlea 139. Activation of the hair cells causes appropriate nerve impulses to be transferred through the spiral ganglion cells and auditory nerve 116 to the brain (not shown), where they are perceived as sound.
External component 140 typically comprises one or more sound input elements 126, such as microphone, for detecting and capturing sound, a sound processing unit (not shown) and a power source (not shown). The external component 140 includes an actuator (not shown), which in the embodiment of
It is noted that sound input element 126 may comprise, for example, devices other than a microphone, such as, for example, a telecoil, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, sound input element 126 may be located remote from the BTE device and may take the form of a microphone or the like located on a cable or may take the form of a tube extending from the BTE device, etc. Alternatively, sound input element 126 may be subcutaneously implanted in the recipient, or positioned in the recipient's ear. Sound input element 126 may also be a component that receives an electronic signal indicative of sound, such as, for example, from an external audio device. For example, sound input element 126 may receive a sound signal in the form of an electrical signal from an MP3 player electronically connected to sound input element 126.
The sound processing unit of the external component 140 processes the output of the sound input element 126, which is typically in the form of an electrical signal. The processing unit generates control signals that cause the actuator to vibrate. In other words, the actuator converts the electrical signals into mechanical vibrations for delivery to the recipient's skull.
As noted above, with respect to the embodiment of
The embodiment of
In the embodiment of
It is noted that the embodiment of
The adhesives 255 are depicted in
In an alternate embodiment, the adhesives 255 are of a configuration where the adhesive has relatively minimal adhesive properties during a temporal period when exposed to some conditions, and has relatively effective adhesive properties during a temporal period, such as a latter temporal period, when exposed to other conditions. Such a configuration can provide the recipient control over the adhesive properties of the adhesives.
By way of example, the glue and/or tape (double-sided or otherwise) may be a substance that obtains relatively effective adhesive properties when exposed to oil(s) and/or sweat produced by skin, when exposed to a certain amount of pressure, when exposed to body heat, etc., and/or a combination thereof and/or any other phenomena that may enable the teachings detailed herein and/or variations thereof to be practiced. Such exemplary phenomenon may be, for example, heat generated via friction resulting from the recipient rubbing his or her finger across the glue. In an exemplary embodiment, the pressure can be a pressure above that which may be expected to be experienced during normal handling of the spine 230.
In an exemplary embodiment, the adhesives 255 are contained in respective containers that exude glue or the like when exposed to certain conditions, such as by way of example and not by way of limitation, the aforementioned conditions. Alternatively and/or in addition to this, the recipient may puncture or otherwise open the containers to exude the glue or the like.
Any device, system and/or method that will enable a recipient to practice the teachings detailed herein and/or variations thereof associated with the adherence of the bone conduction device to skin of the recipient for vibration transmission can be utilized in some embodiments.
In an exemplary embodiment, the vibrator actuator 242 is a device that converts electrical signals into vibration. In operation, sound input element 202 converts sound into electrical signals. Specifically, these signals are provided to vibrator actuator 242, or to a sound processor (not shown) that processes the electrical signals, and then provides those processed signals to vibrator actuator 242. The vibrator actuator 242 converts the electrical signals (processed or unprocessed) into vibrations. Because vibrator actuator 242 is mechanically coupled to sidewalls 246, the vibrations are transferred from the vibrator actuator 342 to skin 132 of the recipient.
It is noted that while the embodiments depicted in
Such a configuration as that of BTE device 340, can have utilitarian value by way of reducing feedback as compared to that which may result from the embodiment of
In some exemplary embodiments, any device, system and or method that will enable the teachings detailed herein and/or variations thereof associated with vibration transmission from the actuator to the skin and/or to bone of the recipient may be utilized.
In the embodiment of
The embodiments of
Along these lines, at least some embodiments utilize an exemplary coupling portion that removably attaches the external component to an outer surface of skin of a recipient of the hearing prosthesis while imparting a given amount of deformation to the skin of the recipient at a location of the attachment. At least some embodiments utilizing the adhesives as detailed herein have such coupling portions. Such amount of deformation can be quantified as deformation, in a one-gravity environment, of an amount that is about equal to or equal to that which results from the external component (e.g., BTE device) having mass. This as compared to the deformation resulting from one or more or all of the aforementioned devices, systems and/or methods associated with “i,” “ii,” and “iii” detailed in the preceding paragraph.
An exemplary embodiment includes a coupling portion that results in relatively little compressive stress on the skin of the recipient. In an exemplary embodiment, an external component may include a coupling portion configured to removably attach the external component to an outer surface of skin of a recipient while imparting total shear stress to the skin of the recipient at a location of the attachment of a given amount while further imparting a compressive stress, if any, of less than that to the skin. In an exemplary embodiment, the total shear stress may be an amount “S,” and the compressive stress may be no more than about, 0.5×S, about 0.4×S, about 0.3×S, about 0.2×S, about 0.15×S, about 0.1×S, and/or about 0.05×S. In an exemplary embodiment, S may be a percentage of weight of the external component divided by the total area of the adherence region 410. In an exemplary embodiment, the percentage is 100%, such as may be the case with respect to an external component that is a device other than a BTE device (further details below) and/or the BTE device is located such that it is not resting on the auricle of the recipient, etc.
In an exemplary embodiment, the coupling portion detailed herein and/or variations thereof is configured to removably attach an external component (BTE device or otherwise) to an outer surface of skin of a recipient of the bone conduction device without substantially compressing or tensiling the skin at the location of coupling while attached. In an exemplary embodiment the coupling portion is configured to removably attach an external component (BTE device or otherwise) to an outer surface of skin of a recipient of the bone conduction device such that a combination of compressive stress and tensile stress applied to the skin at the location of the attachment is about zero. In this regard, compressive stress may result from the external component rotating slightly about its center of gravity due to the effects of gravity. Accordingly, compressive stress and tensile stress may exist at the adherence region 410 owing to gravity. Still, the resulting compressive stress will generally cancel out the resulting tensile stress, as the two will generally be equal because the external component—skin system is in equilibrium.
As noted above, an exemplary embodiment includes a dual-side compatible BTE bone conduction device.
An exemplary embodiment of a dual-side compatible BTE bone conduction device refers to a BTE bone conduction device that can be worn on the left side of a recipient and, alternatively, on the right side of the recipient, in the manner that a BTE device is to be worn, such that vibrations generated by the BTE device can be effectively samely transmitted to respective portions of skin of the recipient to evoke a hearing percept regardless of which side the BTE device is worn.
In an exemplary embodiment, there is a BTE device, such as those depicted in
Such a device can have utility as follows.
In an exemplary embodiment, the functionality of external component 540A is achieved by utilizing a balanced vibrator actuator, as will now be described.
An exemplary embodiment includes a bone conduction device, such as a BTE device, having a degree of symmetry. Specifically, an exemplary bone conduction device includes spine 530. A cylindrical volume 501 having an axis 502 concentric with a direction of relative movement of vibratory components of the vibrator actuator (e.g., the counterweight assembly, detailed below) is superimposed on/through the spine 530, as may be seen in
In some embodiments, the vibrator is rectangular with a diameter of 10-15 mm. It should be appreciated, however, that the choice of form factor will depend on specific packaging requirements and, in certain circumstances, to how the efficiency of the vibrator is related to the form factor (long and slender dimensions compared to relatively shorter and wider dimensions). It is also noted that the total volume of the vibrator will depend primarily on how much low frequency output is required from the device.
It is noted that components of the spine 530 outside the cylindrical volume 501 need not be symmetric about the plane 503. In this regard, the cylindrical volume 501 forms a boundary between the symmetrical components/parts thereof and the components/parts thereof which may or may not be symmetrical.
Some details pertaining to the specifics of an exemplary balanced vibrator actuator will now be detailed, followed by a brief discussion of exemplary phenomenon associated with the balanced vibrator actuator harnessed in some exemplary embodiments. It is noted that at least some of the teachings detailed herein and/or variations thereof can be practiced with an actuator that is not balanced. Furthermore, while the vibrator actuator 542 is a electromagnetic vibrating actuator, other types of vibrator actuators can be utilized in some embodiments, such as, by way of example, a piezoelectric vibrator actuator. Any type of vibrator that will enable the teachings detailed herein and/or variations thereof to be practiced may be utilized in at least some embodiments.
Actuator 642 is a balanced electromagnetic vibrating actuator. In operation, sound input element 126 (
As illustrated in
It is noted that while the embodiment depicted in the FIGs. utilizes two springs 656 (and spacers 662), other embodiments utilizing a balanced vibrator actuator can utilize a single spring 656 providing that the teachings detailed herein and/or variations thereof may be achieved.
It is noted that while embodiments presented herein are described with respect to a device where counterweight assembly 655 includes permanent magnets 658a and 658b that surround coil 654b and moves relative to couplings 543 during vibration of actuator 642, in other embodiments, the coil may be located on the counterweight assembly 655 as well, thus adding weight to the counterweight assembly 655 (the additional weight being the weight of the coil).
With respect to the embodiment depicted in
As noted, bobbin assembly 654 is configured to generate a dynamic magnetic flux when energized by an electric current. In this exemplary embodiment, bobbin 654a is made of a soft iron. Coil 654b may be energized with an alternating current to create the dynamic magnetic flux about coil 654b. The iron of bobbin 654a is conducive to the establishment of a magnetic conduction path for the dynamic magnetic flux. Conversely, counterweight assembly 655, as a result of permanent magnets 658a and 658b, in combination with yokes 660a, 660b and 660c, which are made from a soft iron, generate, due to the permanent magnets, a static magnetic flux. The soft iron of the bobbin and yokes may be of a type that increases the magnetic coupling of the respective magnetic fields, thereby providing a magnetic conduction path for the respective magnetic fields.
During operation, the amount of static magnetic flux that flows through the associated components increases as the bobbin assembly 654 travels away from the balance point (both downward and upward away from the balance point) and decreases as the bobbin assembly 654 travels towards the balance point (both downward and upward towards the balance point).
As may be seen from
In vibrator actuator 542, no net magnetic force is produced at the radial air gaps. The depicted magnetic fluxes 780, 782 and 784 of
As used herein, the phrase “effective amount of flux” refers to a flux that produces a magnetic force that impacts the performance of vibrator actuator 542, as opposed to trace flux, which may be capable of detection by sensitive equipment but has no substantial impact (e.g., the efficiency is minimally impacted) on the performance of the vibrating electromagnetic actuator. That is, the trace flux will typically not result in vibrations being generated by the electromagnetic actuator 350.
As counterweight assembly 655 moves downward relative to bobbin assembly 654, the span of axial air gap 770a increases and the span of axial air gap 770b decreases. This has the effect of substantially reducing the amount of effective static magnetic flux through axial air gap 770a and increasing the amount of effective static magnetic flux through axial air gap 770b. However, in some embodiments, the amount of effective static magnetic flux through radial air gaps 772a and 772b substantially remains about the same with respect to the flux when counterweight assembly 655 and bobbin assembly 654 are at the balance point. (Conversely, as detailed below, in other embodiments the amount is different.) This is because the distance (span) between surfaces associated with air gap 772a and the distance between the corresponding surfaces of air gap 772b remains the same, and the movement of the surfaces does not substantially misalign the surfaces to substantially impact the amount of effective static magnetic flux through radial air gaps 772a and 772b. That is, the respective surfaces sufficiently face one another to not substantially impact the flow of flux.
Upon reversal of the direction of the dynamic magnetic flux, the dynamic magnetic flux will flow in the opposite direction about coil 654b. However, the general directions of the static magnetic flux will not change. Accordingly, such reversal will magnetically induce movement of counterweight assembly 655 upward relative to bobbin assembly 354. As counterweight assembly 355 moves upward relative to bobbin assembly 354, the span of axial air gap 770b increases and the span of axial air gap 770a decreases. This has the effect of reducing the amount of effective static magnetic flux through axial air gap 770b and increasing the amount of effective static magnetic flux through axial air gap 770a. However, the amount of effective static magnetic flux through radial air gaps 772a and 772b does not change due to a change in the span of the axial air gaps as a result of the displacement of the counterweight assembly 655 relative to the bobbin assembly 654 for the reasons detailed above with respect to downward movement of counterweight assembly 655 relative to bobbin assembly 654.
Some embodiments of the bone conduction devices detailed herein and/or variations thereof include a bone conduction system having two or more bone conduction devices. In an exemplary embodiment, the different bone conduction devices are placed at different locations on a recipient and deliver vibrations at frequency ranges having utilitarian value suitable for those locations and/or suitable for the type of bone conduction device.
Generally, the crossover frequency between devices is design specific. However, it should be noted that systems that transfer vibrations through the skin usually experience attenuation of frequencies above 2-3 kHz. At frequencies below about 600-1000 Hz the whole skull has to be vibrated as a rigid mass. As a result, bone conduction systems typically experience losses at such frequencies. On the other hand, those bone conduction devices that do reasonably well typically have a relatively large seismic mass and a low inherent resonance frequency to boost the low frequencies. In the middle frequencies of 1-2 kHz, most systems usually perform well and it is likely that a combination of systems (low-mid, mid-high frequencies) will have an overlap region where both perform well and the crossover frequency can be chosen within a relatively large range using criteria like efficiency and/or distortion. (again rather similar to conventional loudspeaker design)
BTE device 810 or 820, but not both, corresponds to any of the bone conduction devices detailed above herein, and/or variations thereof, with the potential exceptions, in some embodiments, that the BTE device 810 is configured to deliver or otherwise can be placed into a mode such that it only delivers vibrations in frequency ranges that do not encompass the entire frequency ranges of those devices and/or the device is configured to communicate with and/or control and/or be controlled by the second bone conduction device 820. Again, it is noted that these exceptions are only potential exceptions, as other embodiments of the bone conduction device 810 may correspond to any of the external devices detailed herein and/or variations thereof. That said, in the embodiment of
In an exemplary embodiment, bone conduction device 810 receives sound input and converts the sound input into electrical signals which are sent to a vibrator actuator of device 810, which vibrates. Such functionality can correspond to the functionality of, for example, BTE device 240, or other devices detailed above. However, bone conduction device 810 only delivers vibrations within a first range that excludes some frequencies. In the present embodiment of
As noted above, bone conduction device 810 is of a type that is different than that of bone conduction device 820. Bone conduction devices 810 and 820 may be a passive transcutaneous bone conduction device (e.g., such as the devices detailed above), an active transcutaneous bone conduction device, a percutaneous bone conduction device, etc.
Bone conduction device 910 includes BTE device 940, which includes spine 930. BTE device 940 corresponds to any of the external devices detailed herein, and/or variations thereof, with the potential exceptions detailed above with respect to bone conduction device 810. In the embodiment of
In the exemplary embodiment of bone conduction system 900, bone conduction device 920 is an in-the-mouth (ITM) bone conduction device. Accordingly, bone conduction device 920 is of a type that is different from that of bone conduction device 910.
Specifically, vibrator actuator unit 980 includes a vibrator actuator (not shown) that vibrates in response to signals sent from receiver-stimulator 970. These vibrations are directed to a tooth or teeth of the recipient via tooth interface component 982 configured to conform to the sides of teeth of the recipient. Vibrations generated by the vibrator actuator of unit 980 are transferred from the unit into teeth of the recipient, and from there into the jaw of the recipient. In an alternative embodiment, instead of a natural tooth, an abutment or bone screw that is fixed to the jaw of the recipient extends beyond the gum line, and the vibrator actuator unit of the bone conduction device 920 is attached to the abutment.
In operation, sound is captured by BTE device 940, which breaks up the sound signal into two frequency ranges, a first frequency range and a second frequency range that includes components that are higher than the first frequency range. The BTE device 940 transmits vibrations to skin of the recipient as detailed herein and/or variations thereof to evoke a hearing percept corresponding to the first frequency range. BTE device 940 also transmits control signal to ITM device 920, which, when received by ITM device 920, transmits vibrations to a tooth or teeth of the recipient to evoke a hearing percept corresponding to the second frequency range.
Method action 1020 is executed such that the removably attachment of the external portion is maintained while generating the vibrations without substantial static pressure on the skin contacting a first location of the external component through which vibrations are transferred to the skin. By way of example, again referring to BTE device 240, the first location of the external component through which vibrations are transferred to the skin corresponds to the adhesive 255 adhering to the skin of the recipient. Substantially no static pressure is on the skin to which the adhesive 255 adheres. In an exemplary embodiment, there is no static pressure at all. However, owing to the fact that the BTE device 240 will usually never be totally supported by the auricle of the recipient due to varying dimensions of the auricle from recipient to recipient, and owing to the fact that the recipient's head will usually never be perfectly aligned such that gravity neither pulls the BTE device towards the skin nor away from the skin, there will usually be some static pressure on the skin. Still, such static pressure is not substantial.
Method action 1020 is further executed, in an exemplary embodiment, such that a dynamic pressure resulting from the transfer of the vibrations from the BTE device to the skin of the recipient at the skin contacting the first location is about equal to or greater than the static pressure at the skin contacting the first location.
The dynamic pressure resulting from sound input converted to mechanical vibrations has no lower limit so for dynamic pressure to always be equal to or greater than the static pressure, the static pressure must be zero. But a system where dynamic pressure can sometimes (for louder inputs) be greater than the static pressure could be possible. The “push” part of the waveform would still be useful as it compresses the skin anyway whereas the “pull” part would only be able to go up to the static pressure. In real life the transition would probably not be too abrupt but rather a smooth limiting that would hopefully not be too annoying. A similar thing will probably happen when there is no preload and the “pull” part has to rely on the adhesive to the skin.
By way of example, the vibrations generated by the BTE device will cause the BTE device to accelerate towards and away from the skin of the recipient a given amount. This acceleration, when combined with the mass of the BTE device, will result in a force, and thus a dynamic pressure, applied to the skin by the BTE device.
At least some of the teachings detailed herein can have utility as follows. Because the vibrations transferred to the skin from the BTE device are transferred to the skin at a location (behind the auricle to skin directly above the mastoid bone) where the skin is relatively thin, the vibrations are attenuated less than which would be the case for other locations where the skin is thicker. In an exemplary embodiment, lower frequencies are substantially effectively less attenuated due to the effects of travelling through the skin than lower frequencies, at this location. Because the vibrations transferred to the skin from the BTE device are transferred to the skin at a location relatively close to the ear canal and/or the cochlea, there is less attenuation due to the total distances travelled by the vibrations. Also, this location tends to be a low density location with respect to the number of hair follicles per given area (as compared to, for example, locations above the auricle where there is more hair, etc.). In an exemplary embodiment, such enhances the utility of the adhesives due to the relatively low number of hair follicles, as there is less hair to interfere with the adhesives.
While various embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For instance, in alternative embodiments, the BTE is combined with a bone conduction In-The-Ear device. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.
The present application is a Continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/370,076, filed Mar. 29, 2019, which is a Continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/715,735, filed May 19, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,251,003, naming Marcus ANDERSSON as an inventor, which is a Divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/596,477, filed Aug. 28, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,049,527, the entire contents of these applications being hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20020183014 | Takeda | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20060045298 | Westerkull | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20070053536 | Westerkull | Mar 2007 | A1 |
| 20080107289 | Retchin | May 2008 | A1 |
| 20120215056 | Hillbratt | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220030363 A1 | Jan 2022 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13596477 | Aug 2012 | US |
| Child | 14715735 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16370076 | Mar 2019 | US |
| Child | 17397345 | US | |
| Parent | 14715735 | May 2015 | US |
| Child | 16370076 | US |
