Implantable microphone for cochlear implants and the like

Patent 5782744 Issued on July 21, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date:

December 5, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Auditory prosthesis equipment
Patent #: 4207441
Issued on: 06/10/1980
Inventor: Ricard , et al.

Implantable hearing aid and method of improving hearing
Patent #: 4850962
Issued on: 07/25/1989
Inventor: Schaefer

Cochlear implant auditory prosthesis
Patent #: 5061282
Issued on: 10/29/1991
Inventor: Jacobs

Implantable hearing aid coupler device
Patent #: 5085628
Issued on: 02/04/1992
Inventor: Engebretson, et al.

Hearing aid having a liquid transmission means communicative with the cochlea and method of use thereof
Patent #: 5176620
Issued on: 01/05/1993
Inventor: Gilman

Cochlear implant
Patent #: 5344387
Issued on: 09/06/1994
Inventor: Lupin

Implantable hearing aid
Patent #: 5411467
Issued on: 05/02/1995
Inventor: Hortmann, et al.

Implantable auditory system with micromachined microsensor and microactuator
Patent #: 5531787
Issued on: 07/02/1996
Inventor: Lesinski, et al.

Implantable cochlear stimulator having backtelemetry handshake signal
Patent #: 5569307
Issued on: 10/29/1996
Inventor: Schulman, et al.

Implantable multichannel stimulator Patent #: 5571148
Issued on: 11/05/1996
Inventor: Loeb, et al.

Inventor

Money, David

Application

No. 567261 filed on 12/05/1995

US Classes:

600/25, SURGICALLY IMPLANTED VIBRATORY HEARING AID607/57By partially or wholly implanted device

Examiners

Primary: Bahr, Jennifer
Assistant: Yarnell, Bryan K.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Gottlieb, Rackman & Reisman

Foreign Patent References

4221866A1 DE. 05/12/1994
WO9105523 WO. 05/12/1991

International Class

H04R 025/00

Foreign Application Priority Data

1995-11-13 AU

Abstract

A system and method for assisting a person with a hearing disability includes an implantable microphone which senses sounds by monitoring pressure variations in the cochlear fluid. The electrical signal generated by the microphone is processed and used by a signal generator, such as cochlear implant to generate excitation signals for the patient. In this manner, external microphones, used in prior art systems, are eliminated.