Hearing aid with internal acoustic middle ear transducer
Patent 6726618 Issued on April 27, 2004. Estimated Expiration Date: 
April 12, 2022. 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.
April 12, 2022. 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.Patent References 3170046 3346704 3594514 3882285 Eustachian tube prosthesis and method for its implantion Magnetic ossicular replacement prosthesis Implantable middle ear hearing aid system and acoustic coupler therefor Partially implantable hearing aid device Apparatus and method for conveying amplified sound to the ear Implantable hearing aid coupler device InventorAssigneeApplicationNo. 10121824 filed on 04/12/2002US Classes:600/25SURGICALLY IMPLANTED VIBRATORY HEARING AIDExaminersPrimary: Gilbert, SamuelAttorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassH04R 2500AbstractA hearing aid and method for stimulating the tympanic membrane of a patient via an input of acoustic signals into the middle ear cavity. The hearing aid includes an acoustic signal receiver, a signal processor, and an implantable transducer. In one aspect of the invention, the impedance of the implantable transducer is matched to a characteristic frequency range of the human tympanic membrane to acoustically couple the transducer with the tympanic membrane. In another aspect of the invention, the impedance of the implantable transducer is matched to a measured impedance of a patient's tympanic membrane to achieve the acoustic coupling. In either case, the acoustic signal receiver receives acoustic sounds and generates frequency response signals for the signal processor. The signal processor, in turn, processes the frequency response signals to generate transducer drive signals for the implanted transducer. The acoustically coupled transducer receives the drive signals to generate acoustic signals, e.g. acoustic sound, that are introduced into the middle ear cavity of the patient to stimulate the tympanic membrane.Field of SearchSURGICALLY IMPLANTED VIBRATORY HEARING AID |
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