INTEGRATED IMPLANTABLE HEARING DEVICE, MICROPHONE AND POWER UNIT

摘要

An implantable hearing unit is provided that includes an implantable microphone, a rechargeable power storage device and a speech signal processor. The hearing unit further includes a signal coupling device that is adapted for electrical interconnection to an implantable auditory stimulation device, which is operative to stimulate an auditory component of a patient. Such a stimulation device may include cochlear implants, brain stem stimulation systems, auditory nerve stimulation systems, and middle or inner ear transducer systems. The signal coupling device is operative to provide processed drive signals from the signal processor to the stimulation device as well provide power from the power storage device to operate the stimulation device. In one arrangement, the signal coupling device is a wireless coupling between first and second coils. In such an arrangement, the hearing unit may be utilized with an existing implanted stimulation device to make that device a fully implanted hearing system.

主权项

1. A method for use with an implantable auditory stimulation system, comprising:
generating a first drive signal at a first supercutaneous unit, the first drive signal being based on a first captured sound signal; transcutaneously wirelessly transmitting said first drive signal from said first supercutaneous unit to a second subcutaneous implant module of the implantable auditory stimulation system; activating a subcutaneously implanted stimulation device in communication with the second subcutaneous implant module to evoke a hearing percept based on the transmitted first drive signal; generating a second drive signal at a first subcutaneous implant module; transmitting said second drive signal from said first subcutaneous implant module to the second subcutaneous implant module.