| 主权项 |
1. An apparatus for imparting low amplitude vibrations to at least one tooth in a human head having a cochlea to facilitate hearing via a dental bone conduction pathway, the apparatus comprising:
an extraoral transmitter configured to detect ambient sounds, and to generate and wirelessly transmit audio signals corresponding to the detected ambient sounds; a band at least substantially surrounding at least one tooth, the band affixed to the at least one tooth by an adhesive, the band including at least a first connector; and a receiver assembly removably coupleable to the band and configured to receive the audio signals from the transmitter, the receiver assembly including a transducer having an actuator element and configured to transduce the audio signals into vibrations that are conducted to the cochlea via the dental bone conduction pathway, the transducer comprising a magnetostrictive member responsive to a varying magnetic field passing therethrough which elongates and contracts in response to variations in the magnetic field, and the actuator element in contact with the magnetostrictive member which vibrates as the magnetostrictive member elongates and contracts, and the receiver assembly including at least a second connector spaced from the actuator element, the second connector releasably securable to the first connector so that the receiver assembly is removably securable to the band in a fixed orientation, wherein the actuator element is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the magnetostrictive member, and includes a first end in contact with the magnetostrictive member, an opposite distal second end, and a central portion extending between the first and second ends, the central portion tensionably compressed between said first and second ends when the receiver assembly is removably secured to the band in the fixed orientation. |
