| 摘要 |
An implantable microphone assembly 10 for use with a hearing prosthesis, such as a fully implantable cochlear stimulation system, includes a diaphragm 20 mounted to an outside surface of an hermetically sealed case 15. The mounting is made, in one of various embodiments, by way of an hermetic weld 22b around the diaphragm circumference. A gap is created on the underside of the diaphragm when the diaphragm is lifted with internal pressure. An acoustic channel 26 or groove 26a is formed in the wall 17 of the hermetic case to which the diaphragm is mounted. A first end 25 of the channel or groove opens into the gap at a location that is at or near the center of the underside of the diaphragm. A second end 27 of the channel or groove opens to the interior of the hermetic case at a location that is near the periphery of the diaphragm. An acoustic transducer 28 is placed inside the hermetic case 15 and coupled to the second end of the acoustic channel 26 or groove 26a so as to sense variations in pressure that occur in the gap due to deflections of the diaphragm caused, e.g., by external sound pressure. The interior space inside of the hermetic case directly underneath the diaphragm may be used to house and mount other components, such as a battery 30. The interior of the hermetic case, which interior includes the gap and acoustic channel, is pressurized in order to lift the diaphragm to form the gap and enable the diaphragm to move in response to external forces, such as forces created by sound impinging the skin above the area where the implantable microphone is implanted.
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