Hybrid middle ear/cochlea implant system

摘要

A system for enhancing hearing comprised of both a middle ear implant and a cochlear implant. The system directs signals relating to lower frequency sound to the middle ear implant and signals relating to higher frequency sound to the cochlear implant. The middle ear implant comprises an electrically driven actuator, e.g., a speaker, for vibrating the middle ear ossicles via air conducted sound energy or a mechanical transducer for physically contacting and mechanically vibrating the ossicles. The cochlear implant includes electrodes preferably implanted at a shallow level at the basal end of the cochlea.