# US 11,910,164 B2 · Hearing aid adapter > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,164 B2 - Document ID: US11910164B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/733,334 - Filed: 2020-01-03 - Published: 2020-07-02 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2016-08-24 - Assignees: Cochlear Limited - Applicants: Cochlear Limited - Inventors: Alexander Case; Michael Goorevich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910164B2 ## CPC - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - A61F 2/18: Internal ear or nose parts, e.g. ear-drums {(implants for middle ear ventilation or drainage A61F11/202)} - A61N 1/0541: {Cochlear electrodes} - A61N 1/36036: {of the outer, middle or inner ear} - A61N 1/36038: {Cochlear stimulation} - A61N 1/37211: {Means for communicating with stimulators} - H04R 25/505: {using digital signal processing} - H04R 25/606: {acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window} - H04R 2225/67: Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract Presented herein are stand-alone hearing aid adapters configured to enable the use of the recipient's hearing aid to detect and process ambient sound signals and to convert output signals generated by the acoustic hearing aid into input signals useable by the implantable hearing prosthesis for generation and delivery of stimulation to a recipient ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing aid adapter, comprising: at least one input element configured to receive hearing aid output signals generated by a sound processor of an acoustic hearing aid; an adaption module configured to convert the hearing aid output signals into implantable hearing prosthesis input signals; and a transmitter configured to transcutaneously transmit the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals to an implantable hearing prosthesis implanted within a recipient, the implantable hearing prosthesis being a separate component from the hearing aid adapter. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid output signals are electrical signals, and wherein the at least one input element comprises at least one electrical connector electrically coupling the hearing aid adapter to the acoustic hearing aid. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hearing aid adapter of claim 2, wherein the at least one electrical connector is configured to be electrically connected to an acoustic receiver connector of the acoustic hearing aid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid output signals are acoustic signals transmitted by an acoustic receiver, and wherein the at least one input element is a microphone configured to sample the acoustic signals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, wherein the adaption module comprises a filterbank. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, wherein the adaption module is configured to sample the hearing aid output signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, wherein the adaption module is configured to convert the hearing aid output signals into cochlear implant input signals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a wireless transmitter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to drive a radio-frequency (RF) coil. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The hearing aid adapter of claim 1, further comprising a battery. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) An implantable hearing prosthesis system comprising the hearing aid adapter of claim 1 and further comprising: the implantable hearing prosthesis, wherein the hearing aid adapter is a separate component from the acoustic hearing aid and is configured to mechanically mate with the acoustic hearing aid. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The implantable hearing prosthesis system of claim 11, further comprising the acoustic hearing aid, wherein the acoustic hearing aid is configured to transmit the hearing aid output signals to the hearing aid adapter. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The implantable hearing prosthesis system of claim 11, wherein the hearing aid adapter is electrically coupled to the acoustic hearing aid, and wherein the hearing aid output signals are received by the hearing aid adapter as electrical signals. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The implantable hearing prosthesis system of claim 11, wherein the hearing aid adapter is acoustically coupled to the acoustic hearing aid, and wherein the hearing aid output signals are received by the hearing aid adapter as acoustic signals. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The implantable hearing prosthesis system of claim 11, wherein the hearing aid adapter is configured to wirelessly transmit the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals to the implantable hearing prosthesis. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The implantable hearing prosthesis system of claim 11, wherein the implantable hearing prosthesis is configured to: wirelessly receive the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals from the hearing aid adapter; and convert the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals into stimulation signals for delivery to the recipient of the implantable hearing prosthesis. ### Claim 17 A method, comprising: receiving, at a hearing aid adapter in communication with an acoustic hearing aid, output signals generated by the acoustic hearing aid based on sound signals received at the acoustic hearing aid; converting, with the hearing aid adapter, the output signals into implantable hearing prosthesis input signals; and transcutaneously sending the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals from the hearing aid adapter to an implantable hearing prosthesis that is a separate component from the hearing aid adapter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein receiving the output signals comprises: receiving the output signals as electrical signals, via at least one electrical connector electrically coupling the hearing aid adapter to the acoustic hearing aid. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: receiving the electrical signals via an electrical connector configured to mate with an acoustic receiver connector of the acoustic hearing aid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the output signals are acoustic signals transmitted by an acoustic receiver, and receiving the output signals comprises: receiving the acoustic signals via a microphone of the hearing aid adapter. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: filtering the output signals at the hearing aid adapter. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: sampling the output signals at the hearing aid adapter. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein sending the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals from the hearing aid adapter to an implantable hearing prosthesis comprises: wirelessly transmitting the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals to the implantable hearing prosthesis. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein transcutaneously sending the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals from the hearing aid adapter to the implantable hearing prosthesis comprises: transcutaneously sending the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals to an implantable component of the implantable hearing prosthesis. ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: driving a radio-frequency (RF) coil based on the output signals. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: wirelessly receiving the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals at the implantable hearing prosthesis; and converting the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals into stimulation signals to evoke perception of the sound signals when delivered to a recipient of the implantable hearing prosthesis. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, wherein converting the implantable hearing prosthesis input signals into stimulation signals is performed without sound processing operations. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method of claim 26, further comprising: detecting the sound signals at the acoustic hearing aid; and performing sound processing at the acoustic hearing aid to convert the detected sound signals into the output signals.