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US 12,728,269 B2Granted
Distributed implantable hearing systems
AssigneeCochlear Limited
InventorCharles Roger Aaron Leigh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Presented herein are distributed implantable hearing systems that have at least a main implant module that is physically separated from a distally positioned inner radio-frequency (RF) coil. Embodiments presented herein may include a main implant module positioned within a recipient's mastoid and an implantable coil positioned within a recipient's middle ear cavity.
Claims19
A method, comprising:
- surgically forming a mastoid cavity through a mastoid bone of a recipient of a hearing prosthesis, wherein the surgically formed mastoid cavity is adjacent an ear canal of the recipient;
- implanting a main implant module of the hearing prosthesis fully within the surgically formed mastoid cavity, wherein the main implant module includes a stimulator unit and a transceiver unit;
- and
- implanting an implantable coil adjacent the ear canal, wherein the implantable coil is electrically connected to the transceiver unit in the main implant module, and wherein the implantable coil extends away from the main implant module and toward the ear canal.
1 more element
A hearing system, comprising:
- an implant module configured to be fully recessed within a mastoid cavity surgically formed within a mastoid bone of a recipient adjacent to an ear canal of the recipient, wherein the mastoid cavity is surgically formed and comprises a proximal end at an outer surface of the mastoid bone, and wherein the implant module includes a stimulator unit and a transceiver unit;
- an implantable coil configured to be implanted in the recipient adjacent to the ear canal, wherein the implantable coil is electrically connected to the transceiver unit in the implant module;
- and
- an outer coil configured to be positioned in the ear canal of the recipient so as to form a radio-frequency link with the implantable coil.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.