Bone conductive devices for improving hearing
AssigneeVibrant Med-El Hearing Technology GmbH
InventorsGeoffrey Ball, Peter Lampacher
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Abstract
The present invention relates to implantable medical devices for improving sound perception by subjects with conductive or mixed conductive/sensorineural hearing loss. In particular, the present invention provides methods and devices for vibrating the skull of a hearing impaired subject.
Claims34
A device for improving sound perception in a subject, comprising:
- a fully implantable vibratory unit configured to be mounted to a temporal bone of a subject and suitable for vibrating said temporal bone in response to an externally generated electrical signal.
A device for improving sound perception in a subject, comprising:
- an external package comprising a receiver coil, a magnet, a microphone, a battery, and a coil, disposed within and attached to a housing;
- an implantable attachment magnet;
- and an implantable drive magnet, wherein said implantable magnets are configured to be mounted to a temporal bone of a subject.
A method of improving sound perception in a subject, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing a device comprising:
- i) a fully implantable vibratory unit, and
- ii) a fully implantable receiver unit;
- b) surgically implanting said device by mounting said vibratory unit to a temporal bone of a subject, and placing said receiver unit at a subcutaneous position behind an ear of said subject;
- and
- c) conducting an electrical signal produced in response to sound from said receiver unit to said vibratory unit so as to cause said vibratory unit to impart vibrations to said temporal bone for improving sound perception by said subject.
A method of improving sound perception in a subject in need thereof, comprising conducting an electrical signal produced in response to sound from a receiver unit placed at a subcutaneous position behind an ear of a subject, to a vibratory unit mounted unit to a temporal bone of said subject, so as to cause said vibratory unit to impart vibrations to said temporal bone for improving sound perception by said subject.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.