Implantable Microphone Having Sensitivity And Frequency Response
AssigneeVibrant Med-El
InventorsEric M. Jaeger, Geoffrey R. Ball, Duane E. Tumlinson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Implantable microphone devices that may be utilized in hearing systems are provided. An implantable microphone device allows the implantable microphone's frequency response and sensitivity to be selected. A microphone device with an increased membrane flexibility and a decreased acoustic compliance of the sealed cavity. Vibrations of a membrane are transmitted through a primary air cavity and through an aperture of a microphone. Keeping a flexible membrane and decreasing the sealed air cavity compliance are the preferred way to simultaneously increase overall sensitivity of the device, and move the resonance peak to higher frequencies.
Claims1
An implantable microphone device, comprising:
- a housing comprising a rear chamber;
- a membrane coupled to the housing, the membrane being a substantially flexible membrane and disposed over the surface of the housing to define a primary air cavity therebetween;
- a device adapted to remove or fill the rear chamber with a gas;
- a microphone assembly secured on the housing and having an aperture open to the primary air cavity, the microphone assembly having a secondary air cavity coupled to the primary air cavity through the aperture so that vibrations of the membrane are transmitted through the primary air cavity and aperture to the secondary air cavity and having a vent connecting the secondary air cavity to the rear chamber;
- and
- a microphone transducer disposed in the secondary air cavity to detect said transmitted vibrations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.