# US 2014/0193011 A1 · Bone conduction device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193011 A1 - Document ID: US20140193011A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/072,398 - Filed: 2013-11-05 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2008-03-31 - Assignees: Cochlear Limited - Inventors: John PARKER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193011A1 ## CPC - H04R 25/00: Electric hearing aids - 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 25/70: {Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting} - A61M 5/14276: {specially adapted for implantation} - A61M 2205/05: combined with other kinds of therapy - A61M 2210/0662: Ears - H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers - Y10T 29/49572: Hearing aid component making - 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) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A bone conduction device including an external component, the external component comprising a sound processor and transducer, the transducer configured to generate mechanical forces, and the external component configured for positioning behind a recipient's ear such that the mechanical forces are transmitted from the external component to a recipient's bone to generate a hearing percept via bone conduction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bone conduction device comprising: an external component, the external component comprising a sound processor and transducer, the transducer configured to generate mechanical forces, wherein the external component is configured for positioning behind a recipient's ear such that the mechanical forces are transmitted from the external component to a recipient's bone to generate a hearing percept via bone conduction. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 wherein the transducer is positioned behind the recipient's ear and adjacent a mastoid bone of the recipient. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 wherein the bone conduction device is a totally external device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 wherein the transducer is a piezoelectric element that is configured to deform in response to the application of an electrical signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 wherein the external component comprises one or more sound input elements configured to receive sound and convert sound into an electrical signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The bone conduction device of claim 5 wherein the sound processor is configured to process the electrical signal to generate an adjusted electrical signal, the transducer configured to receive the adjusted electrical signal and generate the mechanical forces to evoke a hearing percept via bone conduction, in response to the adjusted electrical signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 wherein the external component is a behind-the-ear (BTE) device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 wherein the transducer is balanced electromagnetic transducer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 wherein the transducer is a transcutaneous transducer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The bone conduction device of claim 1 further comprising: a coupler coupled to the transducer and configured to output the mechanical forces. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The bone conduction device of claim 10 further comprising a further component coupled to the coupler and in contact with the recipient configured to deliver the mechanical forces to the recipient. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The bone conduction device of claim 10 wherein the coupler comprises a coupling module configured to deliver the mechanical forces to the recipient. ### Claim 13 A hearing prosthesis device comprising: an external component including an ear hook adapted for carrying the external component behind the ear of a recipient; a subcutaneous magnetic material and an external magnet, the subcutaneous magnetic material and external magnet corresponding to each other and forming a magnetic coupling; and a vibrator adapted to evoke a hearing percept by transmitting vibrations to the recipient when the external magnet and the subcutaneous magnetic material form the magnetic coupling. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 13 wherein the magnetic coupling is formed by magnetic attraction between the subcutaneous magnetic material and the external magnet. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 13 wherein the magnetic coupling compresses a skin portion in between the subcutaneous magnetic material and the external magnet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 13, the vibrator is either a piezoelectric transducer or an electromagnetic transducer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 13 comprising a housing, and the housing being arranged such that at least a part of the housing is positioned behind the recipient's ear. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 17 the housing being shaped to at least partially conform to the shape of the recipient's ear. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 17 wherein the housing retains the external magnet and the vibrator within the housing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 17 wherein the device comprises a battery, a microphone and a sound processor, positioned within the housing. ### Claim 21 (depends on 13) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 13 wherein the ear hook carries the weight of the hearing prosthesis device, and the ear hook suspends the device from the ear of the recipient. ### Claim 22 (depends on 13) A hearing prosthesis device of claim 13 wherein the vibrator is positioned adjacent a mastoid bone of the recipient. ### Claim 23 A method for providing a hearing percept comprising: suspending a vibrator(or transducer) from an ear of a recipient, the vibrator being arranged to provide a mechanical force in the form of vibrations to a skin portion of the recipient; creating a magnetic coupling between a subcutaneous magnet and an external magnet, at the skin portion of the recipient; and transmitting the mechanical force from the vibrator into the skin portion and the skull bone while the magnetic coupling is present to create a hearing percept. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of: capturing a sound by a microphone; processing the captured sound to generate a drive signal; and providing the drive signal to the vibrator, the vibrator generating the mechanical force based on the drive signal.