Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations
AssigneeSoundMed, LLC
InventorsAmir ABOLFATHI, Vahid SAADAT, Loc X. PHAN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or transducer assembly through a tooth or teeth are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
Claims20
A system for transmitting vibrations to an inner ear comprising:
- an intraoral device comprising a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first side comprises a transducer assembly having a protrusion, wherein the second side comprises an electronics assembly, and wherein when the intraoral device is worn by a user, a tooth is between the protrusion and the second side.
A system for transmitting vibrations to an inner ear comprising:
- an intraoral device comprising a transducer assembly, an electronics assembly, a gap between the transducer assembly and the electronics assembly, and a wire,
- wherein the transducer assembly is connected to the electronics assembly with the wire,
- wherein a first end of the wire is closer to a first side of the intraoral device than to a second side of the intraoral device, and
- wherein a second end of the wire is closer to the second side of the intraoral device than to the first side of the intraoral device.
A system for transmitting vibrations to an inner ear comprising:
- an intraoral device comprising a transducer assembly, an electronics assembly, a gap between the transducer assembly and the electronics assembly, and a wire,
- wherein the transducer assembly is connected to the electronics assembly with the wire, and
- wherein the wire is on a first side of the gap and on a second side of the gap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.