Implantable auditory system with micromachined microsensor and microactuator

An implantable auditory system for a human subject having a mastoid cortical bone located behind an ear, the ear having an ear drum, a middle ear, an inner ear with fluid therein and an ossicular chain of bones spanning the middle ear from the ear drum to the inner ear, the human subject further having auditory nerve fibers which sense vibrations of the inner ear fluid and signal the brain of the human subject to perceive the sensed signals as sound, the system comprising:

• a microsensor implantable in the middle ear of the human subject, the microsensor responsive to sound waves in the middle ear to convert said sound waves into electrical signals corresponding to said sound waves;
• a processor operatively connected to the microsensor for generating processed signals in response the electrical signals, the processor being subcutaneously implantable in the mastoid cortical bone and includes a battery to supply electrical power to the system, the processor further including a command interpreter for instructing operations of the subcutaneously located processor in response to an input from outside the body of the subject;
• and
• a microactuator implantable in the middle ear and operatively connected to the processor, the microactuator generating in response to the processed signals, electrostatic forces which vibrate the fluid of the inner ear, thereby actuating the auditory nerve fibers which signal the brain of the human subject to perceive the fluid vibrations as sound.

An auditory system for implanting into a human subject having an ear drum, a middle ear, an inner ear with fluid therein, and an ossicular chain of bones spanning the middle ear from the ear drum to the inner ear, the human subject further having auditory nerve fibers which sense vibrations of the inner ear fluid and signal the brain of the human subject to perceive the sensed signals as sound, the system comprising:

• a sensor implantable in the middle ear for sensing acoustic pressure waves in the middle ear and converting sensed acoustic pressure waves to electrical signals;
• a signal conditioner operatively connected to the sensor to condition the electrical signals;
• an electrical power supply operatively connected to the sensor and the signal conditioner to provide electrical power thereto;
• and
• a microactuator implantable in the middle ear and operatively connected to the signal conditioner, the microactuator including a first plate and a flexible diagram substantially parallel to and spaced from the first plate, the first plate receiving the conditioned electrical signals and converting the electrical signals into electric fields for electrostatically causing vibrations of the flexible diaphragm, the vibrations of the flexible diaphragm being transmitted to the fluid of the inner ear, whereby the vibrations actuate receptor cells and nerve fibers to signal the brain of the human subject to perceive the acoustic pressure waves as sound.