Implantable microphone having improved sensitivity and frequency response
AssigneeSymphonix Devices, Inc.
InventorEric M. Jaeger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to an implantable microphone device. The implantable microphone device typically comprises a housing defining an internal chamber. It typically further comprises a microphone arrangement on the housing, the microphone arrangement having a first cavity, a second cavity, and a membrane separating the first and second cavities such that vibrations entering the first cavity causes the membrane to vibrate, and to transmit vibrations into the second cavity. The implantable microphone device further comprises at least one vent extending between the second cavity of the microphone arrangement and the internal chamber of the housing so as to permit the vibrations to pass from the second cavity of the microphone arrangement into the internal chamber of the housing.
Claims36
An implantable microphone device, comprising:
- a housing defining a surface and a rear chamber;
- a diaphragm coupled to the housing, the diaphragm being a substantially unstressed diaphragm and being disposed over the surface of the housing to define a primary cavity therebetween;
- a device through which a gas can be removed from or introduced into the rear chamber;
- a microphone arrangement on the housing, the microphone arrangement having an aperture open to the primary cavity, an internal cavity coupled to the primary cavity through the aperture so that vibrations of the diaphragm are transmitted through the primary cavity and aperture into the internal cavity, and a vent connecting the cavity to the rear chamber;
- and
- a microphone transducer disposed in the cavity of the microphone arrangement so as to detect said transmitted vibrations.
An implantable microphone device comprising:
- a housing defining an internal chamber;
- a microphone arrangement on the housing, the microphone arrangement having a first cavity, a second cavity and a membrane separating the first and second cavities such that vibrations entering the first cavity cause the membrane to vibrate thereby causing the vibrations to be transmitted into the second cavity;
- and
- at least one vent extending between the second cavity of the microphone arrangement and the internal chamber of the housing so as to permit the vibrations to pass from the second cavity of the microphone arrangement into the internal chamber of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.