Optical electro-mechanical hearing devices with separate power and signal components

A method of transmitting an audio signal having a first energy and a second energy different from the first energy, the method comprising:

• receiving the audio signal with circuitry coupled to an input and at least one light source, wherein the circuitry determines the first energy of the audio signal and the second energy of the audio signal;
• emitting at least one pulse modulated wavelength of light from the at least one light source and wherein the circuitry outputs a first amount of bias and a second amount of bias from the at least one light source;
• detecting the at least one wavelength of light with at least one detector to generate an electrical signal;
• and
• vibrating an eardrum with a transducer in response to the electrical signal, wherein the first amount of bias differs from the second amount of bias in order to accommodate substantially different power consumption of the transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.

A method of stimulating a target tissue with an audio signal having a first energy and a second energy different from the first energy, the method comprising:

• receiving the audio signal with circuitry coupled to an input and at least one light source, wherein the circuitry determines the first energy of the audio signal and the second energy of the audio signal;
• emitting a pulse modulated light signal from the at least one light source and wherein the circuitry outputs a first amount of bias from the at least one light source and a second amount of bias from the at least one light source to power active circuitry;
• detecting the pulse modulated light signal to generate an electrical signal in response to the pulse modulated light signal;
• and
• stimulating the target tissue with a transducer in response to the electrical signal;
• wherein the first amount of bias differs from the second amount of bias in order to accommodate substantially different power consumption of the transducer in response to the first energy different from the second energy.