WO1999008475B1 - Capacitive input transducers for middle ear sensing - Google Patents

Capacitive input transducers for middle ear sensing

Info

Publication number
WO1999008475B1
WO1999008475B1 PCT/US1998/016507 US9816507W WO9908475B1 WO 1999008475 B1 WO1999008475 B1 WO 1999008475B1 US 9816507 W US9816507 W US 9816507W WO 9908475 B1 WO9908475 B1 WO 9908475B1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
capacitor
capacitance value
electrode
auditory element
sensor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1998/016507
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO1999008475A2 (en
WO1999008475A3 (en
Inventor
Joel A Kennedy
Original Assignee
St Croix Medical Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by St Croix Medical Inc filed Critical St Croix Medical Inc
Priority to AU87751/98A priority Critical patent/AU8775198A/en
Priority to DE19882594T priority patent/DE19882594T1/en
Publication of WO1999008475A2 publication Critical patent/WO1999008475A2/en
Publication of WO1999008475A3 publication Critical patent/WO1999008475A3/en
Publication of WO1999008475B1 publication Critical patent/WO1999008475B1/en

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/60—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles
    • H04R25/604—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers
    • H04R25/606—Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles of acoustic or vibrational transducers 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
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
    • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
    • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
    • A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents
    • A61N1/36—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents for stimulation
    • A61N1/36036—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents for stimulation of the outer, middle or inner ear
    • A61N1/36038—Cochlear stimulation

Abstract

A hearing assistance system (200) senses sound vibrations of an auditory element in the middle ear (35), and provides a stimulus to an auditory sensory element. The vibrations are received through the tympanic membrane (30), and sensed at the tympanic membrane (30), malleus (40), incus (45), or other auditory element. A capacitive sensor (260) is mechanically or magnetically coupled to a vibrating auditory element, such as the malleus (40), and time-varying capacitance values resulting from the vibrations are detected. One embodiment allows pivotable mechanical coupling of the capacitive sensor (260) to at least one of the auditory element and a carrier (220) secured within the middle ear (35). A resulting electrical output signal is provided to the output stimulator (215) for assisting hearing.

Claims

- -AMENDED CLAIMS[received by the International Bureau on 17 May 1999 (17.05.99); original claims 5, 8, 9, 12, 15-19 and 21 amended; original claims 1-4 and 6-7 cancelled; remaining claims unchanged (3 pages)]
1. Cancelled
2. Cancelled
3. Cancelled
4. Cancelled
5. An electromechanical sensor for transducing mechanical sound vibrations in a middle ear into an electrical input signal, the sensor comprising a capacitor having a first capacitor portion and a second capacitor portion, the first capacitor portion including a first electrode pivotally coupled to an auditory element for receiving the vibrations and changing a capacitance value of the capacitor in response thereto, the second capacitor portion including a second electrode having a fixed position.
6. Cancelled
Cancelled
8. The sensor of claim 5, wherein one of the first and second electrodes of the capacitor includes a rod, and the other of the first and second electrodes includes a sleeve receiving the rod and separated from the rod by a dielectric.
9. The sensor of claim 5, further comprising a carrier that is pivotably coupled to the second electrode of the capacitor.
10. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the first portion of the capacitor is mechanically coupled to the auditory element.
11. The sensor of claim 5, wherein the first portion of the capacitor is magnetically coupled to the auditory element. - -
12. An at least partially implantable hearing assistance system, comprising: a capacitive sensor, including first and second capacitor portions, the first capacitor portion including a first electrode pivotally coupled to a first auditory element for receiving vibrations and changing a capacitance value of the capacitive sensor in response thereto, the second capacitor portion including a second electrode having a fixed position; an amplifier, electrically coupled to the capacitive sensor for amplifying a signal resulting from the changed capacitance value; an output stimulator, receiving a signal based on the changed capacitance value, and providing a resulting stimulus to a second auditory element; and an electronics unit electrically coupled to the amplifier.
13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a programmer adapted to be communicatively coupled to the electronics unit.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the programmer and electronics unit are adapted to be inductively coupled.
15. A method of using a capacitive sensor to transduce a mechanical vibration of an auditory element, the capacitive sensor comprising first and second portions, the first portion including a first capacitor electrode pivotally coupled to the auditory element, the second portion including a second capacitor electrode having a fixed position, the first capacitor electrode being configured to receive the vibration and cooperate with the second capacitor electrode to change a capacitance value of the capacitive sensor in response thereto, the method comprising: sensing the changed capacitance value and providing at least one electrical signal in response to the sensed changed capacitance value. - -
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving the vibration through a tympanic membrane.
17. The method of claim 15, wherein the changed capacitance value is sensed by the first capacitor electrode mechanically coupled to the auditory element.
18. The method of claim 15, wherein the changed capacitance value is sensed by the first capacitor electrode magnetically coupled to the auditory element.
19. The method of claim 15, wherein the changed capacitance value includes detecting a charge variation.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein detecting a charge variation includes amplifying the detected charge variation.
21. The method of claim 15, wherein sensing the changed capacitance value includes detecting a voltage variation.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein detecting the voltage variation includes amplifying the detected voltage variation.
PCT/US1998/016507 1997-08-07 1998-08-07 Capacitive input transducers for middle ear sensing WO1999008475A2 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU87751/98A AU8775198A (en) 1997-08-07 1998-08-07 Capacitive input transducers for middle ear sensing
DE19882594T DE19882594T1 (en) 1997-08-07 1998-08-07 Capacitive input transducers for perception in the middle ear

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US08/907,384 1997-08-07
US08/907,384 US5954628A (en) 1997-08-07 1997-08-07 Capacitive input transducers for middle ear sensing

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO1999008475A2 WO1999008475A2 (en) 1999-02-18
WO1999008475A3 WO1999008475A3 (en) 1999-05-14
WO1999008475B1 true WO1999008475B1 (en) 1999-07-29

Family

ID=25424007

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US1998/016507 WO1999008475A2 (en) 1997-08-07 1998-08-07 Capacitive input transducers for middle ear sensing

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (3) US5954628A (en)
AU (1) AU8775198A (en)
DE (1) DE19882594T1 (en)
WO (1) WO1999008475A2 (en)

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU8775198A (en) 1999-03-01
US20010016678A1 (en) 2001-08-23
WO1999008475A2 (en) 1999-02-18
US6190306B1 (en) 2001-02-20
US5954628A (en) 1999-09-21
DE19882594T1 (en) 2000-07-27
WO1999008475A3 (en) 1999-05-14

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