Prosthesis (i.e. – artificial body members) – parts thereof – or ai – Ear or nose prosthesis
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-26
2001-05-15
Willse, David H. (Department: 3738)
Prosthesis (i.e., artificial body members), parts thereof, or ai
Ear or nose prosthesis
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231604
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the structure and method of operation of a hearing prosthesis.
BACKGROUND ART
Approximately 5 to 10% of the population suffer from impaired hearing. The degree of hearing loss ranges from mild, to moderate, to severe, to profound hearing losses on the verge of deafness, and finally, to acquired or congenital deafness. The cause for such hearing losses can lie in the region of the ear which conducts the sound wave (ear drum, middle ear), in the inner ear (cochlea), or in the auditory nerve or central auditory processing. Depending upon the cause, site, and degree of hearing difficulty, operative therapy, rehabilitation, drug therapy, or other therapies may be indicated. When these therapies are insufficient or unsuccessful, there are a variety of technical hearing aids (auditory prosthesis) available in order to improve hearing.
In the prior art, hearing aids have been based on one of two basically different principles: acoustic mechanical stimulation, or electrical stimulation. With acoustic mechanical stimulation, sound is amplified in various ways and delivered to the inner ear as mechanical energy. This may be through the column of air to the ear drum, or direct delivery to the ossicles of the middle ear. Acoustic mechanical stimulation requires that the structure of the cochlea, hair cells, and auditory nerve all be intact. The more hair cells which are destroyed or not functioning properly, the less effective is acoustic mechanical stimulation.
Electrical stimulation functions very differently. With this method, used when the structures of the cochlea-in particular, the hair cells—are disrupted, the sound wave is transformed into an electrical signal. The resulting stimulation pattern can be “understood” by the auditory nerve. Electrical stimulation does not require that the structure of the cochlea and the hair cells be intact. It is only necessary that the auditory nerve, as well as the central processing centers, are sufficiently intact. With electrical stimulation, the stimulating electrodes should be placed as close as possible to the nerve endings of the auditory nerve. This occurs optimally when an electrode carrier is inserted into the cochlea. As a rule, this procedure results in destruction of the structures of the inner ear which may still be functioning. Therefore, this technique is not used when there is significant residual hearing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a hearing prosthesis for a user in an acoustic environment having a range of audio frequencies. The prosthesis includes a microphone, an electrical stimulation module, and an acoustic mechanical stimulation module. The microphone converts the sounds of the acoustic environment into a representative electrical signal output The electrical stimulation module is responsive to the representative electrical signal and delivers to the auditory nerve of the user an electrical stimulation signal representative of a first subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment. The acoustic mechanical stimulation module is responsive to the representative electrical signal and delivers to the inner ear structure of the user a mechanical stimulation signal representative of a second subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment.
The electrical stimulation module may use analog signal processing, or digital signal processing, eg., continuous interleaved sampling (CIS), to produce the electrical stimulation signal Ball-shaped or cone-shaped electrodes having a fixation collar may be used to deliver the electrical stimulation signal from either an extracochlear position, from a cochleostomy window. Alternatively, multichannel array electrodes may be partially or fully inserted into the cochlea of the user to deliver the electrical stimulation signal. The acoustic mechanical stimulation module also may use either analog or digital signal processing to produce the mechanical stimulation signal. An embodiment may further include a stimulation amplifier that amplifies the representative electrical signal output from the microphone for input to the stimulation modules.
A preferred embodiment also includes a method of a hearing prosthesis system for processing sounds in an acoustic environment having a range of audio frequencies. The method includes converting, with a microphone, the sounds of the acoustic environment into a representative electrical signal output; delivering to the auditory nerve of a user, an electrical stimulation signal from an electrical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal, the electrical stimulation signal representative of a first subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment; and delivering to the inner ear structure of the user, a mechanical stimulation signal from an acoustic mechanical stimulation module responsive to the representative electrical signal, the mechanical stimulation signal representative of a second subrange of frequencies in the range of audio frequencies in the acoustic environment
The electrical stimulation signal may be produced by the electrical stimulation module using analog signal processing, or digital signal processing, e.g., continuous interleaved sampling (CIS). The electrical stimulation module may deliver the electrical stimulation signal using ball-shaped or cone-shaped electrodes having a fixation collar from either an extracochlear position, or a cochleostomy window. alternatively, multichannel array electrodes may be partially or fully inserted into the cochlea of the user. The mechanical stimulation signal may be produced by the acoustic mechanical stimulation module using either analog or digital signal processing. The method may also further include amplifying the representative electrical signal output from the microphone with a stimulation amplifier for input to the stimulation modules.
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patent: 3751605 (1973-08-01), Michelson
patent: 3752939 (1973-08-01), Bartz
patent: 4957478 (1990-09-01), Maniglia
patent: 5015224 (1991-05-01), Maniglia
patent: 5951601 (1999-09-01), Lesinki et al.
patent: 5991663 (1999-11-01), Irlicht et al.
Bromberg & Sunstein LLP
Med-El Elektromedizinische Gerate Ges.m.b.H
Phan Hieu
Willse David H.
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