Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080200779 | Implant Sensor and Control - An implant includes a humidity sensor for generating a signal indicative of humidity within the implant. A controller within the implant receives the signal indicative of humidity, and controls the implant based on the signal indicative of humidity. | 08-21-2008 |
20100004716 | Reducing Effect of Magnetic and Electromagnetic Fields on an Implant's Magnet and/or Electronics - An implantable magnet that can freely turn in response to an external magnetic field, thus avoiding torque and demagnetization on the implantable magnet. The implantable magnet can be combined with an electric switching function depending on the orientation of an external magnetic field, thus protecting an implanted coil and/or implant electronics against induction of over-voltage or performing an electric switching function for other various purposes. The magnetic switch may further include, for example, a first switching contact and a second switching contact. A magnetically soft body that includes an electrically conductive surface is shiftable between a first position where the body is in simultaneous contact with the first and second switching contacts, and a second position where the body is out of contact with at least one of the first and second switching contacts. The body and the implantable magnet are positioned such that the body is shifted to one of the first position and the second position as a function of the external magnetic field resulting in a magnetic force between the magnet and the magnetically soft body. | 01-07-2010 |
20100104121 | Low Power Signal Transmission - A low-power implant system. The system includes an implant for implantation into a person, such as a cochlear implant or a middle ear implant. The implant is capable of communicating with a device via transmission of ultra wideband pulses. The device may be adapted to be worn external to the person, or may be a second implant. So as to conserve battery power, the transmitted ultra wideband pulses may have a low duty cycle of approximately 1/1000 or less. Power savings may also be realized by using time-gating amplifiers in the implant and/or device receiver. | 04-29-2010 |
20110224756 | Reducing Effect of Magnetic and Electromagnetic Fields on an Implant's Magnet and/or Electronics - An implantable magnet that can freely turn in response to an external magnetic field, thus avoiding torque and demagnetization on the implantable magnet. The implantable magnet can be combined with an electric switching function depending on the orientation of an external magnetic field, thus protecting an implanted coil and/or implant electronics against induction of over-voltage or performing an electric switching function for other various purposes. The magnetic switch may further include, for example, a first switching contact and a second switching contact. A magnetically soft body that includes an electrically conductive surface is shiftable between a first position where the body is in simultaneous contact with the first and second switching contacts, and a second position where the body is out of contact with at least one of the first and second switching contacts. The body and the implantable magnet are positioned such that the body is shifted to one of the first position and the second position as a function of the external magnetic field resulting in a magnetic force between the magnet and the magnetically soft body. | 09-15-2011 |
20130138195 | Low Power Signal Transmission - A low-power implant system. The system includes an implant for implantation into a person, such as a cochlear implant or a middle ear implant. The implant is capable of communicating with a device via transmission of ultra wideband pulses. The device may be adapted to be worn external to the person, or may be a second implant. So as to conserve battery power, the transmitted ultra wideband pulses may have a low duty cycle of approximately 1/1000 or less. Power savings may also be realized by using time-gating amplifiers in the implant and/or device receiver. | 05-30-2013 |
20140094874 | Implant Sensor and Control - An implant includes a humidity sensor for generating a signal indicative of humidity within the implant. A controller within the implant receives the signal indicative of humidity, and controls the implant based on the signal indicative of humidity. | 04-03-2014 |
20140321681 | Lower Q Point Floating Mass Transducer - An implantable floating mass transducer is described for a hearing implant system in an implant patient. A cylindrical transducer housing contains a cylindrical inner mass magnet having an inner magnetic field with a first field direction. One or more signal drive coils are on the outer housing surface for conducting a transducer drive signal current to produce a signal magnetic field that interacts with the inner magnetic field to create vibration of the inner mass magnet which is coupled by the transducer housing to the internal hearing structure for sound perception by the implant patient. A ring-shape outer offset magnet is positioned around the outer housing surface with an outer magnetic field having a second field direction opposite to the first field direction so as to offset the inner magnetic field to minimize their combined magnetic field and thereby minimize magnetic interaction of the transducer with any external magnetic field. | 10-30-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080200779 | Implant Sensor and Control - An implant includes a humidity sensor for generating a signal indicative of humidity within the implant. A controller within the implant receives the signal indicative of humidity, and controls the implant based on the signal indicative of humidity. | 08-21-2008 |
20090015255 | Demagnetized Implant for Magnetic Resonance Imaging - A method of operating a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is described. A magnetic element in an implanted medical device is demagnetized by exposing it to an external demagnetizing magnetic field. Magnetic resonance imaging of the patient is performed. Then the magnetic element is remagnetized without removing it from the implanted medical device by exposing the magnetic element to an external remagnetizing magnetic field. | 01-15-2009 |
20100104121 | Low Power Signal Transmission - A low-power implant system. The system includes an implant for implantation into a person, such as a cochlear implant or a middle ear implant. The implant is capable of communicating with a device via transmission of ultra wideband pulses. The device may be adapted to be worn external to the person, or may be a second implant. So as to conserve battery power, the transmitted ultra wideband pulses may have a low duty cycle of approximately 1/1000 or less. Power savings may also be realized by using time-gating amplifiers in the implant and/or device receiver. | 04-29-2010 |
20100121411 | Tinnitus Suppressing Cochlear Implant - An implantable device and corresponding method for suppression of tinnitus are described. An implantable signal processing module develops a stimulation signal for application to audio sensing tissue of the user. The signal processing module includes a tinnitus suppression mode in which the stimulation signal is unrelated to environmental sound near the user. | 05-13-2010 |
20110034857 | Implantable Fluid Delivery Apparatuses and Implantable Electrode - An electrode for an implantable prosthesis includes a flexible front end including one or more metal contacts and a back end including one or more metal contacts. The electrode has a cross-sectional shape along the electrode, and the cross-sectional shape has a discontinuity between the flexible front end and the back end. The cross-sectional shape does not have a substantially constant diameter and does not have a continuously growing diameter. The cross-sectional shape of the flexible front end is substantially smaller than the cross-sectional shape of the back end such that forces required to bend the flexible front end are less than forces required to bend the back end. | 02-10-2011 |
20130138195 | Low Power Signal Transmission - A low-power implant system. The system includes an implant for implantation into a person, such as a cochlear implant or a middle ear implant. The implant is capable of communicating with a device via transmission of ultra wideband pulses. The device may be adapted to be worn external to the person, or may be a second implant. So as to conserve battery power, the transmitted ultra wideband pulses may have a low duty cycle of approximately 1/1000 or less. Power savings may also be realized by using time-gating amplifiers in the implant and/or device receiver. | 05-30-2013 |
20140094874 | Implant Sensor and Control - An implant includes a humidity sensor for generating a signal indicative of humidity within the implant. A controller within the implant receives the signal indicative of humidity, and controls the implant based on the signal indicative of humidity. | 04-03-2014 |
20150025509 | Implantable Fluid Delivery Apparatus and Implantable Electrode - A fluid delivery system includes an implantable fluid source, a first catheter in fluid communication with the implantable fluid source, and an implantable micro-valve in fluid communication with the first catheter, the micro-valve configured to be located within a round window or to be secured to a promontory bone of a cochlea | 01-22-2015 |
20150032124 | Cochlear Implant Electrode Insertion Support Device - An electrode insertion support device is used for inserting a cochlear implant electrode into a cochlea scala of a patient cochlea. A stiff electrode holder encloses at least a portion of a cochlear implant electrode while allowing the electrode within to slide freely. A pointed distal tip of the electrode holder is adapted to pierce an electrode opening through an outer surface of the patient cochlea into the cochlea scala. The insertion support device prevents an apical tip of the enclosed electrode from contacting tissues around the electrode opening during the insertion surgery. | 01-29-2015 |