Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130023955 | High Accuracy Tonotopic and Periodic Coding with Enhanced Harmonic Resolution - A signal processing system is described for a cochlear implant. A pre-processor filter bank processes an acoustic audio signal to generate band pass signals which represent associated bands of audio frequencies. An information extraction module defines macro bands, each of which characterizes multiple band pass signals, and processes the macro bands in a sequence of sampling intervals. For each sampling interval the information extraction module processing includes: i. extracting timing and energy information from each band pass signal to form requested stimulation events, ii. decimating the requested stimulation events to select a maximum energy band pass signal within each macro band, and iii. decimating each selected band pass signal based on a pulse selection inhibition function and preserving temporal and spectral structures of the band pass signals so as to generate stimulation event signals. A pulse weighting module weights the stimulation event signals with a weighting matrix reflecting patient-specific pitch perception characteristics to produce output electrode stimulation signals to the implanted electrode array. | 01-24-2013 |
20130066398 | External Button Processor with a Rechargeable Battery - An external processor device is described for a hearing implant system. An external processor housing has a generally planar skin contacting surface and a central axis perpendicular to the skin contacting surface. A signal processor is located within the processor housing for developing an implant data signal. The processor housing also contains a transmitter coil for coupling the implant data signal across the skin to the implantable prosthetic system. A battery container forms an annular compartment around the central axis and contains a battery arrangement to provide electrical power to the signal processor and the transmitter coil. | 03-14-2013 |
20130079634 | Implantable Microphone Noise Suppression - A system and method are described for an implantable sensing system. An implantable sensor generates a sensing signal representative of an internal sensing location of a user. A sensing gate, coupled to the sensor and responsive to the sensing signal, has a sensing gate threshold value such that the sensing signal is coupled from the sensing gate to an implanted signal processor when the sensing signal has a magnitude greater than the sensing gate threshold value, and the sensing signal is blocked when the sensing signal has a magnitude less than the sensing gate threshold value. | 03-28-2013 |
20130090711 | Helical Core Ear Implant Electrode - A novel electrode array is described for ear implant systems such as cochlear implants (CI) and vestibular implants (VI). The electrode array includes an electrode array core made of a flexible polymer material including an elongated helical portion having multiple helical turns. Electrode wires are embedded within the array core for carrying electrical stimulation signals. At a terminal end of each electrode wire, an electrode stimulation contact is exposed through the array core for applying the electrical stimulation signals to adjacent neural tissue. An electrode carrier of resilient material encases the electrode array and has an outer surface with contact openings exposing the stimulation contacts. | 04-11-2013 |
20130116746 | Transpositional Acoustic Frequency Range In EAS Patients - An electric acoustic stimulation (EAS) hearing system includes a signal processor for processing an acoustic signal input to generate: i. an electrical communications signal representative of an upper electrical range of acoustic frequencies, and ii. an acoustic communications signal representative of a lower acoustic range of acoustic frequencies, the acoustic range including: (1) a lower subrange of acoustic frequencies perceivable by the patient with amplification, and (2) an upper subrange of acoustic frequencies not perceivable by the patient, wherein the signal processor uses frequency transposition to include the upper subrange in the lower subrange. An implanted electrical stimulation subsystem receives the electrical communications signal and delivers a corresponding electrical stimulation signal to auditory neural tissue of an implanted patient. An external acoustic stimulation subsystem receives the acoustic communications signal and delivers a corresponding amplified acoustic stimulation signal to the ear canal of the patient. | 05-09-2013 |
20130138180 | Fast Fitting of Cochlear Implants - Approaches are described for fitting an implanted cochlear implant having electrode array contacts to the implanted patient. A normal electrode stimulation arrangement is used to deliver electrode stimulation signals to the active electrode channel electrode contacts at an initial common charge level. The common charge level is increased until a desired common percept criteria is met to establish a common baseline charge level for the stimulation electrode contacts. For each individual electrode contact, a fitting stimulation signal is delivered to the electrode starting from the common baseline charge level and the charge level is increased until an individual electrode percept criteria is met. | 05-30-2013 |
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 |
20130150908 | Pacemaker for Spasmodic Dysphonia - A stimulation system and method for treating to a human subject having spasmodic dysphonia includes a sensing electrode configured to detect voice activity of a vocalizing muscle of the subject and to generate a first signal, and a processor configured to receive the first signal from the sensing electrode and to generate at least one stimulation parameter based on the first signal. The system further includes a mechanical actuator configured to receive the stimulation parameter from the processor and to activate a glottic closure reflex of the subject in response to the stimulation parameter and a stimulating electrode configured to receive the stimulation parameter from the processor and stimulate the recurrent laryngeal nerve or the vagus nerve of the subject based on the stimulation parameter. | 06-13-2013 |
20130150926 | Stimulation System and Method for Voice Lift - A stimulation system and method for providing training therapy to a human subject having a weakened voice includes an activating switch configured to generate a first signal, and a processor configured to receive the first signal from the sensing electrode and to generate at least one stimulation parameter based on the first signal. The system further includes a stimulating electrode configured to receive the stimulation parameter from the processor and to activate a recurrent laryngeal nerve or vagus nerve of the subject in response to the stimulation parameter. | 06-13-2013 |
20130158612 | System and Method for Eyelid Simulation - A system and method of treating hyperactivity of an eyelid closing muscle in a subject after facial nerve paralysis includes providing a stimulation system and selectively stimulating eyelid opening muscle(s) or innervating nerves, eyelid opening reflexes, or eyelid opening reflexes in non-muscular tissue, using the stimulation system, without substantially activating the eyelid closing muscle. The system and method evokes eyelid movement in the subject. | 06-20-2013 |
20130158629 | Channel Specific Gain Control Including Lateral Suppression - A system is described for generating electrode stimulation signals for stimulation electrodes in an implanted electrode array on a given side of a bilateral cochlear implant system. A pre-processor module processes an acoustic audio signal with a bank of filters to generate a set of band pass signals each corresponding to a band of audio frequencies associated with one of the filters. An automatic gain control (AGC) circuit performs a channel specific dynamic amplitude mapping of the band pass signals to generate a set of compressed band pass signals. The AGC circuit uses a bilateral multiplication matrix characterizing a lateral suppression network and having at least one non-zero coupling element from a contralateral side. A stimulation timing module extracts stimulation information from the compressed band pass signals to generate stimulation timing signals. A pulse shaper module develops the stimulation timing signals into electrode stimulation signals to the stimulation electrodes. | 06-20-2013 |
20130170681 | Middle Ear Implantable Microphone - A method of sensing vibrations in the middle ear is presented. The method includes implanting a transducer in the middle ear. The transducer measures vibration, within a predetermined frequency range, of at least one component of the middle ear. The transducer has a resonance frequency within the predetermined frequency range, and further has a limited frequency response in a portion of the frequency range. The implanting includes operatively coupling the implant to the at least one component of the middle ear such that the limited frequency response of the transducer is complimentary to, and compensated by, the frequency characteristics of the at least one component of the middle ear. | 07-04-2013 |
20130184788 | Implantable Vestibular Prosthesis System with Power Saving Mode Including Soft Start and Soft Power-Down - A novel vestibular implant system is described. An implantable vestibular stimulator provides vestibular stimulation signals to stimulate target neural tissue for vestibular sensation by a patient. One or more motion sensors are controllably powered by the vestibular implant system and develop a motion signal reflecting head motion of an implant patient. The vestibular stimulator includes at least two different operating modes: i. a sensor controlled mode wherein the motion sensor is powered and the vestibular stimulation signal is developed as a dependent function of the motion signal, and ii. a sensor independent mode wherein the motion sensor is unpowered and the vestibular stimulation signals, if any, are developed independently of the motion signal. | 07-18-2013 |