Patents by Inventor C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
C. Geoffrey E. Fernald has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8023677Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2007Date of Patent: September 20, 2011Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLCInventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, C. Geoffrey E Fernald, Scott Crawford
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Patent number: 7970157Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2007Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLCInventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, C. Geoffrey E Fernald, Scott Crawford
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Patent number: 7769194Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. The microphone includes means for adjusting the position of the microphone to receive sound waves through a port. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2006Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLCInventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, C. Geoffrey E Fernald, Scott Crawford
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Patent number: 7526096Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone which converts audio sounds into electrical signals which are then processed by a speech processor to generate electrical pulses to stimulate nerves in the cochlea, improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In an exemplary embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2006Date of Patent: April 28, 2009Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLCInventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
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Patent number: 7167572Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In a preferred embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2004Date of Patent: January 23, 2007Assignee: Advanced Bionics CorporationInventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
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Patent number: 7106873Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In a preferred embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2004Date of Patent: September 12, 2006Assignee: Advanced Bionics CorporationInventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, Scott A Crawford, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
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Patent number: 7097746Abstract: An anode protection device and method are provided. The method includes placing a sacrificial anode in proximity to the positive and negative contacts to shield or distort the field therebetween which provides preferential corrosion of the sacrificial anode, instead of the anode. The protection device is a sacrificial anode having various forms and placed in different configurations. In one form the sacrificial anode is a plate. In another form the sacrificial anode is a ring placed around either the positive contact or negative contact to provide a shield between the negative and positive contacts. In a further device embodiment, the sacrificial anodic plate can be welded to the aluminum case of a rechargeable battery of a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing device.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2002Date of Patent: August 29, 2006Assignee: Advanced Bionics CorporationInventors: George Tziviskos, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
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Patent number: 7003876Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In a preferred embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2003Date of Patent: February 28, 2006Assignee: Advanced Bionics CorporationInventors: Scott A. Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
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Patent number: 6775389Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In a preferred embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2001Date of Patent: August 10, 2004Assignee: Advanced Bionics CorporationInventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F. Hartley, Philip A. Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
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Publication number: 20040114776Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In a preferred embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2003Publication date: June 17, 2004Inventors: Scott A. Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
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Publication number: 20030031336Abstract: An In The Ear (ITE) microphone improves the acoustic response of a Behind The Ear (BTE) Implantable Cochlear Stimulation (ICS) system during telephone use. An acoustic seal provided by holding a telephone earpiece against the ear provides improved coupling of low frequency (up to about 1 KHz) sound waves, sufficient to overcome losses due to the near field acoustic characteristics common to telephones. In a preferred embodiment, the ITE microphone is connected to a removable ear hook of the BTE ICS system by a short bendable stalk.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 10, 2001Publication date: February 13, 2003Inventors: William V. Harrison, Lee F. Hartley, Philip A. Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
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Patent number: 5970025Abstract: A method and system for an ultrasound beamformer with an integrated circuit is provided. Both digital transmit and digital receive beam formation are processed on a single integrated circuit receiver is provided. The transmit beamformer includes transmit logic and a digital to analog converter. The receive beamformer includes receive logic and an analog to digital converter. In one preferred embodiment, the integrated circuit includes a generic gate array with a designed logic metal layer for implementing the transmit and receive logic. The converters allow analog inputs and outputs, reducing the pin count. Reduction in pin count may permit cost reductions as process geometries become smaller. By placing both logic functions on one IC, fewer ICs are required in each system and the volume for that particular IC may increase, reducing the cost.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 1998Date of Patent: October 19, 1999Assignee: Acuson CorporationInventors: Christopher R. Cole, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald