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).

  • Patent number: 8023677
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLC
    Inventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, C. Geoffrey E Fernald, Scott Crawford
  • Patent number: 7970157
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLC
    Inventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, C. Geoffrey E Fernald, Scott Crawford
  • Patent number: 7769194
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLC
    Inventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, C. Geoffrey E Fernald, Scott Crawford
  • Patent number: 7526096
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics, LLC
    Inventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
  • Patent number: 7167572
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation
    Inventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
  • Patent number: 7106873
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation
    Inventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F Hartley, Philip A Segel, Scott A Crawford, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
  • Patent number: 7097746
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation
    Inventors: George Tziviskos, C. Geoffrey E Fernald
  • Patent number: 7003876
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2006
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation
    Inventors: Scott A. Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
  • Patent number: 6775389
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation
    Inventors: William Vanbrooks Harrison, Lee F. Hartley, Philip A. Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
  • Publication number: 20040114776
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2003
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Inventors: Scott A. Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
  • Publication number: 20030031336
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: William V. Harrison, Lee F. Hartley, Philip A. Segel, Scott Crawford, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald
  • Patent number: 5970025
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1999
    Assignee: Acuson Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher R. Cole, C. Geoffrey E. Fernald