Patents by Inventor Wolfgang Ertmer

Wolfgang Ertmer 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: 10668272
    Abstract: A cochlear implant of a cochlear implant system is described. The cochlear implant comprises electrodes which are mechanically connected to one another and can be inserted in a row in the form of a spiral into a cochlea in order for auditory nerve receptors to be stimulated, a control circuit that can specifically apply electric pulses to the individual electrodes, and an energy source. The control circuit allows the electrodes to be fed in a pulsed manner with electric signals generated by a processor from the acoustic signals, and auditory nerve receptors adjacent to the electrodes to be stimulated. The electrodes are components of modules, each of which comprises its own decoder-and-control circuit for decoding module addresses and stimulation signals and generating electric pulses for the electrodes. Encoded module addresses and stimulation signals generated from acoustic signals are applied to inputs of the decoder-and-control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignees: MEDIZINISCHE HOCHSCHULE HANNOVER, GOTTFRIED WILHELM LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAET HANNOVER
    Inventors: Holger Blume, Wolfgang Ertmer, Thomas Lenarz, Andrej Kral
  • Publication number: 20180200504
    Abstract: A cochlear implant of a cochlear implant system is described. The cochlear implant comprises electrodes which are mechanically connected to one another and can be inserted in a row in the form of a spiral into a cochlea in order for auditory nerve receptors to be stimulated, a control circuit that can specifically apply electric pulses to the individual electrodes, and an energy source. The control circuit allows the electrodes to be fed in a pulsed manner with electric signals generated by a processor from the acoustic signals, and auditory nerve receptors adjacent to the electrodes to be stimulated. The electrodes are components of modules, each of which comprises its own decoder-and-control circuit for decoding module addresses and stimulation signals and generating electric pulses for the electrodes. Encoded module addresses and stimulation signals generated from acoustic signals are applied to inputs of the decoder-and-control circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Publication date: July 19, 2018
    Applicants: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitaet Hannover
    Inventors: Holger BLUME, Wolfgang ERTMER, Thomas LENARZ, Andrej KRAL
  • Patent number: 9192778
    Abstract: The invention provides a cochlea stimulator for implantation comprising optical fibers of which are coupled to an irradiation source that is controlled by a modulator to generate irradiation specific for a pre-determined range of sound-frequencies. The cochlea stimulator effects a frequency-specific activation of the organ of Corti needed for speech perception especially in noisy environment and more complex sounds. For imparting excitation signals which are generated by modulated pulsed laser irradiation conducted within an optical fiber in order to elicit nervous signals in residual functional organ of Corti sections, the auditory prosthesis preferably contains optical fibers which are dimensioned to terminate in end sections within the cochlea at different sites or sections of the organ of Corti. e.g. having different lengths for locating their end sections at different internal parts of the cochlea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignees: MEDIZINISCHE HOCHSCHULE HANNOVER, LEIBNIZ UNIVERSITAT HANNOVER
    Inventors: Thomas Lenarz, Holger Lubatschowski, Guenter Reuter, Gentiana I. Wenzel, Hubert H. Lim, Wolfgang Ertmer
  • Publication number: 20100198317
    Abstract: The invention provides a cochlea stimulator for implantation comprising optical fibres of which are coupled to an irradiation source that is controlled by a modulator to generate irradiation specific for a pre-determined range of sound-frequencies. The cochlea stimulator effects a frequency-specific activation of the organ of Corti needed for speech perception especially in noisy environment and more complex sounds. For imparting excitation signals which are generated by modulated pulsed laser irradiation conducted within an optical fibre in order to elicit nervous signals in residual functional organ of Corti sections, the auditory prosthesis preferably contains optical fibres which are dimensioned to terminate in end sections within the cochlea at different sites or sections of the organ of Corti. e.g. having different lengths for locating their end sections at different internal parts of the cochlea.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicants: MEDIZINISCHE HOCHSCHULE HANNOVER, LASER ZENTRUM HANNOVER E. V.
    Inventors: Thomas Lenarz, Holger Lubatschowski, Guenter Reuter, Gentiana I. Wenzel, Hubert H. Lim, Wolfgang Ertmer