Abstract: An exemplary auditory prosthesis system includes an audio accessory configured to be external to a patient and that includes 1) a plurality of microphones that receive incoming audio and convert the incoming audio into a plurality of audio signals, 2) a first communication port that connects directly to a communication port of a body-worn sound processor apparatus by way of a first cable, 3) a second communication port that connects directly to a communication port of a headpiece by way of a second cable, and 4) a control module communicatively coupled to the plurality of microphones and the first and second communication ports and that generates a processed audio signal by processing the plurality of audio signals converted by the plurality of microphones from the incoming audio and provides the processed audio signal to the body-worn sound processor apparatus.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
January 30, 2015
Date of Patent:
April 30, 2019
Assignee:
Advanced Bionics AG
Inventors:
Roger S. Meier, Logan P. Palmer, Diane H. Chang, Thomas P. Walsh
Abstract: Exemplary radio frequency (RF) transmitter circuits that provide power to an implant device are described. An exemplary RF transmitter circuit may be included in an apparatus located external to a patient and may be configured to dynamically adjust an amount of power that is provided to an implant device implanted within the patient.
Abstract: A headpiece for use with a cochlear implant including a headpiece housing, a retention magnet within the headpiece housing that generates a retention magnetic field, the retention magnet including a bottom surface that faces the cochlear implant, a top surface opposite the bottom surface, and an outer radial surface between the top and bottom surfaces, an induction coil within the headpiece housing that transmits audio signals to the cochlear implant by generating a telemetry magnetic field, and a retention flux guide within the headpiece housing and adjacent to the top surface of the retention magnet.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 8, 2016
Date of Patent:
February 5, 2019
Assignee:
Advanced Bionics AG
Inventors:
Scott A. Crawford, Douglas P. Lynch, Carla Mann Woods, Glen A. Griffith
Abstract: An exemplary monitoring system 1) monitors evoked responses that occur in response to acoustic stimulation during an insertion procedure in which a lead that is communicatively coupled to a cochlear implant is inserted into a cochlea of a patient, the monitoring comprising using an intracochlear electrode disposed on the lead to measure a first and a second evoked response at a first and a second insertion depth within the cochlea, the second insertion depth nearer to an apex of the cochlea than the first insertion depth, 2) determines that a change between the first evoked response measured at the first insertion depth and the second evoked response measured at the second insertion depth is greater than a predetermined threshold, and 3) determines, based on the determination that the change is greater than the predetermined threshold, that cochlear trauma has likely occurred at the second insertion depth.
Abstract: An exemplary system includes a data program loading facility configured to pre-load program data representative of a plurality of sound processing programs onto a sound processor during a data transfer session and a fitting facility selectively and communicatively coupled to the data program loading facility and configured to selectively use one or more of the pre-loaded sound processing programs to fit the sound processor to a cochlear implant patient after completion of the data transfer session.
Abstract: An exemplary method includes cochlear implant circuitry, which is disposed within a cochlear implant module configured to be implanted within a patient, performing the following: 1) detecting that an implantable antenna is connected to a modular connector coupled to the cochlear implant module, 2) operating in accordance with a radio frequency (“RF”) inductive link communication protocol while the implantable antenna is connected to the modular connector, 3) detecting a disconnection of the implantable antenna from the modular connector and a connection of an implantable sound processor to the modular connector, and 4) dynamically switching from operating in accordance with the RF inductive link communication protocol to operating in accordance with a hard wired baseband link communication protocol in response to the connection of the implantable sound processor to the modular connector.
Abstract: There is provided a hearing assistance system comprising an auditory prosthesis device for neural stimulation of a patient's hearing at one of the patient's ears and a hearing aid for acoustic stimulation of the patient's hearing at the same one or the other one of the patient's ears.
Abstract: An exemplary sound processor apparatus includes 1) an earhook interface assembly that includes a plurality of contacts and that is configured to interchangeably connect to a microphone assembly and an EAS receiver assembly by way of the plurality of contacts, and 2) a control module communicatively coupled to the plurality of contacts. In some examples, the control module uses the plurality of contacts as output ports to output one or more EAS signals to the EAS receiver assembly while the EAS receiver assembly is connected to the earhook interface assembly.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 16, 2017
Date of Patent:
October 30, 2018
Assignee:
Advanced Bionics AG
Inventors:
Lee F. Hartley, Lakshmi N. Mishra, R. Tissa Karunasiri, Logan P. Palmer
Abstract: In one example, a cochlear lead includes a flexible body, an array of electrodes in the flexible body, and a plurality of wires passing along the array of electrodes. The plurality of wires includes a flexural geometry between each pair of adjacent electrodes and a substantially straight geometry over the electrodes. A method for forming an electrode array with a reduced apical cross section is also provided.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 29, 2018
Publication date:
October 25, 2018
Applicant:
Advanced Bionics AG
Inventors:
Chuladatta Thenuwara, Rosa Gallegos, Lidia Vasquez, Mark B. Downing
Abstract: A behind-the-ear sound processor module includes a BTE-housing; an adjustable microphone module attached to the BTE-housing for capturing input audio signals from ambient sound; and a sound processor unit for generating, from the input audio signals, a neural hearing stimulation signal to be supplied to an implantable neural stimulation arrangement, wherein the microphone module comprises a plurality of microphones and a support element for carrying the microphones, wherein the support element is movable between a beamformer position enabling the plurality of microphones to act as a directional microphone array in a beamformer audio signal processing mode of the sound processor unit and a T-Mic position enabling at least one of the microphones to act as a T-Mic in a T-Mic audio signal processing mode of the sound processor unit at a position closer to the entrance of the ear canal than in the beamformer position.
Abstract: A binaural hearing system (“system”) preserves and/or enhances interaural level differences (“ILDs”) between first and second signals. The system includes audio detectors each associated with an ear of a user. The audio detectors detect an audio signal presented to the user and generate the first and second signals to represent the audio signal as detected at each ear. The system also includes sound processors associated with each ear that each receive the first and second signals from the audio detectors directly and/or by way of a communication link from the other sound processor. The sound processors each perform operations with respect to the first and second signals to preserve and/or enhance the ILDs between the signals. In so doing, the sound processors perform a contralateral gain synchronization operation to a first degree at the first sound processor and to a distinct second degree at the second sound processor.
Abstract: In one example, an implantable lead includes a substrate and an electrically conductive material disposed on the substrate to form a flexible circuit. The flexible circuit includes a proximal end adapted to electrically connect to an implantable processor, a distal portion adapted to stimulate a cochlear nerve, and a lead body extending from the proximal end to the distal portion, the lead body having a longitudinal axis and comprising a plurality of electrical traces adapted to carry electrical signals from the proximal end to the distal portion. A flag extension is formed in the substrate and extends laterally outward from the lead body longitudinal axis. A method for forming a cochlear lead with a flag extension is also provided.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 27, 2013
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2018
Assignee:
Advanced Bionics AG
Inventors:
Bing Xu, Kurt J. Koester, Mark B. Downing
Abstract: An implantable lead may include an insulating substrate and a first asymmetric electrode formed on the insulating substrate. The first asymmetric electrode may have external perimeter edges defining a boundary between an exposed portion of the first electrode and the insulating substrate, wherein the external perimeter edges of the first electrode have asymmetric edge lengths.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 27, 2013
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2018
Assignee:
Advanced Bionics AG
Inventors:
Bing Xu, Kurt J. Koester, Mark B. Downing
Abstract: A cochlear lead includes a thermoformed circuit with a substrate with electrodes formed on the substrate and shaped to curve around a longitudinal axis of the cochlear lead. Traces are also formed on the substrate and connected to the electrodes. Intermediate sections between the electrodes may be curved about an axis that is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 27, 2013
Date of Patent:
August 28, 2018
Assignee:
Advanced Bionics AG
Inventors:
Bing Xu, Kurt J. Koester, Mark B. Downing
Abstract: A cochlear implant sound processor including processor apparatus that, in response to being paired with a cochlear implant, converts audio signals from a microphone into stimulation data and transfer the stimulation data to cochlear implant, and in response to a failure to detect the cochlear implant, transfers the audio signals to a contralateral sound processor. Systems and methods are also disclosed.
Abstract: An exemplary system includes 1) a cochlear implant module configured to be implanted within a patient and including cochlear implant circuitry configured to apply electrical stimulation representative of one or more audio signals to the patient, 2) a first connector assembly coupled to the cochlear implant module and configured to be implanted within the patient, the first connector assembly including a first set of induction coils, 3) an implantable module configured to be implanted within the patient, and 4) a second connector assembly coupled to the implantable module and configured to be implanted within the patient, the second connector assembly including a second set of induction coils. The first and second sets of induction coils are configured to form a multi-channel inductive link between the implantable module and the cochlear implant module. Corresponding systems are also disclosed.
Abstract: An exemplary targeted channel selection system may determine a target stimulation rate for a user of a cochlear implant system, determine a pulse width value that is representative of one or more pulse widths that are to be used for stimulation pulses applied by the cochlear implant system to the user during a stimulation session, and determine, based on the target stimulation rate and on the pulse width value, a value for N that is specific to the user. In this example, N represents a total number of analysis channels that are to be selected from M available analysis channels for presentation by the cochlear implant system to the user during a stimulation frame of the stimulation session.