Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for monitoring the bonding of an implantable transducer, such as an implantable sound sensor or implantable actuator, to tissue of a recipient. More specifically, the sensitivity of the implantable transducer is monitored during the bonding process using signals captured/received by the implantable transducer. The signals captured by the implantable transducer are analyzed to determine whether and/or when the implantable sound sensor is bonded to the tissue.

Abstract: An apparatus includes first circuitry configured to be implanted on or within a recipient's body and to apply stimulation signals to at least one muscle of a recipient and/or to at least one neuron configured to control the at least one muscle. The apparatus further includes second circuitry configured to be implanted on or within the recipient's body and configured to wirelessly receive electrical power from a power source external to the recipient's body and to provide at least a portion of the received electrical power to the first circuitry. The second circuitry includes a plurality of coils, each coil of the plurality of coils having at least one electrically conductive conduit encircling a center axis of the coil. The coils are configured to be implanted on or within the recipient's body with different orientations and/or positions relative to one another.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for wirelessly transferring power signals (power) through the use of a quantized wave-shaped signal, referred to herein as “quantized waveform.” In particular, a quantized waveform generator comprises a pulse generator and a set of amplifiers that are grouped over a distributed resonance capacitor part of a series resonant tank circuit. These amplifiers are driven in a predefined sequence of pulses in order to generate a step function output (quantized waveform). The quantized waveform is used to drive a power transmission coil to cause the power transmission coil to emit wireless power signals at a predetermined operating frequency. The predefined sequence used to drive the amplifiers is such that one or more harmonic components of the operating frequency are substantially eliminated.

Abstract: This application relates to audiometric testing techniques. An example implementation is based on audibly providing a target word to a user and receiving a response of what the user audibly perceived in text form. The text is then converted into phonemes and compared with phonemes of the target word. In many examples, the process is repeated for multiple target words. The resulting comparison data can be used to determine the user's ability to hear and can be the basis for one or more treatment actions if the results reveal the user may suffer from hearing loss. The treatment actions can include providing the user with a hearing device or modifying an existing hearing device of the user.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure identify and alert a clinician to physiological cues thereby aiding the clinician in providing a better fitting of a medical prosthesis. Physiological data of a recipient of a medical prosthesis is analyzed to identify triggers during fitting or other types of adjustments to the prosthesis. A determination is then made as to whether the identified triggers correspond to a feedback event. If the triggers correspond to a feedback event, an alert containing information about the feedback event is generated and displayed or otherwise made available to the clinician.

Abstract: Binaural hearing systems presented herein are configured to provide a recipient with magnified binaural cues. In certain embodiments, the techniques presented herein use static sideways beamforming with interaural magnification to capture and prepare sound signals for subsequent processing. That is, sound signals are captured at each of the binaural prostheses in accordance with a sideways directional pattern (e.g., directional patterns facing away from the head of the recipient). The sound signals captured with the sideways directional patterns, referred to as sideways directional signals, are then used to perform interaural magnification. In other embodiments, the techniques presented herein use constrained adaptive beamformers to capture sound signals for subsequent processing.

Abstract: A system includes an electrical stimulator configured to provide at least one asymmetric multiphasic stimulation to a recipient for affecting tinnitus in the recipient. A method includes generating asymmetric multiphasic stimulation. The method can also include providing the asymmetric multiphasic stimulation to an ear of a recipient to affect tinnitus in the recipient.

Abstract: An inductive charging case in accordance with certain embodiments presented herein comprises a base and a lid mechanically coupled together via a hinge mechanism. When the inductive charging case is in a closed arrangement (e.g., the lid is positioned adjacent to the base), the lid and base collectively define an interior volume that is configured to enclose an electronic device therein. The electronic device includes one or more rechargeable batteries, a receiver coil, and circuitry for recharging the one or more rechargeable batteries, while the inductive charging case includes inductive charging circuitry, including at least one inductive charging coil, that is configured to provide power to the electronic device which is then used to charge the one or more rechargeable batteries and/or power the electronic device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a first element and a second element configured to be repeatedly mechanically coupled to and decoupled from one another, a first seal between the first element and the second element, and a second seal between the first element and the second element. The first seal is configured to inhibit moisture ingress from an environment surrounding the first and second elements to a first region enclosed at least partially by the first seal and the second seal is configured to inhibit moisture ingress from the first region to a second region enclosed at least partially by the second seal. One of the first and second seals includes two first surfaces of the first and second elements in contact with one another, and another one of the first and second seals includes a second surface and a resiliently bendable protrusion of the first and second elements in contact with one another.

Abstract: Presented herein are distributed implantable hearing systems that have at least a main implant module that is physically separated from a distally positioned inner radio-frequency (RF) coil. Embodiments presented herein may include a main implant module positioned within a recipient's mastoid and an implantable coil positioned within a recipient's middle ear cavity.

Abstract: An aspect of the disclosure is to provide a system and a method of fitting a cochlea implant system to a patient, the method including determining an insertion angle of at least one electrode of a first electrode array of the cochlea implant system inserted into a cochlea of the patient, determining a plurality of natural frequencies as a function of a cochlea spiral length based on a natural frequency allocation model and the insertion angle, determining a plurality of characteristic frequencies as a function of a cochlea spiral length by frequency downshifting the plurality of natural frequencies until an objective is obtained and while preserving the harmonic relationship between the natural frequencies of the plurality of natural frequencies in the plurality of characteristic frequencies, and allocating the plurality of characteristic frequencies to each electrode of the first electrode array based on the insertion angle of the at least one electrode.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques to calculate long-term loudness measures for each of the prostheses in a bimodal hearing system and exchange this information across the two sides. The bimodal hearing system operates to ensure that the loudness differences between the two sides follow the ILDs between the two sides. Stated differently, the techniques presented herein determine a target loudness ratio based on the input signals (sound signals) received at each of the first second hearing prostheses in a bimodal hearing system. The techniques presented herein further determine an estimated inter-aural loudness ratio based on output signals that would be generated by each of the first and second hearing prostheses based on the input signals. Operation of either or both of the first or second hearing prostheses is adjusted so as to substantially match the estimated inter-aural loudness ratio to the target loudness ratio.

Abstract: Presented herein are implantable housing arrangements that are configured to receive and retain an implantable magnet therein, while also facilitating both in-plane rotation and out-of-plane rotation of the implantable magnet in the presence of external magnetic, such as that applied with an MRI. That is, the housing arrangements presented herein allow a planar (e.g., conventional/standard) implantable magnet to rotate circumferentially around a central axis of the implantable magnet (in-plane rotation), as well as angularly rotate relative to the central axis (out-of-plane rotation). The in-plane rotation and out-of-plane rotation can reduce torque during an MRI because the magnet is able to rotate so as to more closely align with the applied MRI magnetic field, resulting in less pain and less risk of tissue or device damage.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein are relevant to testing capacitors to identify potentially faulty DC blocking capacitors in implantable stimulators. In an example, the test includes selecting an active electrode, a return electrode, and a reference electrode. Short duration monophasic stimulation is used to charge up the DC blocking capacitors of the active and return electrodes. The electrodes are subsequently disconnected from all other nodes except a discharge circuit (e.g., a star circuit) and the tissue. The reference electrode is used to measure the voltage of the DC blocking capacitor of the active electrode during the charging phase and the discharging phase (via the discharge circuit). The characteristics of one or more of the capacitors charging or discharging can be sensed and then analyzed to determine whether the one or more capacitors are functioning properly. Faulty capacitors can be identified by comparing actual and expected characteristics.

Abstract: A hearing prosthesis, comprising: a microphone; a sound processor; an external transmitter unit including a coil; an internal receiver unit including a coil; a stimulator unit, wherein the stimulator unit includes a control circuit, a voltage measurement component, a resistor and a signal generator, wherein the measurement circuit is configured to output a signal indicative of the voltage across the resistor; and a stimulating lead assembly array, wherein at least a portion of the hearing prosthesis is configured to apply an electrical signal to tissue inside a cochlea of a recipient, and at least a portion of the hearing prosthesis is configured to sense an electrical property inside of the cochlea that results from the applied electrical signal and the interaction of the applied electrical signal to the tissue.

Abstract: Presented herein are predictive consultation techniques for use with medical devices. The techniques presented herein, sometimes referred to herein as “predictive medical device consultation techniques,” can include, for example, generation of one or more clinical predictions related to timing of future clinical appointments and/or one or more clinical predictions related to the selection of a medical device for the recipient.

Abstract: A method, including subjecting a subcutaneous medical device containing a first magnet to a magnetic field of an MRI machine, thereby imparting a torque onto the first magnet and resisting the imparted torque via an external device that includes a second magnet, wherein the second magnet is movable relative to another component of the external device.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for estimating skin flap thickness (“SFT”) of a recipient of an implantable medical device system. In particular, in accordance with the techniques presented herein, the implantable medical device comprises an external component having a magnet configured to magnetically couple the external component to an implantable component of the implantable medical device system through a skin flap of a recipient of the implantable medical device system. The SFT is estimated based on a strength of the magnet. One or more operational parameters for the implantable medical device system may be determined and/or set based on the estimated SFT.

Abstract: Presented herein are hybrid multi-phasic stimulation techniques for stimulation of tissue of a recipient of an implantable medical device. In particular, in accordance with the hybrid multi-phasic stimulation techniques, at least one stimulation current pulse is delivered to the tissue of the recipient in order to stimulate the tissue. The at least one stimulation current pulse injects charge into the tissue that is then removed through the combination of at least one discharging current pulse and a period of electrode shorting.

Abstract: An implant system includes an implantable component and an external component. The implant system switches communication between the implantable component and the external component from a first communication link to a second communication link in response to detecting interference in the first communication link above a threshold. The implant system switches communication between the implantable and external components from the second communication link back to the first communication link in response to detecting interference in the first communication link below the threshold.