Patents Assigned to Cochlear Limited
  • Recipient-directed electrode set selection
    Patent number: 11786724
    Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for the determination/selection of a set of electrodes for use in an electrically-stimulating auditory/hearing prosthesis. More specifically, an electrically-stimulating hearing prosthesis includes a plurality of electrodes implanted in a recipient. Based, at least in part on a recipient's subjective preferences, one or more of these electrodes may be deactivated. The remaining (i.e., non-deactivated) electrodes form a final electrode set that is subsequently used by the hearing prosthesis for subsequent hearing rehabilitation operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Sean Lineaweaver
  • Retention magnet system for medical device
    Patent number: 11792586
    Abstract: An external portion of an auditory prosthesis includes an external magnet that interacts with an implantable magnet to hold the external portion against the skin. Magnetic force generated by the stray field of these magnets can disturb the operation of a vibrating element of the auditory prosthesis. The technologies described herein utilize additional magnets disposed within portions of the auditory prosthesis to redirect the magnetic flux, which allows the vibrating element to be disposed more closely to the magnets, reducing the overall height profile of the prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Patrik Kennes, Charles Roger Aaron Leigh, Paul Michael Carter, Mark Alan Von Huben, Jonathan Diolaso, Scott Matthew Ibbotson, Irene Tsimos Diolaso
  • Environmental classification controlled output level in bone conduction devices
    Patent number: 11785402
    Abstract: A bone conduction device is configured to classify received sound signals (sounds) into one or more sound categories/classes (i.e., determine the input signal type). The bone conduction device is configured to dynamically set a maximum force output (MFO) of the bone conduction device at least based on the sound class of the sound signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Kristian Gunnar Asnes
  • Sound processing with increased noise suppression
    Patent number: 11783845
    Abstract: A method for processing sound that includes, generating one or more noise component estimates relating to an electrical representation of the sound and generating an associated confidence measure for the one or more noise component estimates. The method further comprises processing, based on the confidence measure, the sound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Stefan J. Mauger, Adam A. Hersbach, Pam W. Dawson, John M. Heasman
  • Electromagnetic transducer with non-axial air gap
    Patent number: 11778385
    Abstract: An electromagnetic transducer, including at least one active air gap, wherein the active air gap is a non-axial air gap. In some instances, the electromagnetic transducer of claim further comprises a coil configured to generate a dynamic magnetic field, the coil having a longitudinal axis, wherein the active air gap extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Tommy Bergs
  • Transducer with dual suspension
    Patent number: 11765529
    Abstract: A bone conduction device, including a transducer and a housing, wherein the housing is directly flexibly connected to the transducer at a dynamic component of the bone conduction device and directly flexibly connected to a static component of the bone conduction device. In an exemplary embodiment, the bone conduction device is a percutaneous bone conduction device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Dan Nyström, Tobias Good
  • Combinatory directional processing of sound signals
    Patent number: 11758336
    Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for generating a combinatory microphone signal from sounds captured at a microphone array. More specifically, sound signals captured by a microphone array are used to generate first and second directional signals. A cross-power signal is computed from the first and second directional signals. The cross-power signal is converted into an amplitude domain output signal, and a phase of the amplitude domain output signal is reconstructed in order to generate a combinatory microphone signal that is useable for subsequent sound processing operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Stefan Jozef Mauger
  • Spatial pre-filtering in hearing prostheses
    Patent number: 11750985
    Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for increasing sensitivity of a hearing prosthesis to sound signals received from the “side” of a recipient. The sensitivity of the hearing prosthesis to sound signals received from the side of a recipient is provided by a spatial pre-filter that is configured to use a primary reference signal (i.e., a first directional signal) and a side reference signal (i.e., a second directional signal having at least one null directed to the side of the recipient) to calculate a side gain mask. The side gain mask includes gains for each of a plurality of frequency channels associated with the received sound signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Adam Hersbach, Richard Bruce Murphy
  • Advanced hearing prosthesis recipient habilitation and/or rehabilitation
    Patent number: 11750989
    Abstract: A method of increasing an ability of a recipient of a hearing prosthesis' ability to hear with the hearing prosthesis, including obtaining data indicative of a first characteristic of content, wherein the content is an audio or an audio-visual content, obtaining data indicative of a second characteristic of the content, identifying, based on the first and second characteristics, specific content and using at least one item of the specific content with the hearing prosthesis such that a hearing percept in the recipient is evoked based on the at least one item of specific content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Jim May, Janette Oliver
  • Barriers for electrodes
    Patent number: 11738193
    Abstract: A method, including providing an electrical current to an electrode contact located in a cochlea of a human to evoke a hearing percept, and managing flow of perilymph located inside the cochlea locally to the electrode contact while the current is provided to the electrode contact. In an exemplary embodiment, the management is executed using a seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Peter Raymond Sibary, Nicholas Charles Pawsey
  • Dynamic virtual hearing modelling
    Patent number: 11735318
    Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for generating, updating, and/or using a virtual hearing model associated with a recipient of an auditory prosthesis. The virtual hearing model is generated and updated for the recipient based on psychoacoustics data associated with the recipient and, in certain cases, based on psychoacoustics data gathered from one or more selected populations of auditory prosthesis recipients. The recipient-specific virtual hearing model can be used, in real-time, to determine one or more settings for the auditory prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Alexander von Brasch, Stephen Fung
  • Actuator testing systems and methods
    Patent number: 11736869
    Abstract: Technologies disclosed herein can be used to test vibrating actuators, such as those found in auditory prostheses. An example test system includes a trigger signal generator that emits a trigger signal, a test frequency generator that operates in a test mode responsive to receiving a trigger signal, and a diagnostic tool comprising a vibration sensor. The diagnostic tool can measure an output of the vibration sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Werner Meskens, Clare James
  • Hearing prosthesis accessory
    Patent number: 11729562
    Abstract: Embodiments presented herein are generally directed to a protective sleeve for an external component of a hearing prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: David Harte, Taduesz Jurkiewicz, Slobodan Ilic, Hans Yoo
  • Perception change-based adjustments in hearing prostheses
    Patent number: 11723572
    Abstract: Presented herein are substantially automated techniques that enable an electro-acoustic or other hearing prosthesis implanted in a recipient to use objective measurements to determine when the recipient is likely experiencing sound perception changes. Once one or more perception changes are detected, the hearing prosthesis may initiate one or more remedial actions to, for example, address the perception changes. As described further below, the one or more remedial actions may include adjustments to the recipient's operational map to reverse the one or more perception changes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Stephen Fung, Alex von Brasch, Kieran Reed
  • Hierarchical environmental classification in a hearing prosthesis
    Patent number: 11722826
    Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for generating a hierarchical classification of a set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis. The hierarchical classification includes a plurality of nested classifications of a sound environment associated with the set of sound signals received at hearing prosthesis, including a primary classification and one or more secondary classifications that each represent different characteristics of the sound environment. The primary classification represents a basic categorization of the sound environment, while the secondary classifications define sub-categories/refinements of the associated primary classification and/or other secondary classifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Michael Goorevich, Obaid ur Rehman Qazi, Carl Puchner
  • Implantable microphone management
    Patent number: 11722815
    Abstract: A device, including an implantable microphone, including a transducer, and a chamber in which a gas is located such that vibrations originating external to the microphone based on sound are effectively transmitted therethrough, wherein the transducer is in effective vibration communication with the gas, wherein the transducer is configured to convert the vibrations traveling via the gas to an electrical signal, the chamber and the transducer correspond to a microphone system, wherein the chamber corresponds to a front volume of the microphone system, and the transducer includes a back volume corresponding to the back volume of the microphone system, and the implantable microphone is configured to enable pressure adjustment of the front and/or back volume in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: James Roy Easter, Maekele Gebrekidan
  • Execution and initialisation of processes for a device
    Patent number: 11711655
    Abstract: Systems and methods for detecting when a device is placed into an operational position are disclosed. Upon determination that the device is in the operational position, one or more processes can be executed. Execution or initialization of the processes upon detection of the operational position provides for the determination of optimal settings than would otherwise be determined if the processes automatically executed before detection of the operational position. Further aspects of the present disclosure relate to determining when the device is no longer in an operational position upon which time the execution of the processes are terminated. The settings in place upon termination can be saved and reapplied the next time the device is in the operational position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Martin Evert Gustaf Hillbratt, Kristian Gunnar Asnes
  • Contaminant-proof microphone assembly
    Patent number: 11706551
    Abstract: Presented herein are contaminant-proof microphone assemblies for use with devices/apparatuses, such as auditory prostheses, that include one or more microphones disposed within a housing. A contaminant-proof microphone assembly in accordance with certain embodiments presented herein includes a microphone, a microphone plug, and a contaminant-proof membrane. The microphone plug has a first end coupled to the microphone and a second end that is configured to be positioned adjacent the contaminant-proof membrane. As such, the microphone plug is disposed between a sound inlet of the microphone and the contaminant-proof membrane. The microphone plug may be configured to mate with the housing or a gasket attached to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Nathan Isaacson, Adam Mujaj
  • Prosthesis state and feedback path based parameter management
    Patent number: 11706572
    Abstract: A method including obtaining data based on a current and/or anticipated future state of a hearing prosthesis and adjusting a set gain margin of the hearing prosthesis based on the current or anticipated future state of the hearing prosthesis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Martin Hillbratt, Mark Flynn, Bjorn Davidsson
  • Antenna for wireless communications integrated in electronic device
    Patent number: 11695213
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a housing and a circuit including an inductor and at least one capacitor in electrical communication with the inductor. The circuit has a resonance frequency and bounds a non-electrically-conductive region of the housing. The circuit is configured to be operable as an antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Sören Nilsson