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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Abstract: An apparatus includes implantable first circuitry configured to wirelessly receive power from a device external to the recipient's body, implantable second circuitry configured to provide stimulation signals to a portion of the recipient's body, and implantable third circuitry, at least a portion of the first circuitry and at least a portion of the third circuitry forming a series resonant tank circuit configured to capacitively couple the second circuitry to the first circuitry while galvanically isolating the second circuitry from the first circuitry, such that at least a portion of the electric power is transferred from the first circuitry to the second circuitry through the third circuitry whilst preventing stimulation currents.

Abstract: A device, comprising a coupling apparatus configured to couple to a male mating coupling component and also configured to couple to a female mating coupling component. In some embodiments, the coupling apparatus is configured to snap couple to a male mating coupling component and also configured to snap couple to a female mating coupling component.

Abstract: An apparatus, including a sterilely sealed package, and an electrode assembly sterilely sealed in the package, wherein the apparatus is configured to enable testing for an open circuit between two electrodes of the electrode assembly with the electrode assembly sterilely sealed in the package.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a support configured to be worn on a head of a recipient and to hold at least one device next to the recipient's skull. The at least one device provides information to the recipient. The support is configured to generate a force that presses against the head and to actively adjust the force while the support is worn by the recipient.

Abstract: A tip member for inserting into the cochlea, a device comprising: an elongate member including at least one electrode mounted thereon; and a tip member extending distally from a distal end of the elongate member, the tip member comprising a tapered portion tapering distally and a blunt end portion at a distal end of the tapered portion, wherein the tip member is resiliently flexible, and a method for making such a device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes signal processing circuitry configured to generate processed data signals in response at least in part to transducer signals from at least one acoustic transducer and filtering signals, and to transmit the processed data signals via at least one communication channel to an actuating assembly of an auditory prosthesis. The apparatus further includes circuitry configured to monitor one or more of the signal processing circuitry, the processed data signals, and the at least one communication channel, and to generate filtering control signals in response at least in part thereto. The apparatus further includes filtering circuitry configured to generate the filtering signals in response at least in part to the processed data signals and the filtering control signals.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for extracting features from sound signals received at a hearing prosthesis at least partially based on an environmental classification of the sound signals. More specifically, one or more sound signals are received at a hearing prosthesis and are converted in to stimulation control signals for use in delivering stimulation to a recipient of the hearing prosthesis. The hearing prosthesis determines an environmental classification of the sound environment associated with the one or more sound signals and is configured to use the environmental classification in the determination of a feature-based adjustment for incorporation into the stimulation control signals.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for adapting settings/operations of a remote microphone device associated with an auditory prosthesis based on a desired/preferred listening direction of a recipient of the auditory prosthesis. More specifically, an auditory prosthesis worn by a recipient and a remote microphone device, which are configured to wirelessly communicate with one another, are both positioned in the same spatial area. At least one of a recipient-specified (e.g., recipient-preferred) region of interest within the spatial area, or a recipient-specified listening direction, is determined. Based on a determined relative positioning (e.g., location and orientation) of the remote microphone device and the auditory prosthesis, operation of the remote microphone device is dynamically adapted so that the remote microphone device can focus on (e.g., have increased sensitivity to) sounds originating from the recipient-specified region of interest/listening direction.

Abstract: Presented herein are low-power active bone conduction devices that comprise an actuator that is subcutaneously implanted within a recipient so as to deliver mechanical output forces to hard tissue of the recipient. The low-power active bone conduction devices include an energy recovery circuit configured to extract non-used energy from the actuator and to store the non-used energy for subsequent use by the actuator. The low-power active bone conduction devices may also include a multi-bit sigma-delta converter that operates in accordance with a scaled sigma-delta quantization threshold value to convert received signals representative of sound into actuator drive signals.

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: Technologies disclosed herein can be used to provide power and data to an implantable device implanted in a recipient, such as when the recipient is not wearing an external device. An example system includes a pillow or other headrest configured as a power and data source for an implanted medical device. Disclosed technologies can be configured to continuously provide power and data to an implantable medical devices over a period of time, such as substantially the entire period of time where the recipient is resting their head on the pillow.

Abstract: Winding a wire at a first location such that the wire is bunched at the first location, extending the wire from the first location to a second location, winding the wire at the second location such that the wire is bunched at the second location, extending the wire from the second location back towards the first location to a third location proximate the second location, winding the wire at the third location such that the wire is bunched at the third location, extending the wire from the third location back towards the first location to a fourth location at least proximate the first location, winding the wire at the fourth location such that the wire is bunched at the fourth location, severing the wire at one or more locations, and forming an electrode assembly utilizing the windings.

Abstract: Presented herein are techniques for assessing one or more outcomes associated with implantation of one or more electrodes into the inner ear of a recipient.

Abstract: Controlling the interaction between an external device and an implanted device, including a method of controlling interaction between an external device and an implanted device, the method including at least the steps of: establishing communications between the implanted device and the external device; the external device determining an identification of the implant and comparing the identification with identifications in a stored list; if the device matches one of said identifications, then using a corresponding set of operating parameters to interact with said implant; and otherwise, not interacting with said device.