Abstract: A fully implantable hearing system for rehabilitation of a pure sensorineural hearing loss or combined conduction and inner ear hearing impairment, comprising at least one implantable sensor which generates an electrical audio signal, at least one signal processing and amplification unit in an audio-signal processing electronic hearing system path, at least one implantable electromechanical transducer and a unit for supplying power for the implant system. The hearing system is furthermore provided with an implant-side measurement unit which acquires the electrical sensor signal(s) electronically by measurement engineering and electronically conditions the signal(s). Also, a wireless telemetry unit is provided on the implant side which transfers the electronically conditioned sensor signal(s) to the outside to an external display and/or evaluation unit.

Abstract: A power supply module (58) for an implantable device (54) has a biocompatible outer housing (80) which holds a repeatedly rechargeable electrochemical battery (90) that supplies electrical power to a main module (56) of the implantable device (54) via a coupling element (82). The outer housing is made as a hermetically tight protective housing or holds such a housing (88). The protective housing (88) has a detector element (92) which is designed or adjustable to actuate at least one switching element (94) which prevents recharging and/or discharging of the battery (90) when the battery is in an unallowable operating state. The coupling element (82) is preferably made detachable.

Abstract: An implantable device for treatment of tinnitus is provided comprising an electronic signal generation unit and a power source for supplying power. A hermetically gas-tight, biocompatible and implantable electroacoustic transducer is also provided as the sound-delivering output transducer which, after an at least partial mastoidectomy, can be positioned in the mastoid cavity such that the sound emitted from the electroacoustic transducer travels from the mastoid to the tympanic cavity via the natural passage of the aditus ad antrum.

Abstract: A device and a process for charging of rechargeable NiCd, Ni-metal hydride or lithium batteries (12) of implants by transcutaneous transmission of electric power from an external power transmission part (11) to a power receiving part (10) which forms a part of the implant. The charging device is provided with a charging current detector (27, 32, 34) which, in a first charging phase (T1), allows a relatively high charging current (IL) to flow and which, after the cell voltage (UZ) of the battery has reached a predetermined limiting charging voltage (UG), in a second charging phase (T2), reduces the charging current as compared to the charging current which flows at the end of the first charging phase. The charging current detector is made such that, during the second charging phase, it sets the charging current to a value causing the cell voltage during the second charging phase to be kept at least approximately at a predetermined constant voltage value (UG).

Abstract: An at least partially implantable system for rehabilitation of a hearing disorder with an arrangement for processing and/or generation of signals is provided including an implantable processor arrangement with control logic which operates according to an operating program and an implantable storage arrangement for storage of the operating program and of operating parameters. A wireless telemetry unit is provided for data transmission between the implantable part of the system and an external unit. The system also includes a power supply arrangement which supplies individual components of the system with current and a rewritable implantable storage arrangement assigned to the processor arrangement for holding and reproducing the operating program and the operating parameters. At least a part of the operating program and/or of the operating parameters can be modified and/or replaced by data transmitted from the external unit via the telemetry unit.

Abstract: An implant comprising an electric power consuming device electrically coupled to an electric power source including an anode, a cathode and at least one potential probe which is independent of the anode and the cathode. By providing at least one potential probe which is independent of the anode and the cathode, implants can be monitored and controlled to avoid process which can damage the electrodes and shorten the service life of the electrodes and the service life of the implant itself.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transducer for a partially or fully implantable hearing aids for direct mechanical excitation of the middle or inner ear. The transducer is provided with a housing fixedly mounted at the implantation site and a coupling element moveable with respect to the housing for transmitting vibration to the middle ear ossicle or directly to the inner ear. The housing accommodates an electromagnetic component such as a coil which is fixed relative to the housing and a vibratory component such as a permanent magnet which is mechanically connected to the coupling element such that the vibration of the vibratory component is transferred to the coupling element.

Abstract: Implantable device with a charging current feed arrangement (78) which has at least one receiving coil (106) into which energy can be fed electromagnetically via a charging device (59) located outside the body, an electrochemical battery (90) which can be repeatedly recharged via the charging current feed arrangement, and with a main module (56, 130) supplied with electric power by the battery. The components of the implantable device (54), with the exception of the receiving coil, are accommodated in a housing arrangement (72, 72', 72", 128, 132) of biocompatible metal. The receiving coil (106) is wound from at least one metallic conductor (109) that is jacketed with an electrically insulating material (11), is surrounded by a biocompatible polymer (104) and also is mechanically connected to at least part of the housing arrangement (72, 72', 72", 128, 132).

Abstract: A protective device for a repeatedly rechargeable electrochemical battery (10) with a battery housing (12), the protective device having at least one switching element (86) which can be activated by a detector element (62) and which is designed or adjusted to prevent recharging and/or discharging of the battery (10) in an impermissible operating state thereof. The protective device has a hermetically sealed protective housing (54) which holds the battery housing (12). An impermissible operating state of the battery (10) causes a change in shape (deflection) to be impressed on the detector element (62). Preferably, the at least one switching element (86) is made as a make contact which electrically short circuits a recharging circuit supplied by a charging device when a predetermined expansion in the volume of the battery housing (12) and/or gas escape therefrom occurs. The protective device is part of an implantable device, such as a hearing aid.

Abstract: A hearing aid has a microphone (1), or other electromechanical transducer, for converting an acoustic input signal into an electrical signal, a signal-processing and amplifying signal path (2, 3, 13, 4, 5, 6) and an output converter (7) which converts the amplified electrical signals back into acoustic signals, or in the case of an implanted hearing aid into mechanical signals, and a feedback digital finite impulse response filter (FIR filter) (9) for compensation of unwanted feedback (8) from the output converter to the microphone, in which the filter coefficients of filter (9) are determined by feeding a short pulse into the feedback signal path (5, 6, 7, 1, 2) and directly measuring the impulse response of this signal path.

Abstract: The invention relates to a transducer for partially or fully implantable hearing aids for direct mechanical excitation of the middle or inner ear. The transducer is provided with a housing fixedly mounted at the implantation site and a coupling element moveable with respect to the housing for transmitting vibration to the middle ear ossicle or directly to the inner ear. The housing accommodates a piezoelectric element with which the coupling element can be vibrated and an electromagnet arrangement including an electromagnetic component, such as an electromagnetic coil, fixedly mounted relative to the housing and a vibratory component, such as a permanent magnet, mechanically connected to the coupling element such that the vibration of the vibratory component is transferred to the coupling element.

Abstract: In a process for optimization of mechanical inner ear stimulation in an at least partially implantable hearing system for rehabilitation of a hearing impairment with an electromechanical converter which transmits its output-side mechanical vibrational energy via mechanical stimulation of a middle ear ossicle to the damaged inner ear, the ossicular chain is mechanically interrupted such that co-vibration of the eardrum and thus loss of part of the energy supplied by the electromechanical converter by acoustic sound emission is prevented. The process optimizes the flow of mechanical energy supplied by the electromechanical hearing aid converter in the direction of the inner ear.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device and a method for aiding the positioning of an external transmitting part relative to an implantable receiving part of a charging system for charging a rechargeable power source of an implantable medical device such as an implantable hearing aid. The external transmitting and the implantable receiving part each has a resonant circuit with a transmitting coil and a receiving coil respectively. These coils can be inductively coupled to one another by corresponding manual positioning of the external transmitting part for transcutaneous power transmission. The external transmitting part is provided with an oscillator which is connected to the transmitting resonant circuit and the oscillator has a resonant frequency which shifts as a function of the coupling between the transmitting coil and the receiving coil.

Abstract: A fixation element secures to a patient's ear an implantable microphone having a cylindrical housing part with an acoustic inlet membrane after insertion into a hole which crosses a rear bony wall of the patient's auditory canal. The fixation element has a cylindrical sleeve part which surrounds the cylindrical housing part of the microphone and which has projecting, elastic flange parts which can be placed against the side of the wall of the auditory canal which faces the skin of the auditory canal. In use, the elastic flange parts are held in a bent position against an elastic restoring force of the flange parts, before implantation, by applying a holder to the flange parts which allows insertion of the flanges through the hole of the wall of the auditory canal.

Abstract: Arrangement for adjusting and fixing the relative position of two components of an active or passive hearing implant. A first one of the elements is rod-shaped at least in the fixing region. The other of the elements, at least in the fixing region, is sleeve-shaped and can be plastically cold-deformed by a crimping tool or is made as a belt loop which can be tightened and in the fixed state loops around the rod-shaped part over an angle of at least 360.degree.. The two elements are joined permanently to one another without play by cold-flow deformation of the sleeve-shaped part or by force-fit and/or form fit when the belt loop is tightened.