Patents Assigned to SoundMed, LLC
  • Publication number: 20170311100
    Abstract: Actuator systems for oral-based appliances utilizing transducers which are attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a dental or oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such oral appliances may be a custom-made device which receives incoming sounds and transmits the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element. The transducer element may utilize electromagnetic or piezoelectric transducer mechanisms and may be positioned directly along the dentition or along an oral appliance housing in various configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: October 26, 2017
    Applicant: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventors: Christoph MENZEL, Amir ABOLFATHI
  • Patent number: 9781525
    Abstract: An intra-oral appliance for transmitting sound via bone conduction and optimized for comfort, safety, speech intelligibility, eating and drinking and extended wear by the user including an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventor: Amir A. Abolfathi
  • Patent number: 9781526
    Abstract: Various methods and apparatus for processing audio signals are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device which can enhance and/or optimize received audio signals for vibrational conduction to the user. Received audio signals may be processed to cancel acoustic echo such that undesired sounds received by one or more intra-buccal and/or extra-buccal microphones are eliminated or mitigated. Additionally, a multiband actuation system may be used where two or more transducers each deliver sounds within certain frequencies. Also, the assembly may also utilize the sensation of directionality via the conducted vibrations to emulate directional perception of audio signals received by the user. Another feature may include the ability to vibrationally conduct ancillary audio signals to the user along with primary audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventor: Amir A. Abolfathi
  • Publication number: 20170265011
    Abstract: An intra-oral appliance for transmitting sound via bone conduction and optimized for comfort, safety, speech intelligibility, eating and drinking and extended wear by the user including an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventor: Amir A. ABOLFATHI
  • Patent number: 9736602
    Abstract: Actuator systems for oral-based appliances utilizing transducers which are attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a dental or oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such oral appliances may be a custom-made device which receives incoming sounds and transmits the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element. The transducer element may utilize electromagnetic or piezoelectric transducer mechanisms and may be positioned directly along the dentition or along an oral appliance housing in various configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventors: Christoph Menzel, Amir A. Abolfathi
  • Publication number: 20170171675
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or transducer assembly through a tooth or teeth are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other hone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2017
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventors: Amir ABOLFATHI, Vahid SAADAT, Loc X. PHAN
  • Patent number: 9615182
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or transducer assembly through a tooth or teeth are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral appliance to form a hearing aid assembly. Such an oral appliance may be a custom-made device. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: SoundMed LLC
    Inventors: Amir A. Abolfathi, Vahid Saadat, Loc X. Phan
  • Publication number: 20160323679
    Abstract: An intra-oral appliance for transmitting sound via bone conduction and optimized for comfort, safety, speech intelligibility, eating and drinking and extended wear by the user including an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing, the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth of the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: November 3, 2016
    Applicant: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventor: Amir A. ABOLFATHI
  • Patent number: 9398370
    Abstract: An intra-oral appliance for transmitting sound via bone conduction and optimized for comfort, safety, speech intelligibility, eating and drinking and extended wear by the user including an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: SoundMed, LLC
    Inventor: Amir A. Abolfathi