Patents by Inventor Erwin S. Hochmair
Erwin S. Hochmair has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9227064Abstract: An external processor device is described for a hearing implant system. An external processor housing has a generally planar skin contacting surface and a central axis perpendicular to the skin contacting surface. A signal processor is located within the processor housing for developing an implant data signal. The processor housing also contains a transmitter coil for coupling the implant data signal across the skin to the implantable prosthetic system. A battery container forms an annular compartment around the central axis and contains a battery arrangement to provide electrical power to the signal processor and the transmitter coil.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2014Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Alexander Duftner, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Publication number: 20150005844Abstract: An external processor device is described for a hearing implant system. An external processor housing has a generally planar skin contacting surface and a central axis perpendicular to the skin contacting surface. A signal processor is located within the processor housing for developing an implant data signal. The processor housing also contains a transmitter coil for coupling the implant data signal across the skin to the implantable prosthetic system. A battery container forms an annular compartment around the central axis and contains a battery arrangement to provide electrical power to the signal processor and the transmitter coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2014Publication date: January 1, 2015Inventors: Alexander Duftner, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 8831728Abstract: An external processor device is described for a hearing implant system. An external processor housing has a generally planar skin contacting surface and a central axis perpendicular to the skin contacting surface. A signal processor is located within the processor housing for developing an implant data signal. The processor housing also contains a transmitter coil for coupling the implant data signal across the skin to the implantable prosthetic system. A battery container forms an annular compartment around the central axis and contains a battery arrangement to provide electrical power to the signal processor and the transmitter coil.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2012Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Alexander Duftner, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 8340774Abstract: An implantable device includes a receiving coil assembly including a magnet holding structure for containing an internal holding magnet which is reorientable in responsive alignment to an external magnetic field. The magnet holding structure is adapted for allowing removal and subsequent reinsertion of the internal holding magnet.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2008Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Erwin S. Hochmair, Martin Zimmerling
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Patent number: 8280524Abstract: An external processor device is described for an implantable prosthetic system. An external processor housing has a generally planar skin contacting surface and a central axis perpendicular to the skin contacting surface. A signal processor is located within the processor housing for developing an implant data signal. The processor housing also contains a transmitter coil for coupling the implant data signal across the skin to the implantable prosthetic system. A battery compartment is also located within the processor housing in an annular region around the central axis for containing a battery arrangement to provide electrical power to the signal processor and the transmitter coil.Type: GrantFiled: August 3, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Alexander Duftner, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 8145326Abstract: A perimodiolar electrode for cochlear implantation includes an electrode carrier having a front end and a back end. The electrode carrier includes one or more contacts and a hydrophilic segment that swells after insertion in a cochlea and detaches at least in part from the carrier. In accordance with related embodiments, the hydrophilic segment may detach from the electrode carrier between the front end and the back end. The detached hydrophilic segment may surround the modiolus of a scala tympani of the cochlea or the inner wall of a scala tympani of the cochlea.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2007Date of Patent: March 27, 2012Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Farhang Abbasi, Claude Jolly, Mohammad Farhadi, Erwin S. Hochmair, Hamid Mirzadeh
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Patent number: 7744525Abstract: A hearing enhancement includes an audio processor that generates an electrical audio signal and transmits the signal to a coil. The coil is implanted into a patient in a position that results in transmission of mechanical stimulation to the inner ear when the coil is spatially displaced. A permanent magnet is placed in proximity to the coil so that when the coil receives the electrical audio signal form the processor, the induced coil magnetic field in the coil interacts with the magnetic field from the permanent magnet to spatially displace the coil and, as a result, transmit the mechanical stimulation to the inner ear.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2007Date of Patent: June 29, 2010Assignee: MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Ingeborg Hochmair, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Publication number: 20100036458Abstract: An external processor device is described for an implantable prosthetic system. An external processor housing has a generally planar skin contacting surface and a central axis perpendicular to the skin contacting surface. A signal processor is located within the processor housing for developing an implant data signal. The processor housing also contains a transmitter coil for coupling the implant data signal across the skin to the implantable prosthetic system. A battery compartment is also located within the processor housing in an annular region around the central axis for containing a battery arrangement to provide electrical power to the signal processor and the transmitter coil.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2009Publication date: February 11, 2010Applicant: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBHInventors: Alexander Duftner, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Publication number: 20080221641Abstract: An implantable device includes a receiving coil assembly including a magnet holding structure for containing an internal holding magnet which is reorientable in responsive alignment to an external magnetic field. The magnet holding structure is adapted for allowing removal and subsequent reinsertion of the internal holding magnet.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2008Publication date: September 11, 2008Applicant: MED-EL ELEKTROMEDIZINISCHE GERAETE GMBHInventors: Erwin S. Hochmair, Martin Zimmerling
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Patent number: 6556870Abstract: A cochlear implant system has a signal processor that fits in the ear canal of a user. The signal processor processes an acoustic signal present in the ear of the user to produce a representative radio signal. A power transmitter transmits an electrical power signal through the skin of the user. A cochlear implant receives the radio signal and the electrical power signal and produces for the auditory nerve of the user an electrical stimulation signal representative of the acoustic signal.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2001Date of Patent: April 29, 2003Assignee: Med-El Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbHInventors: Clemens M. Zierhofer, Erwin S. Hochmair, Ingeborg J. Hochmair
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Publication number: 20030078516Abstract: A perimodiolar electrode for cochlear implantation includes an electrode carrier having a front end and a back end. The electrode carrier includes one or more contacts and a hydrophilic segment that swells after insertion in a cochlea and detaches at least in part from the carrier. In accordance with related embodiments, the hydrophilic segment may detach from the electrode carrier between the front end and the back end. The detached hydrophilic segment may surround the modiolus of a scala tympani of the cochlea or the inner wall of a scala tympani of the cochlea.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2002Publication date: April 24, 2003Inventors: Farhang Abbasi, Claude Jolly, Mohammad Farhadi, Erwin S. Hochmair, Hamid Mirzadeh
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Publication number: 20010047193Abstract: A cochlear implant system has a signal processor that fits in the ear canal of a user. The signal processor processes an acoustic signal present in the ear of the user to produce a representative radio signal. A power transmitter transmits an electrical power signal through the skin of the user. A cochlear implant receives the radio signal and the electrical power signal and produces for the auditory nerve of the user an electrical stimulation signal representative of the acoustic signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2001Publication date: November 29, 2001Inventors: Clemens M. Zierhofer, Erwin S. Hochmair, Ingeborg J. Hochmair
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Patent number: 5070535Abstract: A transcutaneous signal transmission system having coupling coil alignment tolerance and increased coupling efficiency includes an external transmitter and first tuned circuit including a first coupling coil and an implantable receiver and second tuned circuit including a second coupling coil. The first and second tuned circuits are stagger tuned whereby closer spacing of the coupling coils is permitted in achieving optimum coupling.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 1987Date of Patent: December 3, 1991Inventors: Ingeborg J. Hochmair, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 4593696Abstract: An improvement in noise susceptibility is realized in auditory stimulation of the deaf by electrical signals. At least one analog electrical signal is applied to implanted electrodes in a patient, and at least one pulsatile signal is applied to implanted electrodes. The analog signal represents a speech signal, and the pulsatile signal provides specific speech features such as formant frequency and pitch frequency.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 1985Date of Patent: June 10, 1986Inventors: Ingeborg J. Hochmair, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 4577641Abstract: Disclosed is a process of fitting a hearing prosthesis to a deaf or severely hearing impaired patient. The prosthesis is connected to the patient, and a signal is then applied to the prosthesis across an audioband. The frequency response of the prosthesis is adjusted so that the patient detects a desired response to the signal. In one application the prosthesis may include a sound processor driving a transmitter, a transcutaneous receiver, and an implanted electrode. A constant amplitude signal is applied to the sound processor, and the frequency response of the sound processor is adjusted so that the patient detects a generally uniform response to the signal. Other signals can be applied, such as bursts of a sine wave or other periodic wave, and band-filtered noise can be employed with the band center frequency being swept either step-wise or continuously.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 1983Date of Patent: March 25, 1986Inventors: Ingeborg J. Hochmair, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 4419995Abstract: Chronic auditory stimulation is achieved by establishing an electric field at the base of the cochlea whereby full speech patterns are imparted to a patient. Penetration of the cochlea is not required thereby reducing the risks in installing the implanted electrodes. In a preferred embodiment the electrodes are disc shaped with the ground electrode being larger than the active electrode. The active electrode is preferably placed in the round window at the base of the cochlea or on the promontory. The ground electrode is placed 2-10 mm from the active electrode to thereby confine the electric field. The interconnections to the electrodes are tissue compatible insulation covered wires thereby minimizing stimulation of cutaneous nerve fibers.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 1981Date of Patent: December 13, 1983Inventors: Ingeborg J. Hochmair, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 4357497Abstract: A plurality of the carrier signals are modulated by signals in the audio frequency bands. The carrier signals are transmitted to a receiver having one or more independent channels for receiving and demodulating the transmitted signals. The detected signals are applied to electrodes on a prosthetic device implanted in the cochlea with the electrodes selectively positioned in the cochlea to stimulate regions having a desired frequency response.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 1981Date of Patent: November 2, 1982Inventors: Ingeborg J. Hochmair, Erwin S. Hochmair
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Patent number: 4284856Abstract: A plurality of carrier signals are modulated by pulses corresponding to signals in audio frequency bands. The carrier signals are transmitted to a receiver having independent channels for receiving and demodulating the transmitted signals. The detected pulses are applied to electrodes on a prosthetic device implanted in the cochlea with the electrodes selectively positioned in the cochlea to stimulate regions having a desired frequency response. The pulses have a frequency which corresponds to the frequency of signals in an audio band and a pulse width which corresponds to the amplitude of signals in the audio band.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 1979Date of Patent: August 18, 1981Inventors: Ingeborg J. Hochmair, Erwin S. Hochmair