Patents by Inventor Koen Van den Heuvel

Koen Van den Heuvel 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).

  • Publication number: 20140163692
    Abstract: Implantable components configured to be secured to a recipient with a bonding agent are presented herein. The implantable components are configured to be implanted adjacent to a recipient's bone and/or tissue and have a surface for attachment to the bonding agent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Inventors: Koen Van den Heuvel, Joris Walraevens, Wim Bervoets
  • Patent number: 8644536
    Abstract: A method of operating a hearing prosthesis. The hearing prosthesis includes memory and a clock and is configured to deliver stimuli to a user. The method includes determining the stimuli, with the hearing prosthesis, in response to a sound signal and at least in part by using one or more adjustable parameters stored in the memory. The method further includes receiving, from the user, a request to adjust at least one of the parameters, and determining whether to make the requested adjustment by reference to an amount of time, as determined by said clock, or a function based around an amount of time since a predefined event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventor: Koen Van den Heuvel
  • Publication number: 20140025138
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for receiving a data signal and a power signal by a hearing prosthesis are disclosed. An input signal is received at a first unit of a hearing prosthesis. The first unit receives the input signal at a wired interface module that conforms to a standardized interface. The first unit identifies a data signal and a power signal included in the input signal. The first unit transfers at least a portion of the power signal to a second unit of the hearing prosthesis. The second unit is implanted in a body and is configured to stimulate an auditory organ, allowing a user to perceive at least a portion of a sound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: January 23, 2014
    Applicant: COCHLEAR LIMITED
    Inventors: Werner Meskens, Erika Van Baelen, Koen Van den Heuvel, Peter Van Gerwen
  • Patent number: 8626307
    Abstract: An electronic system is provided which includes a number of components. Each component includes one or more integrated circuits. During normal operation of the system, each integrated circuit provides individual operating functionality for its respective component. At least one of the integrated circuits is installed as a generic integrated circuit capable of providing any one of a number of potential operating functionalities. The generic integrated circuit is arranged to determine where in the system it has been installed upon system initialization, and, based upon the determination, configure itself to provide the required individual operating functionality for normal operation of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Erika J. Van Baelen, Jan Janssen, Tony M. Nygard, Koen Van den Heuvel
  • Patent number: 8611995
    Abstract: Methods and devices for determining the operating mode of an implantable medical device are disclosed. A first device transmits a keep-alive signal to an implantable medical device. If the implantable medical device receives the keep-alive signal within a first time interval, the implantable medical device operates in a normal operating mode. If the implantable medical device does not receive the keep-alive signal with the first time interval, at least a portion of the implantable medical device is deactivated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Koenraad Van Hulle, Koen Van den Heuvel, Werner Meskens
  • Publication number: 20130296970
    Abstract: An implantable hearing prosthesis comprising an implantable upgrade module including a pre-processing unit configured to generate audio signals based on microphone information; and a implantable main module, physically separate from and electrically connected to the upgrade module. The implantable main module comprises a sound processing unit configured to generate stimulation information based on the audio signals received from the pre-processing unit, and a stimulator unit configured to generate stimulation signals based on the stimulation information. The hearing prosthesis also comprises a stimulation module configured to deliver the stimulation signals to a recipient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Koen Van Den Heuvel, Jan Janssen
  • Publication number: 20130282067
    Abstract: Methods and devices for determining the operating mode of an implantable medical device are disclosed. A first device transmits a keep-alive signal to an implantable medical device. If the implantable medical device receives the keep-alive signal within a first time interval, the implantable medical device operates in a normal operating mode. If the implantable medical device does not receive the keep-alive signal with the first time interval, at least a portion of the implantable medical device is deactivated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2012
    Publication date: October 24, 2013
    Applicant: COCHLEAR LIMITED
    Inventors: Koenraad Van Hulle, Koen Van den Heuvel, Werner Meskens
  • Publication number: 20130165737
    Abstract: A method of implanting a hearing prosthesis in a recipient, including boring an artificial passageway into the temporal bone to a middle ear cavity based on a virtual model of at least a portion of a recipient's temporal bone.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Inventor: Koen Van den Heuvel
  • Publication number: 20130090517
    Abstract: The present application discloses systems and methods for transmitting configuration between a command module and a stimulation module of a hearing prosthesis. In accordance with at least some embodiments of the disclosed systems and methods, a hearing prosthesis determines that a block of configuration data is queued for transmission. In response to this determination, the hearing prosthesis divides the amount of queued configuration data into a plurality of configuration data fragments and transmits the data fragments separately. In some embodiments, the command module appends each configuration data fragment to a different packet of stimulation commands and transmits to the stimulation module appended stimulation packets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: COCHLEAR LIMITED
    Inventors: Koen Van den Heuvel, Koen Van Herck
  • Publication number: 20120286765
    Abstract: An auditory prosthesis comprising an actuator for providing mechanical stimulation to a recipient. The auditory prosthesis comprises a measurement circuit for use in determining the resonance peak(s) of the actuator. In an embodiment, the measurement circuit measures the voltage drop across the actuator and/or current through the actuator during a frequency sweep of the operational frequencies of the actuator. These measured voltages and/or currents are then analyzed for discontinuities that are indicative of a resonance peak of the actuator. In another embodiment, rather than using a frequency sweep to measure voltages and/or currents across the actuator, the measurement circuit instead applies a voltage impulse to the actuator and then measure the voltage and/or current across the actuator for a period of time after application of the impulse. The measured voltages and/or currents are then analyzed to identify resonance peak(s) of the actuator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Inventors: Koen Van den Heuvel, Werner Meskens
  • Publication number: 20120275629
    Abstract: A method of wireless communication between hearing aid devices of a hearing prosthesis. A first device selects a frequency channel for bidirectional wireless communication from a predefined series of frequency channels. A second device transmits a command signal repeatedly over the series of frequency channels until it transmits the command signal over the frequency channel selected by the first device. Subsequent commands send by the second device to the first device are initially transmitted over the selected frequency channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Werner Meskens, Koen Van Den Heuvel
  • Publication number: 20120232616
    Abstract: A medical device, comprising first and second components coupled via a first wireless link; and a third component coupled to the first device via a second wireless link. The device implements a communication scheme in which transmissions via the second wireless link occur during a time period that is interleaved between periods including transmissions via the first link.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: Erika Van Baelen, Koen Van den Heuvel, Werner Meskens, Adam Schindhelm, Christopher J. Long
  • Publication number: 20120215283
    Abstract: A hearing prosthesis for delivering stimuli to a hearing-impaired recipient is disclosed, the hearing prosthesis comprising: a sound transducer for converting received sound signals into electric audio signals; a sound processor for converting said electric audio signals into stimuli signals; a stimulator for delivering said stimuli to the recipient; a memory for storing data representative of sound signals; and a controller configured to cause selected sound data to be retrieved from said memory and processed by said sound processor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 23, 2012
    Inventors: John Chambers, Michael Goorevich, Konstadinos Hatzianestis, Koen Van den Heuvel, Paul M. Carter
  • Publication number: 20120195437
    Abstract: A stand-alone microphone test housing includes a housing adapted to receive a hearing device and a sound source, wherein the housing includes a sound channel to operatively direct sound from the sound source to at least one microphone such that the sound passes directly from the sound source to the at least one microphone via the sound channel, and wherein the housing is further adapted to do at least one of disposing the sound source at a repeatable distance from the hearing device and disposing the sound source in a repeatable orientation relative to the hearing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: Koen Van den Heuvel, Michael Goorevich
  • Patent number: 8175306
    Abstract: A method of wireless communication between hearing aid devices of a hearing prosthesis. A first device selects a frequency channel for bidirectional wireless communication from a predefined series of frequency channels. A second device transmits a command signal repeatedly over the series of frequency channels until it transmits the command signal over the frequency channel selected by the first device. Subsequent commands send by the second device to the first device are initially transmitted over the selected frequency channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Werner Meskens, Koen Van den Heuvel
  • Publication number: 20120109006
    Abstract: A method and system for fitting and adjusting the operation of an acoustic hearing prosthesis or a hybrid electric and acoustic hearing prosthesis. A graphic user interface allows for the acoustic and electric fitting parameters to be viewed and adjusted in a comparable way. The method further allows for the parameters for acoustic stimulation of the acoustic channels to be adjusted in response to behavioural or objective measurement of responses to known stimuli, so as to achieve a desired response curve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Christopher J. James, Ibrahim Bouchataoui, Mattheus J.P. Killian, Koen Van den Heuvel
  • Publication number: 20120109297
    Abstract: A universal implant for an implantable medical device, the universal implant including a plurality of functional components, having a plurality of hardware components disposed in a housing, and an auxiliary component interface disposed in a surface of the housing and configured to electrically connect any one of a plurality of auxiliary components to said hardware components. The universal implant further includes a determinator configured to identify one or more of the auxiliary components, select one or more of said functional components based on the identified auxiliary components, and adapt said selected functional components for operation with the identified auxiliary components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventor: Koen Van den Heuvel
  • Patent number: 8170677
    Abstract: A hearing prosthesis for delivering stimuli to a hearing-impaired recipient is disclosed, the hearing prosthesis comprising: a sound transducer for converting received sound signals into electric audio signals; a sound processor for converting the electric audio signals into stimuli signals; a stimulator for delivering the stimuli to the recipient; a memory for storing data representative of sound signals; and a controller configured to cause selected sound data to be retrieved from the memory and processed by the sound processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: John Chambers, Michael Goorevich, Konstadinos Hatzianestis, Koen Van den Heuvel, Paul M. Carter
  • Patent number: 8144884
    Abstract: The present invention provides a stand-alone microphone test system for a hearing device, comprising a hearing device having at least one microphone, a sound source in communication with the hearing device, wherein, when in operation, the sound source receives a signal from the hearing device, and a mold oriented to hold the hearing device and the sound source such that output from the sound source may be directed to the at least one microphone. There is also provided a stand-alone microphone test method for a hearing device, comprising providing a test signal/sequence output to a sound source/receiver, providing a reference signal to a comparator, receiving output from the sound source/receiver in a microphone, transmitting the received signal to the comparator, comparing the received signal with the reference signal, and providing a test result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Cochlear Limited
    Inventors: Koen Van den Heuvel, Michael Goorevich
  • Publication number: 20110264155
    Abstract: An implantable hearing prosthesis comprising an implantable upgrade module including a pre-processing unit configured to generate audio signals based on microphone information; and a implantable main module, physically separate from and electrically connected to the upgrade module. The implantable main module comprises a sound processing unit configured to generate stimulation information based on the audio signals received from the pre-processing unit, and a stimulator unit configured to generate stimulation signals based on the stimulation information. The hearing prosthesis also comprises a stimulation module configured to deliver the stimulation signals to a recipient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2009
    Publication date: October 27, 2011
    Applicant: COCHLEAR AMERICAS
    Inventors: Koen Van den Heuvel, Jan Janssen