Patents by Inventor Stefan Menzl

Stefan Menzl 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: 20220038833
    Abstract: A method is specified for establishing a short-range radio link, in particular a Bluetooth connection, between a first device and a second device. A charging unit, which is configured to charge a hearing device, mediates the establishment of the short-range radio link. The charging unit transmits pairing data of the first device to the second device to establish the short-range radio link, so that the latter device is paired with the first device and the short-range radio link is established. There are also described a hearing device and a charging unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Stefan Menzl, Thomas Fischer, Stefan Mijovic, Riccardo Cavallari, Umut Goekay
  • Patent number: 10737091
    Abstract: An electrode for the electrical stimulation of brain tissue or other tissue of a patient is configured for location between skull and scalp of the patient. The electrode has a stimulation surface which is configured for contacting the skull of the patient. The electrode is a disc-shaped electrode having a pre-shaped flat or concave stimulation surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: PRECISIS AG
    Inventors: Gregor Remmert, Stefan Menzl
  • Patent number: 9895536
    Abstract: A thin profile impact resistant cochlear implant includes a single piece machined case having a bottom surface, wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface is concave and a single piece machined cover configured to be joined to the case, the cover comprising a convex upper surface. A method for forming thin profile cochlear implant is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG
    Inventors: Chuladatta Thenuwara, Mark Downing, Kurt Koester, Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20160082249
    Abstract: A thin profile impact resistant cochlear implant includes a single piece machined case having a bottom surface, wherein at least a portion of the bottom surface is concave and a single piece machined cover configured to be joined to the case, the cover comprising a convex upper surface. A method for forming thin profile cochlear implant is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Applicant: Advanced Bionics AG
    Inventors: Chuladatta Thenuwara, Mark Downing, Kurt Koester, Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20160066109
    Abstract: A hearing aid including a permanent magnet to be fixed at a patient's incus (26), an audio signal source (14), an audio signal processing unit (16) for processing audio signals from the audio signal source, a driver unit (18) including a coil (22) for generating a magnetic field (25) that vibrates the permanent magnet according to the processed audio signals in order to stimulate the patient's hearing, and a measurement arrangement (56, 58, 60) for measuring the magnetic coupling between the coil and the permanent magnet in order to adjust the position of the coil or the input signals to the coil provided by the driver unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventor: Stefan Menzl
  • Patent number: 9215537
    Abstract: A hearing aid including a permanent magnet to be fixed at a patient's incus (26), an audio signal source (14), an audio signal processing unit (16) for processing audio signals from the audio signal source, a driver unit (18) including a coil (22) for generating a magnetic field (25) that vibrates the permanent magnet according to the processed audio signals in order to stimulate the patient's hearing, and a measurement arrangement (56, 58, 60) for measuring the magnetic coupling between the coil and the permanent magnet in order to adjust the position of the coil or the input signals to the coil provided by the driver unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG
    Inventor: Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20130178855
    Abstract: An at least partially implantable hearing aid, having: a microphone arrangement (74) for capturing audio signals from ambient sound; an audio signal processing unit (66) for processing the audio signals captured by the microphone arrangement; an implantable actuator unit (54) for stimulating the patient's hearing according to the processed audio signals; a tube (24) for being implanted into the patient's temporal bone (26), the tube having an engagement structure (46) at the outer surface for engagement into a fixation structure (44) milled into the patient's temporal bone, wherein the tube comprises means (36) for receiving the actuator unit in an implanted condition of the tube from the proximal end of the tube and means for fixing the actuator unit in a final position relative to the tube, in which final position the actuator unit extends beyond the distal end of the tube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventors: Gérard Loquet, Achim Kitschmann, Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20130172662
    Abstract: A partially implantable hearing assistance system, having: an external unit (10) to be worn at least in part in a user's ear canal (12), a device (14) for capturing audio signals from ambient sound, an audio signal processing unit (16, 18) for generating first intermediate signals from said audio signals, and at least one electroacoustic output transducer (20, 20A) in order to make the user's eardrum (46) vibrate according to the first intermediate signals; and an implantable unit (22, 122) having an input transducer (42) located in the user's middle ear for capturing second intermediate signals from the vibration of the eardrum (46), an actuator (26, 60) for stimulating the user's hearing, and a driver unit (48, 148) for transforming the second intermediate signals into an input signal to the actuator (26, 60).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2010
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventors: Stefan Menzl, Herbert Bächler
  • Publication number: 20130006044
    Abstract: A hearing aid including a permanent magnet to be fixed at a patient's incus (26), an audio signal source (14), an audio signal processing unit (16) for processing audio signals from the audio signal source, a driver unit (18) including a coil (22) for generating a magnetic field (25) that vibrates the permanent magnet according to the processed audio signals in order to stimulate the patient's hearing, and a measurement arrangement (56, 58, 60) for measuring the magnetic coupling between the coil and the permanent magnet in order to adjust the position of the coil or the input signals to the coil provided by the driver unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2010
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventor: Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20120014545
    Abstract: There is provided a hearing instrument comprising an audio signal processing unit for processing audio signals and means for mechanically applying acoustic waves to the blood in a blood vessel of a user in the audible frequency range according to the processed audio signals in order to stimulate the user's hearing sense.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventor: Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20120016181
    Abstract: There is provided an at least partially implantable hearing system comprising a microphone assembly for capturing audio signals from ambient sound; an audio signal processing unit for processing the audio signals captured by the microphone assembly; an implantable main electromechanical output transducer for direct mechanical stimulation of the cochlea according to the audio signals processed by the audio signal processing unit; an implantable box having a central part and an open flange for penetrating through the cochlear wall into the perilymph fluid, wherein the inner cross section of the central part is larger than the inner cross section of the flange; and wherein the electromechanical output transducer is for acting on the perilymph fluid in the central part of the box through a port provided at the box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2009
    Publication date: January 19, 2012
    Applicant: ADVANCED BIONICS AG
    Inventors: Stefan Menzl, Achim Kitschmann, Gerard Loquet
  • Patent number: 7899199
    Abstract: A hearing device (1) and a method to operate a hearing device (1), the method comprising the steps of selecting a hearing program from a set of hearing programs, the set comprising at least two hearing programs, one of which is a mute hearing program being defined by applying no or only a reduced signal to a receiver of the hearing device (1), operating the hearing device (1) in the mute hearing program after it has been activated, monitoring an input signal to the hearing device (1), selecting another hearing program than the mute hearing program after a predefined activity has been detected in the input signal, and operating the hearing device (1) according to the selected hearing program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Phonak AG
    Inventor: Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20080107296
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for recording information in a hearing device and/or in a recording unit at least temporally operationally connected to the hearing device. The method consists in that a point in time of the recording and/or a recording frequency as well as the information to be recorded, as data and/or parameters and/or adjustments of the hearing device are adjusted freely or are programmable, respectively. Furthermore, a hearing device is described that is suitable to use the method. By the present invention, a multitude of the parameters being adjustable in a hearing device can be checked or surveyed all together or selectively in real, i.e. actually existing acoustic environments in order to optimally adjust or adapt the hearing device afterwards, that means after the analysis by the fitter, for example.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2008
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: PHONAK AG
    Inventors: Herbert Bachler, Volker Kuhnel, Silvia Allegro, Stefan Menzl, Hilmar Meier, Michael Boretzki, Stefan Launer, Ivo Hasler, Hans-Ueli Roeck, Christoph Widmer
  • Publication number: 20070230711
    Abstract: A method for wirelessly adjusting one or more hearing devices (1, . . . , 3) with a central unit (4) is presented, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a wireless network (6) wirelessly connecting the central unit (4) to hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), which are responsive to said wireless network (6), detecting said hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), identifying one or more of the detected hearing devices (1, . . . , 3, selecting one or more of the identified hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), establishing a wireless link from the central unit (4) to at least one of the identified hearing devices (1, . . . , 3), and adjusting the at least one identified hearing device (1, . . . , 3). Therewith, an audiologist is able to unambiguously assign one or two hearing devices (1, . . . , 3) in a fitting session, even if multiple hearing devices are within the range of the wireless network (6) or wireless transmitter, respectively.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Publication date: October 4, 2007
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Ivo Hasler, Hubert Lechner, Patrick Baechler, Bernd Waldmann, Stefan Menzl, Christian Brunner
  • Publication number: 20070127749
    Abstract: A hearing device (1) and a method to operate a hearing device (1), the method comprising the steps of selecting a hearing program from a set of hearing programs, the set comprising at least two hearing programs, one of which is a mute hearing program being defined by applying no or only a reduced signal to a receiver of the hearing device (1), operating the hearing device (1) in the mute hearing program after it has been activated, monitoring an input signal to the hearing device (1), selecting another hearing program than the mute hearing program after a predefined activity has been detected in the input signal, and operating the hearing device (1) according to the selected hearing program.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2005
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventor: Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20070121980
    Abstract: The hearing device comprises an insertable part, which is to be inserted into an ear canal of a user of the hearing device. The insertable part may be identical with the hearing device itself, and the insertable part comprises a casing, which casing comprises a deformable part. The hearing device comprises means for changing a cross-sectional area of the deformable part, which change in the cross-sectional area is reversible. The means for changing a cross-sectional area of the deformable part may comprise at least one deformable volume containing a fixed amount of a filler. The means can be a means for changing the cross-sectional area of the deformable part through changing the axial extension of the deformable part. The means can be a volume capacity change means for changing the cross-sectional area of the deformable part through changing the capacity of a variable volume arranged within the hearing device, the deformable part being arranged on the outside of the variable volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 31, 2007
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventor: Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20060104463
    Abstract: In a process for filtering interfering signals, occurring with largely known constant repetition frequency at the use of hearing devices in or at the hearing device the repetition frequency of the interference signal shall be detected and at recognition of the known constant frequency the signal shall be suppressed or damped respectively at the expected next point of time at least partially. The detection can happen for instance via the duty cycle and/or the basic frequency of the interference signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventors: Hans-Ueli Roeck, Stefan Menzl
  • Publication number: 20060083386
    Abstract: In order to switch between different hearing programs to adjust to a momentary acoustic scene, a method for adjusting a hearing device, in which one of several possible hearing programs can be selected in order to adjust to a momentary acoustic scene, the method comprising the steps of detecting a desired hearing program change, changing parameters (b1, . . . , bm) of a transfer function provided between a microphone (M1) and a receiver of the hearing device in order to adapt it to the detected hearing program change, adjusting the parameters (b1, . . . , bm) to be changed from a momentary value to a desired value in such a manner that a smooth transition is perceived by the hearing device user while changing from a momentary hearing program to the desired hearing program, whereas each of the smooth transition is individually adjustable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Publication date: April 20, 2006
    Inventors: Silvia Allegro-Baumann, Stefan Menzl, Hilmar Meier
  • Publication number: 20050249368
    Abstract: A method for deploying hearing instrument fitting software wherein the fitting software comprises executable fitting program code (13) configured to process fitting program data (12,14) on a programmable data processor (11), comprises the steps of reading fitting program definition data (3) from data storage means provided in the hearing instrument (1), determining, from the fitting program definition data (3), at least part of least one of the fitting program data (12,14) and the fitting program code (13). The hearing instrument itself comprises the information defining the fitting software—be it the complete fitting software or an update or change to a fitting software residing in an external device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Publication date: November 10, 2005
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Stefan Menzl, Ivo Hasler, Daniel Eisenegger
  • Publication number: 20050220315
    Abstract: A hearing device is activated by operating the hearing device in an operating mode in a first phase after supplying energy to internal circuitry of the hearing device, by operating the hearing device in a reduced operating mode in a second phase and by operating the hearing device in a selectable operating mode in a third phase. Thereby, the hearing device user can examine a correct functioning of the hearing device before its insertion into the ear. In addition, the hearing device can thereafter be inserted without that a feedback signal is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2004
    Publication date: October 6, 2005
    Applicant: Phonak AG
    Inventors: Stefan Menzl, Ivo Hasler