Hearing aid device with direct auditory nerve stimulation

Abstract

In a hearing aid device (100) having at least one acoustic sensor (111) which converts ambient sounds and noises into electrical vibrations and at least one vibrating element (121) which can be placed in or near the ear of a user for converting electrical vibrations into auditory nerve impulses, directional information of a plurality of different sound sources distributed in the space around a user is maintained, with airborne interference noises being avoided, by providing a plurality of acoustic sensors (111, 112, 113, 114) which can be placed at different locations on or in the ear of a user for the purpose of detecting directional information of different sound sources from the environment of a user, which acoustic sensors, due to their individual placement, receive the sound waves of a respective sound source with a mutually temporal offset and generate correspondingly mutually temporally offset electrical oscillations, wherein an auditory nerve stimulation device (121, 122, 123, 124) within the cochlea (210) of an ear (200) in question, which stimulation device responds to electrical signals, is uniquely assigned to each of the acoustic sensors (111, 112, 113).

Description

[0001] Sascha Sitter Zöschlingsweiler Straße 77 89426 Wittislingen ___________________________________________________________ _____ HEARING AID DEVICE WITH DIRECT AUDITORY NERVE STIMULATION ___________________________________________________________ The invention relates to a hearing aid device with at least one acoustic sensor that converts ambient sounds and noises into electrical oscillations, as well as at least one vibrating element that can be placed in or near the ear of a user for converting electrical oscillations into auditory nerve impulses. Hearing aid devices of the type mentioned above are used in the prior art to make hearing easier for people with hearing impairments by converting ambient sound waves picked up by an acoustic sensor into electrical signals, which, following electronic amplification, are converted back into acoustic waves in a corresponding vibrating element placed in or near the ear of a respective user, wherein theThe intensity of the reconverted sound waves is higher than the intensity of the original sound waves recorded by the acoustic sensor. However, all known hearing aid devices have the disadvantage that directional information of the sound waves impinging on the acoustic sensor is lost during conventional processing, so that a user of a conventional hearing aid device cannot distinguish between sound sources located at different locations in the room and thus cannot concentrate on predetermined sound sources. A local filtering function of the ambient noise, as permitted by the functioning human ear, is therefore not possible. As a result, a user of a conventional hearing aid device hears a cacophony of noises, in particular those that do not carry any desired information content. One object of the invention is therefore to create a hearing aid device with the aid of which aDirectional information from a plurality of different sound sources distributed in the space around a user is retained, so that the natural hearing properties of a functioning human ear are largely retained. For a hearing aid device of the type mentioned above, this object is achieved according to the invention in that, for the purpose of detecting directional information from different sound sources from the user's environment, a plurality of acoustic sensors are provided that can be placed at different locations on or in the user's ear. Due to their individual placement, these sensors receive the sound waves of a respective sound source with a mutual temporal offset and generate correspondingly mutual temporally offset electrical oscillations. Each of the acoustic sensors is uniquely assigned an auditory nerve stimulation device within the cochlea of ​​a respective ear that reacts to electrical signals. PreferredEmbodiments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims, the elements of which act in the sense of a further improvement of the approach to solving the problem underlying the invention. In the hearing aid device according to the invention, by means of the combination of features that, for the purpose of detecting directional information from different sound sources in the environment of a user, a plurality of acoustic sensors that can be placed at different locations on or in the ear of a user are provided, which, due to their individual placement, receive the sound waves of a respective sound source with a mutual temporal offset and generate correspondingly mutually temporally offset electrical oscillations, wherein each of the acoustic sensors is clearly assigned an auditory nerve stimulation device within the cochlea of ​​a respective ear that reacts to electrical signals, it is achieved that a local filtering function of the ambient sounds is largelyis made possible, whereby the direct stimulation of hearing-sensitive areas within the cochlea of ​​a respective ear precludes the transmission of further airborne noises. As a result, a user of the hearing aid device according to the invention is able to perform a spatial, three-dimensional separation of a plurality of ambient noises and thus concentrate on sounds that carry a desired information content. The generation of directional information through interference of predetermined phase-shifted waves is known, for example, from radar technology as a phased array. According to a first preferred embodiment of the hearing aid device according to the invention, four acoustic sensors and four auditory nerve stimulation devices are provided, wherein all four auditory nerve stimulation devices are specifically assigned to individual hair cells. AllFour auditory nerve stimulation devices are preferably placed in the area of ​​the basilar membrane of one ear. Specifically, four acoustic sensors and four auditory nerve stimulation devices are provided, with three auditory nerve stimulation devices being placed in the area of ​​the outer hair cells of one ear and one auditory nerve stimulation device being placed in the area of ​​the inner hair cells of the respective ear. According to an alternative embodiment, the fourth acoustic sensor is replaced by the summed electrical signals of the auditory nerve stimulation devices. According to a preferred embodiment, three auditory nerve stimulation devices are placed in the area of ​​the basilar membrane of one ear in order to stimulate the outer hair cells of the cochlea via the basilar membrane, with a fourth auditory nerve stimulation device being placed further along the basilar membrane in order to stimulate the inner hair cells of the cochlea.According to a simple embodiment of the present invention, an auditory nerve stimulation device is formed by an electrode that is at least partially inserted into the tissue of the cochlea of ​​a respective ear. According to an embodiment of the invention, in which the size and topography of a hearing-sensitive area within the cochlea of ​​an ear of a user of the invention can be taken into account, an auditory nerve stimulation device is formed by a source of electromagnetic waves arranged within the cochlea of ​​a respective ear, the intensity of which is modulated according to clearly assigned acoustic sensors arranged outside the ear, wherein specifically provided areas within the cochlea are sensitized to irradiation with electromagnetic waves by means of a suitable chemical substance. The sources of electromagnetic waves are preferably each directly adjacent to an assigned source of electromagnetic waves that is irradiated withelectromagnetic wave-sensitized area within the cochlea of ​​a respective ear. According to an important preferred embodiment of the hearing aid device according to the invention, the sources of electromagnetic waves are light sources, wherein the areas sensitized to irradiation with electromagnetic waves react sensitively to light. Preferably, but not necessarily, an arrangement of prisms and / or lenses can be provided for each light source in order to direct the light from a light source onto the associated sensitized area. According to another preferred embodiment of the hearing aid device according to the invention, the respective areas located inside the ear are stimulated by means of suitable chemical substances such that they each react to only one light color, wherein a respective associated light source only emits light of precisely this frequency. Each light source is preferably formed by an LED.Furthermore, signal transmission between an acoustic sensor and an auditory nerve stimulation device that responds to electrical signals can generally occur via analog or digital means. The invention also relates to an amplifier device with an input for electrical signals and an output for amplified electrical signals, which is suitable for a hearing aid device of the above design and is particularly suitable for reconstructing the three-dimensional spatial directional information of one or more ambient sound sources. According to the invention, the amplifier device contains three separate and independently controllable amplifier lines, each with the same structure and the same number of electronic amplifier elements, each amplifier line being assigned its own input and its own output for high-frequency electrical signals. Preferred embodiments of the amplifier device according to the inventionAmplifier device are the subclaims of independent claim 11, the elements of which act in the sense of a further improvement of the solution approach of the subject matter of this claim. In the amplifier device of the hearing aid device according to the invention, by means of the feature combination that three separate and independently controllable amplifier lines are provided, each with the same structure and the same number of electronic amplifier elements, wherein each amplifier line is assigned its own input and its own output of high-frequency electrical signals, a reconstruction of the three-dimensional spatial directional information of one or more ambient sound sources is made possible by interference of sound generators arranged at the output of the respective amplifier lines. According to a first preferred embodiment of the amplifier device according to the invention, it is provided that an amplifier element ofa semiconductor-based integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is preferably implanted on an electronic chip, wherein the frequency range of each amplifier line is preferably dimensioned from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Each amplifier line is preferably assigned its own gain controller and its own frequency controller, by means of which a frequency-adjustable high-pass and a frequency-adjustable low-pass filter can be implemented. An input of each individual amplifier line for electrical signals can be formed, for example, by a microphone, wherein an output for electrical signals is preferably, but not necessarily, formed by an acoustic signal generator with an integrated vibrating membrane that can be placed in a human ear. According to an important preferred embodiment of the amplifier device according to the invention, the three microphones, each assigned to a different amplifier line, are in stablepredetermined spatial configuration in the vicinity of a human ear. According to another important preferred embodiment of the amplifier device according to the invention, the three vibrating membranes, each assigned to a different amplifier line, can be placed in the same stable, predetermined spatial configuration within a human ear as the three microphones placed in a stable, predetermined spatial configuration in the vicinity of a human ear. The three microphones placed in a stable, predetermined spatial configuration in the vicinity of a human ear are spatially arranged in order to identify the three-dimensional spatial arrangement or the directional information of an ambient sound source located outside a respective human ear. The three vibrating membranes, each assigned to a different amplifier line, can be placed within a human ear according toimportant embodiment of the device according to the invention, in order to reconstruct the directional information of an ambient sound source identified by the three microphones by means of interference of the sound waves produced by the three vibrating membranes. According to a further important preferred embodiment of the amplifier device according to the invention, each amplifier line is provided with a phase delay element for delaying the output of each of the acoustic signals, wherein the time delay is dimensioned to effect a targeted and predeterminable change in the propagation direction of the sound waves produced by the three vibrating membranes within a human ear by interference of the sound waves produced by the three vibrating membranes, for adaptation to the individual configuration of an ear canal of a person using the device according to the invention, for optimizing the impact of the sound waves produced by the vibrating membranes on the eardrum of theperson using the device according to the invention. The hearing aid device according to the invention is explained below with reference to a preferred embodiment, which is illustrated in the figure of the drawing. Therein: Fig. 1 shows the outer region of a human ear with acoustic sensors placed thereon; Fig. 2 shows the inner region of a human ear with auditory nerve stimulation devices placed thereon in a first view; Fig. 3 shows the inner region of a human ear with auditory nerve stimulation devices placed thereon in a second view; Fig. 4 shows a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment of the amplifier device according to the invention of the hearing aid device according to the invention. The hearing aid device 100 according to the invention shown in Figures 1 to 3 contains a plurality of acoustic sensors 111, 112, 113, 114 that convert ambient sounds and noises into electrical oscillations, as well as a plurality of in the ear 200 of a userPlaceable vibrating element 121 for converting electrical vibrations into auditory nerve impulses. For the purpose of detecting directional information from different sound sources in a user's environment, a plurality of acoustic sensors 111, 112, 113, 114 are provided, which can be placed at different locations on or in a user's ear 200. Due to their individual placement, these sensors receive the sound waves of a respective sound source with a mutual temporal offset and generate correspondingly mutually temporally offset electrical vibrations. Each of the acoustic sensors 111, 112, 113, 114 is assigned an auditory nerve stimulation device 121, 122, 123, 124 within the cochlea 210 of a respective ear 200, which reacts to electrical signals. In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3, four acoustic sensors 111, 112, 113, 114 and four auditory nerve stimulation devices 121, 122, 123, 124 are provided, whereby threeAuditory nerve stimulation devices 121, 122, 123, 124 are placed in the area of ​​the outer hair cells 211, 212, 213, 214 of an ear 200 and an auditory nerve stimulation device 121, 122, 123, 124 is placed in the area of ​​the inner hair cells 211, 212, 213, 214 of the respective ear 200. An auditory nerve stimulation device 121, 122, 123, 124 is formed by a light source arranged within the cochlea 210 of a respective ear 200, the intensity of which is modulated according to clearly assigned acoustic sensors 111, 112, 113, 114 arranged outside the ear 200, wherein specifically designated areas within the cochlea 210 are sensitized to light irradiation by means of a suitable chemical substance. For this purpose, four light sources 151, 152, 153, 154, each formed by an LED, are arranged within the cochlea 210 of a respective ear 200, each adjacent to an assigned area sensitized to irradiation with electromagnetic waves.placed within the cochlea 210 of a respective ear 200. For each light source 151, 152, 153, 154, an arrangement of lenses is further provided to direct the light of a respective light source 151, 152, 153, 154 specifically onto the associated sensitized area 251, 252, 253, 254. The light sources 151, 152, 153, 154 are placed in the area of ​​the auditory nerve stimulation devices 121, 122, 123, 124. The sensitized areas 251, 252, 253, 254 are also located in the area of ​​the auditory nerve stimulation devices 121, 122, 123, 124. Signal transmission between an acoustic sensor 111, 112, 113, 114 and an auditory nerve stimulation device 121, 122, 123, 124 that reacts to electrical signals takes place digitally. The amplifier device 1000 according to the invention shown in Figure 4 contains an input 1110, 1210, 1310 for electrical signals and an output 1120, 1220, 1320 of amplified electrical signals, wherein threeSeparate and independently controllable amplifier lines 1100, 1200, 1300 are provided, each with the same structure and the same number of electronic amplifier elements 1101, 1201, 1301. Each amplifier line 1100, 1200, 1300 is assigned its own input 1110, 1210, 1310 and its own output 1120, 1220, 1320 for high-frequency electrical signals. Each amplifier element 1101, 1201, 1301 is formed by a semiconductor-based integrated circuit, the integrated circuit being implanted on an electronic chip. The frequency range of each amplifier line 1100, 1200, 1300 is designed from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Each amplifier line 1100, 1200, 1300 is assigned its own gain controller 1102, 1202, 1302 and its own frequency controller, by means of which a frequency-adjustable high-pass filter 1103, 1203, 1303 and a frequency-adjustable low-pass filter 1104, 1204, 1304 can be provided, with an input 1110,1210, 1310 of each individual amplifier line is formed for electrical signals from a microphone and an output 1120, 1220, 1320 is formed for electrical signals from an acoustic signal generator with integrated vibrating membrane 1120, 1220, 1320 that can be placed in a human ear. The three microphones 1110, 1210, 1301, each assigned to a different amplifier line 1100, 1200, 1300, are placed in a stable, predetermined spatial constellation in the vicinity of a human ear, and the three vibrating membranes 1120, 1220, 1320, each assigned to a different amplifier line 1100, 1200, 1300, are placed in the same stable, predetermined spatial constellation within a human ear as the three microphones 1110, 1210, 1310, placed in a stable, predetermined spatial constellation in the vicinity of a human ear.The microphones 1110, 1210, 131 are arranged at a mutual distance and in a spatial orientation such that they are capable of identifying the three-dimensional spatial arrangement or the directional information of an ambient sound source located outside a respective human ear. The three vibrating membranes 1120, 1220, 1320, each assigned to a different amplifier line 1100, 1200, 1300, can be placed within a human ear in order to reconstruct the directional information of an ambient sound source identified by the three microphones 1110, 1210, 1310 by means of interference of the sound waves produced by the three vibrating membranes 1120, 1220, 1320. Furthermore, each amplifier line 1100, 1200, 1300 is provided with a delay element 1105, 1205, 1305 for delaying the oscillation phase when outputting an acoustic signal, wherein the time delay is adjustable in order to compensate for a change in thePropagation direction of the sound waves produced by the interference of the three vibrating membranes 1120, 1220, 1320 within a human ear. The above-explained embodiment of the invention serves only to provide a better understanding of the inventive teaching defined by the claims, which as such is not limited by the embodiment. * *** *

[0002] List of reference symbols 100 Hearing aid device 111, 112, 113, 114 Acoustic sensors 121, 122, 123, 124 Auditory nerve stimulation device 130 Amplifier device 140 Pinna 141 External auditory canal 151, 152, 153, 154 Light sources, placed in the area of ​​the auditory nerve stimulation devices 200 Ear 210 Cochlea 211, 212, 213, Outer hair cells 214 Inner hair cells 220 Basilar membrane 230 Organ of Corti 251, 252, 253, 254 Sensitized areas corresponding to the auditory nerve stimulation devices 1000 Amplifier 1110, 1210, 1310 Input, microphone 1120, 1220, 1320 Output, vibrating diaphragm 1100, 1200, 1300 Amplifier line 1101, 1201, 1301 Amplifier elements 1102, 1202, 1302 Gain control 1103, 1203, 1303 High pass 1104, 1204, 1304 Low pass 1105, 1205, 1305 Delay element

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 26 February 2024 (26.02.2024) 1. Hearing aid device (100) with at least one acoustic sensor (111) that converts ambient sounds and noises into electrical oscillations, as well as at least one oscillating element that can be placed in or near the ear of a user for converting electrical oscillations into auditory nerve impulses, characterized in that for the purpose of detecting directional information from different sound sources from the environment of a user, a plurality of acoustic sensors (111, 112, 113, 114) that can be placed at different locations on or in the ear of a user are provided, which, due to their individual placement, receive the sound waves of a respective sound source with a mutual temporal offset and generate correspondingly mutual temporally offset electrical oscillations, wherein each of the acoustic sensors (111, 112, 113, 114) is assigned an auditory nerve stimulation device (121, 122, 123,124) within the cochlea (210) of a respective ear (200).

2. Hearing aid device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that four acoustic sensors (111, 112, 113, 114) and four auditory nerve stimulation devices (121, 122, 123, 124) are provided, wherein all four auditory nerve stimulation devices (121, 122, 123, 124) are specifically assigned to individual hair cells (211, 212, 213, 214).

3. Hearing aid device (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that all four auditory nerve stimulation devices (121, 122, 123, 124) are placed in the region of the basilar membrane (220) of an ear (200). AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) 4. Hearing aid device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that four acoustic sensors (111, 112, 113, 114) and four auditory nerve stimulation devices (121, 122, 123, 124) are provided, whereby three auditory nerve Stimulation devices (121, 122, 123) are placed in the area of ​​the outer hair cells (211, 212, 213) of one ear and an auditory nerve stimulation device (124) is placed in the area of ​​the inner hair cells (214) of the respective ear (200).

5. Hearing aid device (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that the fourth acoustic sensor (114) is replaced by the summary electrical signals of the auditory nerve stimulation devices (121, 122, 123).

6. Hearing aid device (100) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that three auditory nerve stimulation devices (121, 122, 123) are placed in the region of the basilar membrane (220) of an ear (200) and stimulate the outer hair cells (211, 212, 213) of the cochlea (210) via the basilar membrane (220), and a fourth auditory nerve stimulation device (124) is placed in the further vicinity of the basilar membrane (220) and stimulates the inner hair cells (214) of the cochlea (210).

7. Hearing aid device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an auditory nerve stimulation device (121, 122, 123, 124) is formed by an electrode inserted at least partially into the tissue of the cochlea (210) of a respective ear (200). AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) 8. Hearing aid device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that an auditory nerve stimulation device (121, 122, 123, 124) is formed by a source of electromagnetic waves arranged within the cochlea (210) of a respective ear (200), the intensity of which is modulated in accordance with clearly assigned acoustic sensors (111, 112, 113, 114) arranged outside the ear, wherein specifically provided areas within the cochlea (210) are sensitized to irradiation with electromagnetic waves by means of a suitable chemical substance.

9. Hearing aid device (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that the sources of electromagnetic waves are each placed adjacent to an associated area (251, 252, 253, 254) sensitized to irradiation with electromagnetic waves in the cochlea (210) of a respective ear (200).

10. Hearing aid device (100) according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the sources of electromagnetic waves are light sources (151, 152, 153, 154), and the areas (251, 252, 253, 254) sensitized to irradiation with electromagnetic waves react sensitively to light.

11. Amplifier device (100) for a hearing aid device according to one of the preceding claims, with an input (111) for electrical signals and an output (102) of amplified electrical signals, characterized in that AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) that three separate and independently controllable amplifier lines (1100, 1200, 1300) are provided, each having the same structure and the same number of electronic amplifier elements (1101, 1201, 1301), each amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300) being assigned its own input (111, 121, 131) and its own output (112, 122, 132) for high-frequency electrical signals, each individual amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300) being formed by a microphone (111, 121, 131) for electrical signals, and the three microphones (111, 121, 131) can be placed in a stable, predetermined spatial constellation in the vicinity of a human ear.

12. Amplifier device according to claim 11, characterized in that an amplifier element (1101, 1201, 1301) is formed by a semiconductor-based integrated circuit.

13. Amplifier device according to claim 12, characterized in that the integrated circuit is implanted on an electronic chip.

14. Amplifier device according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the frequency range of each amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300) is dimensioned from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) 15. Amplifier device according to one of claims 11 to 14, characterized in that a separate gain controller (1102, 1202, 1302) is provided for each amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300).

16. Amplifier device according to one of claims 11 to 15, characterized in that for each amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300) a separate frequency controller is provided, by means of which a frequency-adjustable high-pass filter (1103, 1203, 1303) and a frequency-adjustable low-pass filter (1104, 1204, 1304) can be carried out.

17. Amplifier device according to one of claims 11 to 16, characterized in that for an input access of each of the individual amplifier lines (1100, 1200, 1300) a jack plug with a jack with four metallic partial areas each separated by an insulator is provided, as well as a socket adapted thereto.

18. Amplifier device according to one of claims 11 to 17, characterized in that an output (112, 122, 123) for electrical signals is formed by an acoustic signal generator with an integrated vibrating membrane (112, 122, 123) that can be placed in a human ear.

19. Amplifier device according to claims 11 and 18, characterized in that the three vibrating membranes (112, 122, 132) each assigned to a different amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300) are arranged in the same stable predetermined spatial constellation within a AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) human ear like the three microphones placed in a stable spatial constellation in the vicinity of a human ear (111, 121, 131) .

20. Amplifier device according to claim 19, characterized in that the three microphones (111, 121, 131) placed in a stable predetermined spatial constellation in the vicinity of a human ear are arranged to identify the three-dimensional spatial arrangement or the directional information of an ambient sound source arranged outside a respective human ear.

21. Amplifier device according to claims 11 and 20, characterized in that the three vibrating membranes (112, 122, 132), each assigned to a different amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300), can be placed within a human ear in order to reconstruct the directional information of an ambient sound source identified by the three microphones (111, 121, 131) by means of interference of the sound waves produced by the three vibrating membranes (112, 122, 132).

22. Amplifier device according to claim 21, characterized in that each amplifier line (1100, 1200, 1300) is provided with a delay element (1105, 1205, 1305) for delaying the output of an acoustic signal, the time delay being dimensioned to cause a change in the propagation direction of the sound waves produced by interference of the three vibrating membranes (112, 122, 132) within a human ear. 'k 'k 'k 'kk AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)

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