200 results about "Auditory nerves" patented technology

An implantable hearing unit is provided that includes an implantable microphone, a rechargeable power storage device and a speech signal processor. The hearing unit further includes a signal coupling device that is adapted for electrical interconnection to an implantable auditory stimulation device, which is operative to stimulate an auditory component of a patient. Such a stimulation device may include cochlear implants, brain stem stimulation systems, auditory nerve stimulation systems, and middle or inner ear transducer systems. The signal coupling device is operative to provide processed drive signals from the signal processor to the stimulation device as well provide power from the power storage device to operate the stimulation device. In one arrangement, the signal coupling device is a wireless coupling between first and second coils. In such an arrangement, the hearing unit may be utilized with an existing implanted stimulation device to make that device a fully implanted hearing system.

The invention provides a method of electrical artefact compensation in measurement of a neural response. The neural response is evoked by a first stimulus, after which a compensatory stimulus is applied in order to counteract a stimulus artefact caused by the first stimulus. The invention also provides for short circuiting the stimulating electrode subsequent to the first stimulus. A system for implementing such steps is also provided. The invention may be of application in measurement of physiological responses, including neural responses and in particular a neural response of the auditory nerve.

Devices, systems and methods that comprise or utilize implantable electrode arrays for neural stimulation and/or sensing. In some embodiments, the electrode array is implanted or inserted into the auditory nerve and is used to deliver electrical impulses to/receive data from the auditory nerve in the treatment of hearing disorders.

An implantable device for improving hearing is provided. The device includes a vibration generator including an output region configured to apply vibrational stimulation to an inner ear fluid, a proximal electrode configured to physically attach to a wall enclosing an inner ear at a location proximal to the output region of the vibration generator, and a separate distal electrode configured to make electrical contact with an auditory nerve.

An elongate electrode carrier member for implantation in a location external to the cochlear canals to position at least one, and likely many, electrodes sufficiently proximate to the organ of Corti to effectively deliver stimulation signals to the auditory nerve fibers of the cochlear. Generally, the carrier member is dimensioned to be implanted in a crevice, channel or pocket formed between the spiral ligament and bony capsule of the cochlear. Embodiments of the carrier member preferably have a minimized volume to accommodate insertion into such a crevice. In addition, embodiments of the carrier member comprise an elongate bulbous central region having electrodes disposed on the medial surface thereof, and elongate tapered side regions laterally extending from the central region. The side regions have rounded edges and are preferably flexible, while the carrier is configured to coil or turn toward the medial surface. This construction facilitates implantation of the carrier member: the carrier member has sufficient longitudinal strength to maintain its form and direction while being pushed into the surgically-formed crevice, and coils in a longitudinal plane to follow the contour of the cochlear, while the side regions serve to guide the direction of travel, flexing out of the lateral plane as necessary to avoid damaging anatomical structures. Once implanted, embodiments of the carrier member are urged to remain in its implanted position due to one or more of either the side regions extending into the corners of the crevice, and/or due to the curved lateral surface of the carrier member which approximates the curvature of the endosteum along the basal turn of the cochlea.

The invention provides an artificial cochlea speech processing method based on frequency modulation information and an artificial cochlea speech processor. The artificial cochlea speech processing method comprises the following steps: pre-emphasizing a speech signal; decomposing the speech signal by an analysis filter into a plurality of sub frequency bands; then, extracting the time-domain envelope information of each sub frequency band signal; adopting a Hilbert transform method to extract the frequency modulation information of a low-frequency part to multiple by time-domain envelopes so asto acquire a synthetic time-domain envelope containing the frequency modulation information; utilizing various acquired time-domain envelopes of the sub frequency bands to modulate a pulse sequence by a pulse generator; adding modulated pulses of various sub frequency bands to acquire a finally synthesized stimulus signal; and sending the stimulus signal to an electrode to generate an electric pulse to stimulate the auditory nerve. The artificial cochlea speech processor is suitable for deafness patients speaking Chinese as a native language to recognize speeches in a noise environment and has noise robustness, thereby enabling the deafness patients to feel more fine speech structure information, enhancing the speech recognition abilities of the deafness patients in the noise environmentand benefiting the tone recognition.

A cochlear implant comprising: a speech processor for processing received sounds to generate coded stimulation control signals; a stimulator unit configured to generate stimulation signals in response to the control signals; and an electrode assembly (200). The electrode assembly in turn comprises: a flexible elongate carrier member (202) having a plurality of electrodes (212) disposed thereon, the electrodes configured to stimulate auditory nerves of the cochlea; and a stiffening member (208), permanently embedded in and longitudinally extending through at least a first region of carrier member, configured to decrease the flexibility of the carrier member region so as to prevent deformation of the first region during implantation.

An object is to provide a cochlear implant system (also known as an artificial inner ear system) which is easy to use with little interference with daily activities. A cochlear implant device (or artificial inner ear device) includes an inner ear electrode, an information processing circuit, a transmitter/receiver circuit, a charging circuit, and a battery; and the battery is charged with electromagnetic waves received by the transmitter/receiver circuit through the charging circuit. In addition, the power stored in the battery is supplied to the cochlear implant device. Further, the electromagnetic waves received by the transmitter/receiver circuit are converted into a signal by the information processing circuit, and the signal is provided from the inner ear electrode to stimulate the auditory nerve.

Method and apparatus for optically and electrically stimulating neurons of auditory nerve pathways of a person to provide auditory sensations for the person including generating a plurality of pulsed light signals having one or more successive pulses, delivering the plurality of pulsed light signals to one or more auditory nerve pathways of the cochlea of the person and selectively controlling the plurality of light signals to optically stimulate and trigger nerve action potentials (NAPs) in the one or more auditory nerve pathways. In some embodiments, the present invention also includes one or more electrical stimulation electrodes used to stimulate the low frequency portions of the auditory nerves.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining and registering the Electrical Cochlear Response (“ECR”). Particularly, the ECR refers to the electrical activity of the auditory nerve and the intracochlear residual tissue located in the neighborhood of an intracochlear stimulation electrode, when an external sound is presented to a Cochlear Implant user, human or animal. Applicants recognize that an ECR can be thought of as a far-field electrical potential registered on the scalp of an implanted patient. Applicants, through their method and apparatus, can extract that potential from the patient's spontaneous electroencephalographic activity (EEG) and measure it by using an averaging algorithm. The Electrical Cochlear Response can be applied for adaptation, calibration, performance evaluation and failure detection of the Cochlear Implant of the implanted patient. Also Applicants' method can be applied to estimate the audiometric thresholds of the Cochlear Implant even without the implanted patient's knowledge.

The invention relates to the technical field of bone conduction earphones and touch force feedback, in particular to a multifunctional piezoelectric bone conduction earphone and touch force feedback system integrated with glasses. The system comprises a glasses frame base body, an integrated piezoelectric driving and force feedback signal processing circuit board, a power supply module, a piezoelectric material, an upper electrode layer, a lower electrode layer and a flexible circuit, wherein the integrated piezoelectric driving and force feedback signal processing circuit board and the power supply module are arranged at the roots of glasses legs, the piezoelectric material is fixed in a groove of one glasses leg, the upper electrode layer and the lower electrode layer are coated on the surface of the piezoelectric material, and the flexible circuit is connected with the electrode layers and the circuit board. The circuit board receives audio signals and applies voltage signals to the electrode layers of the piezoelectric material. By the aid of inverse piezoelectric effect, the piezoelectric material generates vibration identical to sound electric signals in frequency so as to drive the glasses legs to vibrate together, vibration of the glasses legs is transmitted into a human body face contacting with the glasses legs, sound is sensed by auditory nerves of a human body through bone conduction, and accordingly sense of hearing is generated. When the piezoelectric material is subjected to external force, corresponding induction electrical signals are generated and are processed by the circuit board to corresponding feedback touch signals which are used for achieving control functions of function selection, switching and the like.

The invention relates to a hearing aid device for humans with impaired hearing, who have an at least partially functional cochlea and a functional nervous signalling pathway from the cochlea via the auditory nerve to the brain. The hearing aid device contains a receiver, a transducer of the sound or other acoustic signals into electrical current serving as a signal representing a sound, a pulsed irradiation source connected to the transducer for receiving the electrical current and for generating modulated pulsed irradiation in dependence from the electrical current, and preferably one or more optical fibres optically coupled to the exit of the pulsed irradiation source, wherein the optical path for conduction of irradiation within the device ends directly opposite a functional element of the natural vibration transduction pathway, e.g. adjacent the skull, the tympanic membrane, the hammer, the incus, the stapes, the outside of the cochlea, the otic capsule, the round window membrane, or the oval window membrane.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the protection and restoration of hearing. In particular, the present invention relates to treatments to facilitate the protection and re-growth of the auditory nerve. The present invention further provides methods of preventing hair cell loss and the accompanying loss in hearing. The present invention thus provides novel interventions for a variety of hearing impairments.

The invention discloses an artificial cochlea device, which comprises an external circuit and an internal circuit which are mutually coupled in an electromagnetic wireless mode. A sound acquisition unit of the external circuit acquires voice signals; an analog-digital convertor converts the acquired simulative voice signals into digital voice signals; a coder codes the digital voice signals; a power amplifier emits high-power carrier waves; and a modulator loads the coded digital voice signals onto power carrier waves and emits the digital voice signals through an external antenna. An internal antenna of the internal circuit receives the power carrier waves and the modulated voice signals; a rectifying circuit converts AC energy of the received power carrier waves into DC energy to be used for the internal circuit; an electric stimulation generator carries out demodulation, sound signal mapping and stimulating pulse generation on the received voice signals; and a channel select switch conducts and selects electrodes in different electrode arrays by time-sharing. The electrodes directly stimulate auditory nerves so as to achieve the aim of repairing auditory sensation. The device has the advantages of convenient use and low cost.