Balanced Electromagnetic Transducer with Flexible Component for Bone Conduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hearing aids and cochlear implants are ineffective for individuals with conductive hearing loss who retain residual hearing, as they rely on air conduction and may not adequately bypass damaged mechanical pathways in the ear.
Innovation Solution
A balanced electromagnetic transducer with a flexible component that generates a static magnetic flux across no more than two air gaps, used in bone conduction devices to transmit vibrations through the skull, bypassing damaged pathways and stimulating the auditory nerve directly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional air conduction hearing aids are used, then sound can be transmitted through the air to the cochlea, but individuals with conductive hearing loss and damaged mechanical pathways cannot effectively perceive sound
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the air conduction mechanical system with a bone conduction electromagnetic system. The electromagnetic transducer generates vibrations that directly stimulate the cochlea through bone, bypassing the damaged mechanical pathways (ossicular chain) that air conduction hearing aids rely upon. This substitution enables effective sound transmission for individuals with conductive hearing loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces bone as an intermediary medium between the sound source and the cochlea. Instead of using air as the transmission medium, the electromagnetic transducer generates vibrations that travel through bone to reach the cochlea, providing a new transmission pathway that works around damaged mechanical structures.
2Reliability
If bone conduction devices are used to bypass damaged pathways, then sound can be transmitted through the skull, but the device complexity increases due to electromagnetic transducer requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the electromagnetic transducer from a complex assembly and integrates it directly with the bone conduction implant. By removing unnecessary intermediate components and directly coupling the transducer to the bone, the design simplifies the overall structure while maintaining the bypass capability through the skull.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the electromagnetic transducer with the bone conduction implant structure, combining multiple functions into a single integrated device. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall device architecture while preserving the ability to transmit sound through bone.
3Power
If electromagnetic transducer with multiple air gaps is used, then magnetic flux can be generated, but the flexibility and responsiveness of the transducer are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes one or more air gaps from the electromagnetic transducer structure, replacing them with direct magnetic coupling or reduced-gap design. This extraction of air gaps increases the magnetic flux density and improves the transducer's responsiveness and flexibility while maintaining adequate magnetic field generation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables effective sound perception for individuals with conductive hearing loss by converting sound into mechanical vibrations that bypass damaged ear structures, providing an alternative to traditional air conduction methods and improving sound perception for those who do not benefit from conventional hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Implementation Method 1
the transducer is configured to generate a static magnetic flux that passes from the first component to the second component via the flexible component
Implementation Method 2
at least a part of which flexes upon exposure of the transducer to energy
Implementation Method 3
certain types of hearing prostheses commonly referred to as bone conduction devices, convert a received sound into vibrations
Data Source
AI summary
A balanced electromagnetic transducer, including first and second components connected together by a flexible component, at least a part of which flexes upon exposure of the transducer to energy, wherein the transducer is configured to generate a static magnetic flux that passes from the first component to the second component via the flexible component and travels across no more than two air gaps.