Bone Conduction Voice Transducer With Counter Mass and Damper Ring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hearing aids, including bone conduction types, fail to adequately compensate for age-related hearing loss due to outer hair cell degeneration and require invasive procedures, while non-invasive solutions like artificial sensory epithelium implants have limited versatility.
Innovation Solution
A voice transmission device using a magnetostrictive element with a counter mass and a transmission plate to deliver mechanical vibrations directly to the cochlea without attenuation, utilizing a magnetostrictive material like terbium or gallium for high-frequency sound transmission via bone conduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hearing aids are used to deliver vibration to the cochlea, then the device can assist sound delivery, but it cannot supplement the function of degenerated outer hair cells and fails to adequately compensate for age-related hearing loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an artificial sensory epithelium as an intermediary device implanted in the cochlea to directly stimulate spiral ganglion cells. This mediator bypasses the degenerated outer hair cells and transmits mechanical vibrations directly to the inner hair cells and spiral ganglion cells, effectively compensating for the lost function of outer hair cells in age-related hearing loss
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the natural mechanical system of outer hair cells with an artificial mechanical transducer (piezoelectric membrane) that can be directly implanted in the cochlea. This artificial mechanical system directly converts electrical signals to mechanical vibrations that stimulate the inner hair cells, substituting the failed biological mechanical amplification system
2Reliability
If artificial sensory epithelium is implanted in the cochlea to directly stimulate spiral ganglion cells, then electrical stimulation can be applied to cover sounds across the entire audible frequency band, but the procedure involves invasion of the patient and has limited versatility
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the hearing aid system into two parts: a non-invasive external sound processing unit and a minimal-invasive cochlear implant unit. The external unit processes sounds across the entire audible frequency band, while the implant unit only requires insertion into the cochlea, minimizing the invasive portion of the procedure while maintaining comprehensive frequency coverage
3Object-generated harmful factors
If bone conduction transducer is used to transmit vibration through the skull, then unwanted air-conducted sound can be suppressed, but the device cannot deliver vibration deep into the cochlea without attenuation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the skull and bones of the head as intermediary transmission paths to deliver vibrations directly to the cochlea. This bone conduction pathway bypasses the air conduction route that causes unwanted sound, while the direct bone-to-cochlea contact minimizes vibration attenuation compared to external transmission methods
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 device enables clear voice delivery to users without invasive procedures, effectively transmitting high-frequency vibrations to inner hair cells and spiral ganglion cells, even with outer hair cell degeneration, while maintaining miniaturization and reducing sound leakage.
Implementation Method 1
a magnetostrictive element extending and contracting in a longitudinal direction according to a magnetic field
Implementation Method 2
permanent magnets arranged at both ends of the magnetostrictive element in the longitudinal direction; and a coil arranged to surround a radial direction of the magnetostrictive element so that a current corresponding to the predetermined electrical signal flows through the coil
Implementation Method 3
a transmission plate configured to be fixed to contact a head of a person during use to transmit the mechanical vibration to a bone of the head of the person
Data Source
AI summary
A voice transmission device 1 of the present disclosure includes: a transducer 2; a transmission plate 3 configured to transmit a mechanical vibration to a bone of a head of a person; a housing 4 that houses the transducer 2; and a ring member 7 arranged to cover a side surface of the housing 4. The transducer includes: a magnetostrictive element 21; permanent magnets 22a, 22b arranged at both ends of the magnetostrictive element 21; and a coil 23. The permanent magnet 22a arranged at one end of the magnetostrictive element 21 is connected to a transmission plate 3. The housing 4 includes: a housing portion 41 that houses the transducer 2; and a counter mass 42 connected to the permanent magnet 22b arranged at the other end. The ring member 7 holds a side surface of the housing 4 via a damper member 6.