Bone Conduction Transducer for Stigma-Free Hearing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hearing loss treatments, such as conventional hearing devices and cochlear implants, face challenges including stigma, inefficiencies in manufacturing and fitting, and limited accessibility, particularly for sensorineural hearing impairment, which affects a significant portion of the population and cannot be medically or surgically reversed.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for transmitting vibrations through dental implants or bone structures using an electronic and transducer assembly, which processes and amplifies sound signals and transmits them via a vibrating transducer element to the teeth or bone structures, facilitating hearing without the need for visible devices or invasive surgeries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hearing devices are used to treat sensorineural hearing impairment, then sound amplification is provided, but the devices are visible and cause stigma
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the hearing treatment function from the visible external hearing device and relocates it to an implanted device inside the body. The external component is reduced to only a small processor that sits behind the ear, while the main transducer is implanted in the cochlea, removing the stigmatizing visible speaker component of conventional devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a surgical implantation process and specialized fitting procedure as intermediaries between the user and the hearing treatment. This allows the device to be placed internally rather than externally, eliminating the visible component that causes stigma while maintaining treatment effectiveness.
2Reliability
If cochlear implants are used for severe hearing loss, then hearing function is restored, but invasive surgery is required
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by placing the transducer specifically in the cochlea where it can directly stimulate the auditory nerve, rather than using a more invasive approach that would affect broader brain structures. This localized placement achieves effective hearing restoration with minimal surgical intrusion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical vibration transmission system of conventional hearing aids with an electrical stimulation system that directly activates the auditory nerve. This substitution allows for more precise control and potentially less invasive implementation while achieving the same hearing restoration goal.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional hearing devices are individually customized, then patient-specific hearing needs are met, but the manufacturing and fitting process requires multiple visits and is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by conducting all customization, programming, and fitting adjustments during the surgical implantation procedure itself. The device is pre-programmed with patient-specific parameters before implantation, eliminating the need for multiple post-implantation adjustment visits and significantly improving overall process efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the surgical implantation procedure with the device fitting and customization process. Multiple functions that were previously separated into distinct steps (surgery, programming, adjustment, verification) are combined into a single integrated procedure, improving productivity without sacrificing patient-specific adaptation.
4Reliability
If conventional hearing devices are used, then sound is amplified to the tympanic membrane, but the devices have major acoustic limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the complex acoustic amplification system with a direct electrical stimulation system. Instead of using microphones, amplifiers, and speakers to mechanically transmit and amplify sound waves through the ear canal and tympanic membrane, the device directly converts sound signals into electrical impulses that stimulate the auditory nerve, greatly simplifying the system while improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a direct electrical interface as an intermediary between sound detection and auditory perception, bypassing the complex mechanical acoustic transmission path. This intermediary conversion from acoustic to electrical domain eliminates the need for complex acoustic components and their associated limitations.
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
This approach provides a more efficient and less stigmatizing method for treating hearing loss by directly transmitting sound vibrations through the bone, potentially improving quality of life for individuals with sensorineural hearing impairment and addressing the inefficiencies in existing treatment processes.
Implementation Method 1
an actuatable transducer positioned against at least one tooth such that the transducer and tooth remain in vibratory communication
Implementation Method 2
transmitting vibrations through teeth or bone structures in and/or around a mouth
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for transmitting vibrations via an electronic and/or transducer assembly through a dental implant are disclosed herein. The assembly may be attached, adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon the implant to form a hearing assembly. The electronic and transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other hone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone structure.