Hard-Coupled Vibrating Transducer Feedback Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conductive hearing loss patients often face challenges with traditional hearing aids due to chronic inflammation, ear malformations, or single-sided deafness, and these devices can cause discomfort and feedback issues, limiting their effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A hard-coupled vibrating transducer-based hearing prosthesis with a signal processor to filter well-defined mechanical feedback, providing a two-part feedback management system that reduces low-frequency feedback and adapts less frequently than 160 milliseconds.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional hearing aids are used for conductive hearing loss patients, then acoustic energy can be delivered to the cochlea, but chronic inflammation, ear malformations, or single-sided deafness limit effectiveness

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing aid effectivenessVSAvoidsuitability for different patient conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces acoustic energy delivery with mechanical vibration delivery through a bone conduction transducer. The transducer generates mechanical vibrations that travel through the bone to the cochlea, bypassing the ear canal and tympanic membrane, thereby eliminating feedback issues and expanding suitability to patients with conductive hearing loss, single-sided deafness, and ear malformations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If hearing aids are used for single-sided deafness, then sound can be delivered to the deaf side, but requires wearing two hearing aids and increases complexity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetreatment for single-sided deafnessVSAvoidnumber of hearing aids required

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The bone conduction transducer enables single-sided deafness treatment with a single device by delivering mechanical vibrations directly through the bone to the cochlea on the deaf side, eliminating the need for two hearing aids and complex wireless signaling systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If ear canal is plugged to prevent acoustic feedback, then feedback problems are reduced, but causes unnecessary pressure, discomfort, or eczema

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveacoustic feedback problemsVSAvoidcomfort and pressure

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates acoustic feedback problems by substituting acoustic energy delivery with mechanical vibration delivery through bone conduction. The transducer generates vibrations that travel through the bone to the cochlea, bypassing the ear canal entirely, thereby eliminating the need to plug the ear canal and avoiding associated discomfort, pressure, and eczema.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If hard-coupled vibrating transducer is used, then mechanical feedback is well-defined and can be filtered, but requires sophisticated signal processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeedback cancellation effectivenessVSAvoidsignal processing system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs feedback by capturing mechanical feedback vibrations through the sound input device and using a signal processor to generate an anti-phase signal that cancels the feedback. The hard-coupled transducer ensures the feedback is well-defined, enabling effective cancellation through adaptive filtering algorithms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

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 effectively cancels predictable mechanical feedback, enhancing the hearing experience for patients with conductive hearing loss by providing a stable and comfortable hearing solution that adapts to minimize discomfort and improve sound perception.

Implementation Method 1

a transducer configured to generate a vibration based on the sound signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic transduction: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 2

at least one sound input device configured to sense a sound signal

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAcoustic detection: Sound

Implementation Method 3

a signal processor connected to the sound input device and configured to filter well-defined mechanical feedback from the vibration received by the sound input device

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVibration filtering: Vibration

Data Source

PatentEP2974380B1Filtering well-defined feedback from a hard-coupled vibrating transducer

Publication Date: 2020.05.13 COCHLEAR LIMITED

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AI summary

Systems and methods are disclosed for a hearing prosthesis, and more particularly to a hearing prosthesis with a rigidly coupled vibrating transducer. In embodiments, the mechanical stimulating hearing prosthesis comprises, for example, at least one sound input device configured to sense a sound signal, and a transducer configured to generate a vibration based on the sound, wherein the sound input device is rigidly coupled to the transducer. Systems and methods are also described for reducing a well-defined mechanical feedback generated by a transducer in a hearing prosthesis.