Implantable Sound Sensor Membrane for Hearing Prostheses
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Implantable hearing prostheses with subcutaneously implanted microphones are sensitive to body noise, which can interfere with the detection of acoustic sounds.
Innovation Solution
An implantable sound sensor with a biocompatible housing, a vibrating membrane, and a vibrational sensor that detects vibrations from the ear structures or body cavities, generating signals for transmission to other implanted components, is integrated into a hearing prosthesis to improve sound detection while minimizing body noise interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a subcutaneous microphone is used to detect acoustic sounds, then the device can receive and transform sound into electrical signals, but it becomes sensitive to body noise from circulatory, respiratory, skeletal, and digestive systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a hermetically sealed housing as an intermediary barrier between the microphone and the body environment. This housing isolates the microphone from direct contact with body fluids and tissues, thereby blocking body noise transmission while still allowing acoustic sound detection through the sealed enclosure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the microphone from direct subcutaneous placement and relocates it within a hermetically sealed housing that is implanted in the ear canal or outer ear. This separation removes the microphone from the noisy body environment while maintaining its sound detection function.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the microphone is hermetically sealed to reduce body noise, then body noise interference is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a hermetically sealed housing with thin-walled construction that provides effective isolation from body noise while maintaining a compact and simple structure. The housing acts as a flexible barrier that blocks noise transmission without requiring complex multi-layer assemblies.
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 sound sensor effectively detects sound vibrations, reducing body noise interference and enhancing the performance of implantable hearing prostheses by providing clear signals for stimulation, thereby improving hearing sensation.
Implementation Method 1
a membrane attached to the housing so as to hermetically seal the opening, wherein the membrane vibrates in response to vibration of at least one of a structure of the recipient's ear and fluid within one of the recipient's body cavities
Implementation Method 2
a vibrational sensor disposed in the housing configured to detect vibrations of the membrane, and configured to generate signals representative of the detected vibrations
Data Source
AI summary
A sound sensor implantable in a recipient of a hearing device. The sound sensor comprises a biocompatible housing comprising a cavity having an opening at a first end of the housing and a membrane attached to the housing so as to hermetically seal the opening, wherein the membrane vibrates in response to vibration of at least one of a structure of the recipient's ear and fluid within one of the recipient's body cavities. The sound sensor also comprises a vibrational sensor disposed in the housing configured to detect vibrations of the membrane, and configured to generate signals representative of the detected vibrations; and a transmitter configured to provide the generated signals to one or more other components implanted in the recipient.