Contaminant-Proof Microphone Assembly with Acoustic Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microphone assemblies in auditory prostheses, such as cochlear implants, face challenges in maintaining audio quality while being protected from contaminants like water and dust, as traditional designs either compromise on audio quality or are not fully effective in preventing ingress of contaminants.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a contaminant-proof microphone assembly with a microphone plug that is positioned between the sound inlet and a contaminant-proof membrane, allowing for a larger membrane area and improved audio quality while ensuring protection from contaminants, using a gasket and microphone plug configuration that acoustically seals the microphone within the housing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a contaminant-proof membrane is used to protect the microphone, then protection from contaminants is improved, but audio quality deteriorates due to restricted sound transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third dimension by adding depth to the microphone assembly through a microphone plug with an interior cavity. This cavity creates additional acoustic space between the membrane and the microphone element, allowing sound waves to develop more fully before reaching the microphone, thereby compensating for the membrane's sound transmission restrictions and improving audio quality while maintaining contaminant protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone plug is nested within the housing and contains the microphone element within its interior cavity. This nested structure allows the microphone assembly to be integrated into the housing while maintaining acoustic coupling through the membrane, achieving both protection and audio quality through hierarchical integration of components.
2Measurement precision
If the membrane area is increased to improve audio quality, then audio quality is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The microphone plug with its interior cavity is nested within the housing, creating a compact integrated structure. This nesting allows the membrane area to be increased for improved audio quality without proportionally increasing overall device complexity, as the cavity and plug are integrated into the existing housing structure rather than adding separate external components.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone plug combines multiple functions into a single component: it provides structural support for the microphone element, creates the acoustic cavity, and interfaces with the housing. This merging of functions reduces device complexity compared to having separate components for each function, while still allowing adequate membrane area for audio quality.
3Measurement precision
If a microphone plug is inserted into the gasket to acoustically seal the microphone, then audio quality is improved through better acoustic coupling, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gasket is made from a compliant material that can deform to accommodate the microphone plug during insertion. This flexibility compensates for minor variations in manufacturing tolerances of both the gasket and the plug, allowing adequate acoustic sealing and coupling to be achieved without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision, while still improving audio quality through the acoustic seal.
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 configuration enhances audio quality by enabling a larger membrane area and effectively prevents contaminants from entering the microphone assembly, addressing the limitations of traditional designs by maintaining both audio fidelity and protection from environmental hazards.
Implementation Method 1
a contaminant-proof membrane disposed between the interior cavity of the gasket and the acoustic port
Implementation Method 2
a microphone plug comprising a first end coupled to the microphone, a second end located within the interior cavity of the gasket such that the microphone plug is mostly disposed between the contaminant-proof membrane and the sound inlet of the microphone
Data Source
AI summary
Presented herein are contaminant-proof microphone assemblies for use with devices/apparatuses, such as auditory prostheses, that include one or more microphones disposed within a housing. A contaminant-proof microphone assembly in accordance with certain embodiments presented herein includes a microphone, a microphone plug, and a contaminant-proof membrane. The microphone plug has a first end coupled to the microphone and a second end that is configured to be positioned adjacent the contaminant-proof membrane. As such, the microphone plug is disposed between a sound inlet of the microphone and the contaminant-proof membrane. The microphone plug may be configured to mate with the housing or a gasket attached to the housing.