Sound Awareness Hearing Prosthesis with Internal Acoustic Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hearing prostheses lose functionality when the external portion is removed, malfunctioning, or out of power, leading to a lack of sound awareness and potential safety hazards.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an internal sound processor and acoustic detector within the hearing prosthesis, allowing it to operate in a secondary 'sound awareness' mode, which detects sounds above a threshold level and alerts the user even without the external portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the external portion of the hearing prosthesis is removed or malfunctions, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sound awareness capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the hearing prosthesis into two independent portions: an external portion with a microphone and sound processor, and an internal portion with an acoustic detector and stimulator. The internal portion can independently detect sounds and provide alerts even when the external portion is removed or malfunctioning, thus maintaining sound awareness capability while allowing the external portion to be separate and removable.
2Reliability
If an internal acoustic detector and sound processor are added, then the sound awareness capability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal portion of the hearing prosthesis is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both an implantable stimulator for primary hearing assistance and as an independent sound detection and alert system. The acoustic detector and stimulator in the internal portion can independently detect sounds and provide alerts, allowing the same device to function in both primary hearing support and backup sound awareness modes.
3Manufacturing precision
If the external portion is always required for sound detection, then the manufacturing precision is maintained, but the loss of information occurs when external portion is removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates an acoustic detector and stimulator in the internal portion that can serve as a backup system before the external portion is needed. This redundant detection capability ensures that if the external portion is removed or malfunctions, the internal portion can still detect sounds and provide alerts, preventing loss of sound information and maintaining user safety.
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
Enables basic sound perception and alerts the user to critical sounds, such as alarms or emergency noises, even when the external portion is not functioning or is removed, thereby enhancing user safety.
Implementation Method 1
an acoustic detector, such as a second microphone, configured to detect an acoustic signal
Data Source
AI summary
The present application discloses a hearing prosthesis configured to alert a user of the presence of sound while operating in a sound awareness mode of operation. When a user of the hearing aid removes the external sound processor and microphone, traditionally, a hearing prosthesis does not produce any audio stimulus. Here, the systems and methods will alert a user to sounds in his or her environment when the external sound processor and microphone are decoupled from the internal components of the hearing prosthesis. In some embodiments, the hearing prosthesis may have an acoustic receiver that is implanted in the recipient. The implanted acoustic detector may be used to detect an aspect of a sound above a threshold level. The threshold may be chosen so the detected sound is a loud sound such as a fire alarm.