Dental bone conduction hearing appliance

Abstract

An intra-oral hearing appliance includes an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth.

1 . An intra-oral hearing appliance, comprising:
 a. an actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission;   b. a transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and   c. a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth.   
     
     
         2 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising an actuator driver or amplifier coupled to the actuator. 
     
     
         3 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a second chamber to house a power source to drive the actuator and the transceiver. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance of  claim 3 , comprising a bridge coupling the first and second chambers. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the bridge comprises electrical cabling or an antenna embedded in the bridge. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance of  claim 4 , wherein the bridge comprises one of: a wired frame, a polymeric material, a combination of polymeric material and a wired frame. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a mass coupled to the actuator. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance of  claim 7 , wherein the mass comprises one of a weight, a battery, an electronics module. 
     
     
         9 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a piezoelectric transducer. 
     
     
         10 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a rectangular beam bender. 
     
     
         11 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising one or more ceramic or alumina stands coupled to the actuator. 
     
     
         12 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a compressible material coupled to the actuator. 
     
     
         13 . The appliance of  claim 12 , comprising a non compressible material covering the actuator and the compressible material. 
     
     
         14 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a rechargeable power source coupled to the transceiver and the actuator. 
     
     
         15 . The appliance of  claim 14 , comprising an inductive charger coupled to the battery. 
     
     
         16 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the chamber comprises a custom oral device. 
     
     
         17 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a pre-built housing for the actuator. 
     
     
         18 . The appliance of  claim 17 , wherein the pre-built housing comprises an arm and one or more bottom contacts, the arm and the contacts adapted to bias a mass against a tooth. 
     
     
         19 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a microphone coupled to the transceiver, the microphone being positioned intraorally or extraorally. 
     
     
         20 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a data storage device. 
     
     
         21 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a first microphone to pick up body conduction sound, a second microphone to pick up ambient sound, and a noise canceller to subtract ambient sound from the body conduction sound. 
     
     
         22 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator transmits sound through a tooth, a maxillary bone, a mandibular bone, or a palatine bone. 
     
     
         23 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a linking unit coupled to the transceiver, the linking unit adapted to communicate with an external sound source. 
     
     
         24 . The appliance of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver comprises a wireless transceiver. 
     
     
         25 . The appliance of  claim 1 , comprising a C-shaped wire providing a spring force to secure the actuator to one or more teeth.