Implantable hearing prosthesis

Abstract

An implantable hearing prosthesis comprising an implantable upgrade module including a pre-processing unit configured to generate audio signals based on microphone information; and a implantable main module, physically separate from and electrically connected to the upgrade module. The implantable main module comprises a sound processing unit configured to generate stimulation information based on the audio signals received from the pre-processing unit, and a stimulator unit configured to generate stimulation signals based on the stimulation information. The hearing prosthesis also comprises a stimulation module configured to deliver the stimulation signals to a recipient.

1 . A totally implantable hearing prosthesis comprising:
 an implantable microphone configured to receive sound signals and to output microphone information;   an implantable upgrade module including a pre-processing unit configured to generate audio signals based on the microphone information;   a implantable main module, physically separate from and electrically connected to the upgrade module, comprising: a sound processing unit configured to generate stimulation information based on the audio signals received from the pre-processing unit, and a stimulator unit configured to generate stimulation signals based on the stimulation information; and   a stimulation module configured to deliver the stimulation signals to a recipient.   
     
     
         2 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the upgrade module further comprises:
 a rechargeable battery.   
     
     
         3 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable microphone is positioned in the upgrade module. 
     
     
         4 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the pre-processing unit is configured to suppress body-noise detected by the implantable microphone. 
     
     
         5 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable microphone comprises:
 a first element configured to detect sound signals; and   an accelerometer configured to detect movement of the recipients skull.   
     
     
         6 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 5 , wherein pre-processing unit is configured to combine the detected sound signals and the output of the accelerometer to so as to suppress bone conducted sound detected by the first element of the microphone. 
     
     
         7 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , further comprising two or more microphones, and wherein the pre-processing unit is configured to combine the microphone information from the two or microphones in manner so as to substantially suppress bone conducted sound. 
     
     
         8 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a transceiver configured to provide a bi-directional energy transfer link between the hearing prosthesis and an external device.   
     
     
         9 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 8 , wherein the transceiver is positioned in the upgrade module. 
     
     
         10 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulator unit is configured to generate electrical stimulation signals based on the stimulation information, and wherein the stimulation module comprises an electrode assembly implanted in the recipient's cochlea to deliver the stimulation signals to the recipient. 
     
     
         11 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein the stimulator unit is configured to generate electrical stimulation signals and acoustic stimulation signals based on the stimulation information, and wherein the hearing prosthesis further comprises:
 a loudspeaker to deliver the acoustic stimulation signals to the recipient; and   an electrode assembly implanted in the recipient's cochlea to deliver the electrical stimulation signals to the recipient.   
     
     
         12 . An implantable hearing prosthesis comprising:
 a microphone configured to receive sound signals and to output microphone information;   an implantable upgrade module including a pre-processing unit configured to generate audio signals based on the microphone information;   a implantable main module, physically separate from and electrically connected to the upgrade module, comprising: a sound processing unit configured to generate stimulation information based on the audio signals received from the pre-processing unit, and a stimulator unit configured to generate electrical stimulation signals based on the stimulation information; and   an electrode assembly configured to deliver the stimulation signals to the recipient.   
     
     
         13 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the upgrade module further comprises:
 a rechargeable battery.   
     
     
         14 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the microphone is an implantable microphone positioned in the upgrade module. 
     
     
         15 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the microphone is an implantable microphone, and wherein the pre-processing unit is configured to suppress body-noise detected by the microphone. 
     
     
         16 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the microphone is an implantable microphone comprising:
 a first element configured to detect sound signals; and   an accelerometer configured to detect movement of the recipients skull.   
     
     
         17 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 18 , wherein pre-processing unit is configured to combine the detected sound signals and the output of the accelerometer to so as to suppress bone conducted sound detected by the first element of the microphone. 
     
     
         18 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , further comprising two or more implantable microphones, and wherein the pre-processing unit is configured to combine the microphone information from the two or more implantable microphones in manner so as to substantially suppress bone conducted sound. 
     
     
         19 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a transceiver configured to provide a bi-directional energy transfer link between the hearing prosthesis and an external device.   
     
     
         20 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 19 , wherein the transceiver is positioned in the upgrade module. 
     
     
         21 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the sound processing unit is configured to generate electrical stimulation information and acoustic stimulation information, and wherein 
       stimulator unit is further configured to generate acoustic stimulation signals based on the acoustic stimulation information, and wherein the hearing prosthesis further comprises:
 a loudspeaker to deliver the acoustic stimulation signals to the recipient. 
 
     
     
         22 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 12 , wherein the microphone is external to the recipient, and wherein the upgrade module includes a wireless to receiver to receive microphone information from the external microphone. 
     
     
         23 . A method of converting sounds signal into a hearing percept, comprising:
 receiving sound signals with an implanted microphone;   converting, with a pre-processing unit positioned in an implantable upgrade module, the microphone information into audio signals;   providing the audio signals to a sound processing unit positioned in a implantable main module that is physically separate from, and electrically connected to, the upgrade module;   generating, with the sound processing unit, stimulation information based on the audio signals;   generating, with a stimulator unit positioned in the implantable main module, stimulation signals based on the stimulation information; and   delivering the stimulation signals to a recipient with an implantable stimulation module.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving the sound signals with a microphone positioned in the upgrade module.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein generating the audio signals based on the microphone information received from the implanted microphone further comprises:
 suppressing body-noise detected by the microphone.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the implantable microphone comprises a first element configured to detect sound signals; and an accelerometer configured to detect movement of the recipients skull, and wherein generating the audio signals based on the microphone information received from the implanted microphone further comprises:
 combining the detected sound signals and the output of the accelerometer to so as to suppress bone conducted sound detected by the first element of the microphone.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the hearing prosthesis comprises two or more microphones, and wherein generating the audio signals based on the microphone information received from the implanted microphone further comprises:
 combining the microphone information from the two or microphones in manner so as to substantially suppress bone conducted sound.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 generating, with the stimulator unit positioned in the implantable main module, electrical stimulation signals based on the stimulation information; and   delivering the electrical stimulation signals to a recipient with an electrode assembly implanted in the recipient's cochlea.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 generating, with the stimulator unit positioned in the implantable main module, electrical stimulation signals and acoustic stimulation signals based on the stimulation information;   delivering the electrical stimulation signals to a recipient with an electrode assembly implanted in the recipient's cochlea; and   delivering the acoustic stimulation signals to a recipient with an implanted loudspeaker.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 concurrently delivering the electrical stimulation signals and the acoustic stimulation signals to the recipient.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 generating, with the stimulator unit positioned in the implantable main module, electrical stimulation signals and mechanical stimulation signals based on the stimulation information;   delivering the electrical stimulation signals to a recipient with an electrode assembly implanted in the recipient's cochlea; and   delivering the acoustic stimulation signals to a recipient with an implanted mechanical stimulator.