US2015343225A1PendingUtilityA1

Distributed Implantable Hearing Systems

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Assignee: LEIGH CHARLES ROGER AARONPriority: Jun 2, 2014Filed: Jun 2, 2014Published: Dec 3, 2015
Est. expiryJun 2, 2034(~7.9 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Charles Roger Aaron Leigh
H04R 25/554A61N 1/37229A61N 1/36038H04R 25/606A61N 1/36032
55
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Claims

Abstract

Presented herein are distributed implantable hearing systems that have at least a main implant module that is physically separated from a distally positioned inner radio-frequency (RF) coil. Embodiments presented herein may include a main implant module positioned within a recipient's mastoid and an implantable coil positioned within a recipient's middle ear cavity

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An implantable hearing system, comprising:
 at least one implant module configured to be implanted in a recipient; and   an implantable coil configured to form a radio-frequency link with an outer coil, wherein the implantable coil is configured to be implanted in the recipient at a location that is distal to the at least one implant module.   
     
     
         2 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one implant module is configured to be implanted within a mastoid cavity of the recipient such that the at least one implant module is fully recessed within the mastoid. 
     
     
         3 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one implant module is configured to be implanted abutting an outer surface of the recipient's skull. 
     
     
         4 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one implant module comprises a first implant module configured to be implanted in the mastoid cavity and a second implant module configured to be implanted abutting an outer surface of the recipient's skull. 
     
     
         5 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one implant module comprises at least a first implant module configured to be implanted in the recipient's middle ear cavity and one or more mode additional implant modules configured to be implanted in the mastoid cavity or abutting an outer surface of the recipient's skull. 
     
     
         6 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable coil is a coil configured to be implanted in the recipient's middle ear cavity adjacent to the recipient's tympanic membrane to form a trans-tympanic radio-frequency link with an outer coil positioned in the recipient's ear canal. 
     
     
         7 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one implant module includes a stimulator unit positioned in a hermetically sealed housing. 
     
     
         8 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 6 , wherein the implantable coil comprises a one or more fabiform-shaped wire turns. 
     
     
         9 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 6 , further including:
 a sound processing unit configured to be positioned in the recipient's ear canal.   
     
     
         10 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable hearing system is a cochlear implant. 
     
     
         11 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable hearing system is a direct acoustic stimulator. 
     
     
         12 . A cochlear implant, comprising:
 a stimulator unit configured to be implanted within a recipient's mastoid;   a stimulating assembly electrically connected to the stimulator unit and configured to be implanted in a recipient's cochlea; and   an implantable tympanic membrane coil electrically connected to the stimulator unit and configured to be implanted in a recipient's middle ear cavity adjacent to the recipient's tympanic membrane to form a trans-tympanic radio-frequency link with an external coil positioned in the recipient's ear canal.   
     
     
         13 . The cochlear implant of  claim 12 , wherein the stimulator unit is configured to be implanted within a surgically formed mastoid cavity. 
     
     
         14 . The cochlear implant of  claim 12 , wherein the stimulator unit is configured to be implanted within a middle ear cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The cochlear implant of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 one or more auxiliary modules.   
     
     
         16 . The cochlear implant of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the one or more auxiliary modules is configured to be implanted within a surgically formed mastoid cavity. 
     
     
         17 . The cochlear implant of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the one or more auxiliary modules is configured to be implanted at abutting an outer surface of the recipient's skull. 
     
     
         18 . The cochlear implant of  claim 9 , wherein the implantable tympanic membrane coil comprises a one or more of fabiform-shaped wire turns. 
     
     
         19 . An implantable hearing system, comprising:
 at least one implant module configured to be implanted in a recipient; and   an implantable tympanic membrane coil electrically connected to the at least one implant module and comprised of one or more fabiform-shaped wire turns.   
     
     
         20 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 19 , wherein the implantable tympanic membrane coil is configured to be implanted in a recipient's middle ear cavity adjacent to the recipient's tympanic membrane to form a trans-tympanic radio-frequency link with an outer coil positioned in the recipient's ear canal. 
     
     
         21 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one implant module is configured to be implanted within a mastoid cavity of the recipient such that the at least one implant module is fully recessed within the mastoid. 
     
     
         22 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one implant module is configured to be implanted abutting an outer surface of the recipient's skull. 
     
     
         23 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one implant module comprises a first implant module configured to be implanted in the mastoid cavity and a second implant module configured to be implanted abutting an outer surface of the recipient's skull. 
     
     
         24 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 19 , wherein the at least one implant module comprises at least a first implant module configured to be implanted in the recipient's middle ear cavity and one or more mode additional implant modules configured to be implanted in the mastoid cavity or abutting an outer surface of the recipient's skull. 
     
     
         25 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 19 , wherein the implantable hearing system is a cochlear implant. 
     
     
         26 . The implantable hearing system of  claim 19 , wherein the implantable hearing system is a direct acoustic stimulator.

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