Implantable floating mass transducer of a hearing implant system
US9113268B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 29, 2014 |
| Grant date | Aug 18, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 29, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04R2400/07
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An implantable floating mass transducer is described for a hearing implant system in an implant patient. A cylindrical transducer housing contains a cylindrical inner mass magnet having an inner magnetic field with a first field direction. One or more signal drive coils are on the outer housing surface for conducting a transducer drive signal current to produce a signal magnetic field that interacts with the inner magnetic field to create vibration of the inner mass magnet which is coupled by the transducer housing to the internal hearing structure for sound perception by the implant patient. A ring-shape outer offset magnet is positioned around the outer housing surface with an outer magnetic field having a second field direction opposite to the first field direction so as to offset the inner magnetic field to minimize their combined magnetic field and thereby minimize magnetic interaction of the transducer with any external magnetic field.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.