Med-el Elektromedizinische Geraete Gmbh

Med-el. Elektromedizinische Gerate Ges.m.b.h.

Heinz Kurz Gmbh Medizintechnik

Karl-Bernd Hüttenbrink

Claude Jolly

Martin Zimmerling

Uwe Steinhardt

Gert Hofmann

Thomas Zahnert

Matthias Bornitz

Axel Lang

Hannes Seidler

Alexander Hellmuth

Daniel Sieber

Matthias Blau

Eckhard Schulz

Markus GÄCKLE

An insertion system for inserting an implantable electrode carrier includes an insertion instrument having a housing with a proximal end and a distal end, and a vibration generator coupled adjacent to the housing. The proximal end is configured to hold the implantable electrode carrier. The vibration generator is configured to generate vibrations in at least a portion of the electrode carrier.

Insertion system for inserting implantable electrode carrier

An implantable microphone for use in hearing systems includes a housing having a sidewall, a first membrane coupled to a top portion of the housing and configured to move in response to movement from an auditory ossicle, and a second membrane coupled to the sidewall such that an interior volume of the housing is divided into a first volume and a second volume. The first volume has an opening that permits fluid to flow out from the first volume. The implantable microphone also includes a vibration sensor coupled to the second membrane and configured to measure the movement of the second membrane and to convert the measurement into an electrical signal. The vibration sensor may include a piezoelectric sensor and/or a MEMS sensor.

Implantable microphone for hearing systems

An implantable microphone for use in hearing systems includes a housing having a back wall. The back wall has a recess (e.g., blind hole) configured to be coupled to an auditory ossicle. The implantable microphone also includes a membrane coupled to a top portion of the housing and a vibration sensor adjacent to the membrane. The membrane is configured to move in response to movement from the auditory ossicle, and the vibration sensor is configured to measure the movement of the membrane and to convert the measurement into an electrical signal.

An implantable microphone for use in hearing systems includes a housing having a sidewall, a first membrane coupled to a top portion of the housing and configured to move in response to movement from an auditory ossicle, and a second membrane coupled to the sidewall such that an interior volume of the housing is divided into a first volume and a second volume. The second membrane has an opening that permits fluid to flow from the first volume to the second volume. The implantable microphone also includes a vibration sensor adjacent to the second membrane and configured to measure the movement of the second membrane and to convert the measurement into an electrical signal. The vibration sensor may include a piezoelectric sensor and/or a MEMS sensor.

The invention relates to an implantable electromechanical converter for receiving oscillations from an ear ossicle and for converting them into an electrical voltage, for use as a microphone for a cochlea implant or an implantable hearing aid, consisting of one or more piezoelectric converter elements () housed in a hermetically sealed hollow body () made of a biocompatible material. The converter is characterized in that the hollow body has a thin shell () which is connected with its interior side to the piezoelectric converter elements and which can be coupled with its exterior side to an ear ossicle, and which is held by a stable edge (), whereby the stable edge can be coupled to a counter-support in the middle ear space.

Implantable converter for cochlea implants and implantable hearing aids

Growing community of inventors

Dresden, Germany

Karl-Bernd Hüttenbrink