Cochlear Limited

Gn Hearing A/s

Gn Resound A/s

Cochler Limited

Werner Meskens

Koen Van Den Heuvel

Tadeusz Jurkiewicz

Limin Zhong

Carl Van Himbeeck

Wim Bervoets

Koen Van Herck

Steve Winnall

Steve Winnal

Martin Evert Gustaf Hillbratt

Tony M Nygard

Oliver John Ridler

Koen Erik Van Den Heuvel

Andrew Fort

Clare James

Guilhem Yvan Vavelin

Robert Graham Bennett

Peter Van Gerwen

Erika J Van Baelen

Adam Schindhelm

Erika Baelen

Jan Patrick Frieding

Mark Alan Von Huben

Rami Banna

Christopher Joseph Long

Adam Mujaj

Justin James Gilmour

Ibrahim Bouchataoui

Thomas Cooney

Brian Gordon

Koenraad Van Hulle

An external headpiece of an implantable hearing aid system, including an RF coil, a sound processing apparatus, a battery, and a magnet configured to support the headpiece against skin of the recipient via a transcutaneous magnetic coupling with an implanted magnet implanted in a recipient, wherein a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical battery extends through the magnet.

Battery positioning in an external device

Embodiments presented herein are generally directed to techniques for the transfer of isochronous stimulation data over a standardized isochronous audio or data link between components of an implantable medical device system. More specifically, as described further below, a first component is configured to generate dynamic stimulation data based on one or more received sound signals. The first component is configured to obtain static configuration data and to encode the dynamic stimulation data and the static configuration data into a series of isochronous wireless packets. The first component is configured to transmit the series of wireless packets over an isochronous wireless channel to a second component of the implantable medical device system.

Wireless communication in an implantable medical device system

Presented herein are techniques that provide an external component of an implantable medical device system with the ability to use a single inductive coil assembly to both receive charging signals from an inductive charger and for bi-directional transcutaneous communication with an implantable component. In particular, an external component comprises a coil assembly comprising a first coil segment and a second coil segment. The first and second coil segments have a first electrically connected arrangement that is used to receive charging signals, and a second electrically connected arrangement that is used for the bi-directional transcutaneous communication.

Medical device component with dual-band coil assembly

A BTE prosthetic device for use in a medical system or prosthesis comprises a connector configured to mechanically attach an auxiliary device of the system to the BTE prosthetic device. The connector is electrically connected to a transceiver of the BTE prosthetic device. The connector operates as an electromagnetic antenna for transmitting and/or receiving signals between the BTE prosthetic and other components of the medical system.

Acoustic output device with antenna

Embodiments presented herein are generally directed to techniques for separately transferring power and data from an external device to an implantable component of a partially or fully implantable medical device. The separated power and data transfer techniques use a single external coil and a single implantable coil. The external coil is part of an external resonant circuit, while the implantable coil is part of an implantable resonant circuit. The external coil is configured to transcutaneously transfer power and data to the implantable coil using separate (different) power and data time slots. At least one of the external or internal resonant circuit is substantially more damped during the data time slot than during the power time slot.

Power and data transfer in hearing prostheses

Technologies disclosed herein can be used to test vibrating actuators, such as those found in auditory prostheses. An example test system includes a trigger signal generator that emits a trigger signal, a test frequency generator that operates in a test mode responsive to receiving a trigger signal, and a diagnostic tool comprising a vibration sensor. The diagnostic tool can measure an output of the vibration sensor.

Actuator testing systems and methods

Certain medical devices, such as auditory prostheses, have an implantable portion and an external portion. The implantable portion and external portion each include a transmission/receiver coil that communicates signals between the two portions. The implanted coil is implanted about the ear canal while the external coil is disposed about the pinna or in the ear canal itself. The proximity of the two coils allows for signal transmission between the implantable and external portions.

External and implantable coils for auditory prostheses

A hearing device is provided. The hearing device comprises a first portion configured to be arranged at a head of a user and to provide a signal to a second portion.

The present invention is related to an implantable medical device. The medical device comprises an implantable component having a receiver unit; an external charging module having a power transmitter unit; and a data module having a data transmitter unit. The units are configured to establish a transcutaneous communication link over which data and power is transmitted on a single frequency channel via a time interleaving scheme comprising successive frames each divided into at least two time slots, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the data transmitter unit, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the power transmitter unit, and wherein data and power are transmitted by the transmitter units during their allotted time slots.

Interleaving power and data in a transcutaneous communication link

An auditory prosthesis comprising an actuator for providing mechanical stimulation to a recipient. The auditory prosthesis comprises a measurement circuit for use in determining the resonance peak(s) of the actuator. In an embodiment, the measurement circuit measures the voltage drop across the actuator and/or current through the actuator during a frequency sweep of the operational frequencies of the actuator. These measured voltages and/or currents are then analyzed for discontinuities that are indicative of a resonance peak of the actuator. In another embodiment, rather than using a frequency sweep to measure voltages and/or currents across the actuator, the measurement circuit instead applies a voltage impulse to the actuator and then measure the voltage and/or current across the actuator for a period of time after application of the impulse. The measured voltages and/or currents are then analyzed to identify resonance peak(s) of the actuator.

Identifying hearing prosthesis actuator resonance peak(s)

An implantable medical system including an implantable stimulator device and an implantable auxiliary device. An implantable cable electrically connects the implantable stimulator device and the implantable auxiliary device. The implantable auxiliary device has an auxiliary device rechargeable battery and an auxiliary component. The implantable medical system is configured to selectively operate in a first mode or a second mode. The implantable medical system is configured to, based on the mode, control charging the auxiliary device rechargeable battery from the implantable stimulator device over the implantable cable and control transmission of an auxiliary device signal from the auxiliary component to the implantable stimulator device over the implantable cable.

Auxiliary device connection

Presented herein are techniques for generating a stable reference clock for use by a short-range radio transceiver of an implantable component without the need for an X-tal oscillator within the implantable component itself. In accordance with certain techniques presented herein, the implantable component is in communication with a first external component via a closely-coupled link and in communication with a second external component via short-range radio link. The implantable component is configured to receive, from the first external component, signals via the closely-coupled link. The implantable component is configured to extract frequency information from these received signals and synchronize a carrier frequency of the short-range radio link to the frequency information extracted from the signals.

Growing community of inventors

Opwijk, Belgium

Werner Meskens