Cochlear hearing device with cable antenna

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10009696-B2
Application number	US-201615179042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2016
Priority date	Jun 11, 2015
Publication date	Jun 26, 2018
Grant date	Jun 26, 2018

Abstract

A hearing aid device comprising a behind-the-ear part, an at-the-head part, a coupling element, a second antenna, and a wireless interface is disclosed. The behind-the-ear part is adapted for being arranged at an ear of a user and for providing a low frequency signal comprising audio. The at-the-head part is adapted for being arranged at the head of the user. The at-the-head part includes a first antenna adapted to communicate with an implant part comprising at least one cochlear electrode adapted for being arranged in the cochlea in proximity of an auditory nerve of the user. The coupling element couples the behind-the-ear part and the at-the-head part and is adapted for transmitting the low frequency signal comprising audio to the at-the-head part. The second antenna is adapted for communicating at high frequency with an external unit. The wireless interface is adapted for receiving and/or sending data via the second antenna. The at-the-head part is adapted for providing the low frequency signal comprising audio to the at least one cochlear electrode. The at least one cochlear electrode is adapted for converting the low frequency signal comprising audio to an output signal perceivable by a user as sound. The coupling element comprises an electrically conducting element coupled to the wireless interface. The electrically conducting element is at least a part of the second antenna and adapted for transferring the signal comprising audio at a low frequency from the behind-the-ear part to the at-the-head part and for transmitting and/or receiving high frequency signals via the second antenna.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hearing aid device comprising:
a behind-the-ear part adapted for being arranged at an ear of a user and for providing a low frequency signal comprising audio,
an at-the-head part adapted for being arranged at the head of the user, wherein the at-the-head part includes a first antenna adapted to communicate with an implant part comprising at least one cochlear electrode adapted for being arranged in the cochlea in proximity of an auditory nerve of the user, the at-the-head part being adapted to be magnetically coupled to the implant part at a distance from the ear of the user,
a coupling element coupling the behind-the-ear part and the at-the-head part, wherein the coupling element is adapted for transmitting the low frequency signal comprising audio to the at-the-head part,
a second antenna for communicating at high frequency with an external unit, and
a wireless interface for receiving and/or sending data via the second antenna,
the at-the-head part being adapted for providing the low frequency signal comprising audio to the at least one cochlear electrode and the at least one cochlear electrode being adapted for converting the low frequency signal comprising audio to an output signal perceivable by a user as sound,
wherein the coupling element comprises an electrically conducting element coupled to the wireless interface, the electrically conducting element is at least a part of the second antenna, and the electrically conducting element is adapted for transferring the signal comprising audio at a low frequency from the behind-the-ear part to the at-the-head part and for transmitting and/or receiving high frequency signals via the second antenna,
wherein the second antenna comprises a first part and a second part, the electrically conducting element of the coupling element constituting the first part of the second antenna and the second part of the second antenna being arranged in the behind-the-ear part,
wherein the behind-the-ear part comprises a casing which is at least partly formed as a hook with a hollow inner space and wherein the second part of the second antenna arranged in the behind-the-ear part is at least partly arranged in the hollow inner space of the hook,
wherein a feed point to the second antenna is between the first part and second part of the second antenna.

2. Hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the second antenna is an electrically short antenna.

3. Hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the first antenna communicates with the implant part via mutual induction between coils of the first antenna and the implant part.

4. Hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the coupling element comprises two balanced wires for transmitting the signal comprising audio to the at-the-head part, wherein the electrically conducting element comprises the wires.

5. Hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the wireless interface is coupled to the electrically conducting element via a high-pass filter, wherein the wireless interface is coupled to the high-pass filter via a balun and wherein the high-pass filter is coupled to the wires via respective capacitors, wherein the behind-the-ear part includes a low-pass filter in the path of the signal comprising audio.

6. Hearing aid device according to the claim 1 , wherein the wireless interface is adapted for receiving and/or sending data by means of radio frequency signals in the frequency range of 1 MHz to 100 GHz, and wherein the wireless interface is optionally adapted for receiving and/or sending data according to a communication standard.

7. Hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the second antenna arranged in the behind-the-ear part has a radiation pattern resembling a monopole or wire antenna which has a form that depends on a desired radio frequency.

8. Hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the second antenna arranged in the behind-the-ear part is a loop antenna or at least a part of the second antenna arranged in the behind-the-ear part is a spiral antenna.

9. Hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the second antenna arranged in the behind-the-ear part is coupled to the wireless interface via a balun and/or a matching network which is adapted to maximize the energy transfer to second antenna at a desired radio frequency.

10. A hearing aid system comprising:
a behind-the-ear part adapted for being arranged at an ear of a user and for providing a signal comprising audio,
an at-the-head part adapted for being arranged at a location on the head of the user, wherein the at-the-head part includes an inductive coupler adapted to inductively communicate with an implant part comprising at least one cochlear electrode adapted for being arranged in the cochlea of the user in proximity of an auditory nerve of the user, the at-the-head part being adapted to be magnetically coupled to the implant part at a distance from the ear of the user,
a mechanical coupling element mechanically coupling the behind-the-ear part and the at-the-head part, wherein the coupling element comprises an electrically conductive part configured to transmitting the signal comprising audio from the behind-the-ear part to the at-the-head part,
an high frequency antenna configured to transmit and/or receive electromagnetic signals at high frequency, the high frequency antenna being in electrical connection with a wireless interface for digitally receiving and/or transmitting data via the high frequency antenna,
wherein the high frequency antenna comprises a first part and a second part, the electrically conducting element of the mechanical coupling element constituting the first part of the high frequency antenna and the second part of the high frequency antenna being arranged in the behind-the-ear part,
wherein the behind-the-ear part comprises a casing which is at least partly formed as a hook with a hollow inner space and wherein the second part of the high frequency antenna arranged in the behind-the-ear part is at least partly arranged in the hollow inner space of the hook,
wherein a feed point to the high frequency antenna is between the first part and second part of the high frequency antenna.

11. The hearing aid system according to claim 10 , wherein the behind-the-ear part further comprises an input transducer for providing the signal comprising audio.

12. A method for a wireless receiving and/or sending of data in a hearing device comprising
a coupling element coupling a behind-the-ear part and an at-the-head part of the hearing device, the behind-the-ear part for providing a low frequency signal comprising audio and the at-the-head part including a first antenna adapted to communicate with an implant part comprising at least one cochlear electrode adapted for converting the low frequency signal comprising audio to an output signal receivable by a user as sound, and
a second antenna for communicating at high frequency with an external unit, and
a wireless interface for receiving and/or sending data via the second antenna,
and the method comprising the steps of:
providing an electrically conducting element in the coupling element,
arranging the behind-the-ear part at an ear of a user of the hearing device,
arranging the at-the-head part at the head of the user, such that the at-the-head part is magnetically coupled to the implant part at a distance from the ear of the user,
arranging the at least one cochlear electrode in the cochlea in proximity of an auditory nerve of the user,
receiving and/or sending data via said electrically conducting element serving as at least a part of t

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Bodvarsson Thorvaldur Oli

Classifications

• H04R2225/51

  Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids · CPC title

• A61N1/36038

  Cochlear stimulation · CPC title

• H04R25/505 Primary

  using digital signal processing · CPC title

• H04R25/552

  Binaural · CPC title

• A61N1/0541

  Cochlear electrodes · CPC title