Bionic cochlea

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9511224-B1
Application number	US-201414532891-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Nov 4, 2014
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	Dec 6, 2016
Grant date	Dec 6, 2016

Abstract

A bionic cochlea includes a fluid filled vessel having a flexible window disposed in one of its walls. The flexible window flexes when exposed to an acoustic pulse to produce an acoustic pressure pulse in the fluid inside the vessel. A plurality of piezoelectric nanowires is disposed within the fluid filled vessel. The piezoelectric nanowires vibrate in response to acoustic pressure pulses transmitting through the fluid and produce electrical signals. Electrical wires in communication with the piezoelectric nanowires receive the produced electrical signals and pass these signals to the mammalian auditory nerve.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bionic cochlea comprising:
an enclosed fluid filled vessel comprising walls, each of the walls having an interior surface;
a flexible first window disposed in one of the walls, the material and thickness of the first window selected to flex locally relative to the walls of the fluid filled vessel when exposed to an acoustic pulse to produce an acoustic pressure pulse in the fluid inside the vessel;
a plurality of piezoelectric nanowires disposed within the fluid filled vessel and extending from the walls of the fluid filled vessel, each of the nanowires having one end fixed to one of the interior surfaces and an unattached second end extending into the interior of the vessel, the length of each of the nanowires configured selected to vibrate in response to at least one predetermined wavelength in the acoustic pressure pulse, thereby producing an electrical signal; and
at least one electrical wire in communication with the plurality of piezoelectric nanowires to receive the produced electrical signals.

2. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the fluid filled vessel comprises a cylindrical tube.

3. The bionic cochlea of claim 2 , wherein the first window is disposed in an end of the cylindrical tube.

4. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the walls of the fluid filled vessel and the first window comprises a silicone elastomer.

5. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the walls of the fluid filled vessel and the first window comprise carbon fiber.

6. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the first window comprises an oval window.

7. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the first window is in communication with one of the ossicles of a mammalian ear.

8. The bionic cochlea of claim 7 , wherein the one of the ossicles in communication with the first window is the stapes of a mammalian ear.

9. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of piezoelectric nanowires comprises zinc oxide.

10. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of piezoelectric nanowires comprises polyvinylidene fluoride.

11. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of piezoelectric nanowires are grouped into a plurality of distinct resonant frequency octave bands, each octave band comprising a set of piezoelectric nanowires centered on a distinct resonant frequency.

12. The bionic cochlea of claim 11 , wherein the octave bands are centered on 25 KHz, 16 KHz, 8 KHz, 4 KHz, 2 KHz, 1 KHz, 500 Hz, 250 Hz, 125 Hz, 63 Hz, 31 Hz, and 16 Hz resonant frequencies.

13. The bionic cochlea of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of electrical wires, each electrical wire being in communication with the piezoelectric nanowires grouped in a corresponding octave band.

14. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of piezoelectric nanowires comprises a linear distribution of piezoelectric nanowires, each piezoelectric nanowire in the linear distribution having a distinct length and a distinct resonant frequency.

15. The bionic cochlea of claim 14 , wherein the fluid filled vessel comprises a cylindrical tube and the linear distribution of piezoelectric nanowires is disposed along a length of the cylindrical tube.

16. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the bionic cochlea further comprises at least one nanopiezoelectric semiconductor in communication with the electric wire to regulate an amplitude of the produced electrical signals passing through the electric wire.

17. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , wherein the electrical wire is in communication with a mammalian auditory nerve.

18. The bionic cochlea of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible second window disposed in one of the walls, the material and thickness of the second window selected to flex locally relative to the walls of the fluid filled vessel when exposed to the acoustic pressure pulse and relieve pressure inside the fluid filled vessel.

19. The bionic cochlea of claim 18 , wherein the fluid filled vessel comprises a cylindrical tube, the first window is disposed in an end of the cylindrical tube, and the second window is disposed in the end of the cylindrical tube opposite the first window.

Assignees

• Downs Jr Edward F
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Downs Jr Edward F

Classifications

• A61N1/36036

  of the outer, middle or inner ear · CPC title

• A61F2002/183

  Ear parts · CPC title

• A61N1/0541

  Cochlear electrodes · CPC title

• H04R2410/00

  Microphones · CPC title

• H04R2225/67

  Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 · CPC title