U.S. patent application number 12/042186 was filed with the patent office on 2009-09-10 for dental bone conduction hearing appliance.
This patent application is currently assigned to Sonitus Medical, Inc.. Invention is credited to Amir Abolfathi, John Spiridigliozzi.
Application Number | 20090226020 12/042186 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41053619 |
Filed Date | 2009-09-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090226020 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Abolfathi; Amir ; et
al. |
September 10, 2009 |
DENTAL BONE CONDUCTION HEARING APPLIANCE
Abstract
An intra-oral hearing appliance includes an actuator to provide
bone conduction sound transmission; a transceiver coupled to the
actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound; and a first
chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver, said first
chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth.
Inventors: |
Abolfathi; Amir; (Woodside,
CA) ; Spiridigliozzi; John; (San Mateo, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LEVINE BAGADE HAN LLP
2400 GENG ROAD, SUITE 120
PALO ALTO
CA
94303
US
|
Assignee: |
Sonitus Medical, Inc.
Menlo Park
CA
|
Family ID: |
41053619 |
Appl. No.: |
12/042186 |
Filed: |
March 4, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/361 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 25/606 20130101;
H04R 25/00 20130101; H04R 25/602 20130101; B33Y 80/00 20141201;
H04R 25/407 20130101; H04R 2460/13 20130101; B33Y 70/00
20141201 |
Class at
Publication: |
381/361 |
International
Class: |
H04R 9/08 20060101
H04R009/08 |
Claims
1. An intra-oral hearing appliance, comprising: a. an actuator to
provide bone conduction sound transmission; b. a transceiver
coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to generate sound;
and c. a first chamber containing the actuator and the transceiver,
said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or more teeth.
2. The appliance of claim 1, comprising an actuator driver or
amplifier coupled to the actuator.
3. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a second chamber to house a
power source to drive the actuator and the transceiver.
4. The appliance of claim 3, comprising a bridge coupling the first
and second chambers.
5. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises
electrical cabling or an antenna embedded in the bridge.
6. The appliance of claim 4, wherein the bridge comprises one of: a
wired frame, a polymeric material, a combination of polymeric
material and a wired frame.
7. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a mass coupled to the
actuator.
8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the mass comprises one of a
weight, a battery, an electronics module.
9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a
piezoelectric transducer.
10. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a
rectangular beam bender.
11. The appliance of claim 1, comprising one or more ceramic or
alumina stands coupled to the actuator.
12. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a compressible material
coupled to the actuator.
13. The appliance of claim 12, comprising a non compressible
material covering the actuator and the compressible material.
14. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a rechargeable power
source coupled to the transceiver and the actuator.
15. The appliance of claim 14, comprising an inductive charger
coupled to the battery.
16. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the chamber comprises a
custom oral device.
17. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a pre-built housing for
the actuator.
18. The appliance of claim 17, wherein the pre-built housing
comprises an arm and one or more bottom contacts, the arm and the
contacts adapted to bias a mass against a tooth.
19. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a microphone coupled to
the transceiver, the microphone being positioned intraorally or
extraorally.
20. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a data storage device.
21. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a first microphone to pick
up body conduction sound, a second microphone to pick up ambient
sound, and a noise canceller to subtract ambient sound from the
body conduction sound.
22. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the actuator transmits sound
through a tooth, a maxillary bone, a mandibular bone, or a palatine
bone.
23. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a linking unit coupled to
the transceiver, the linking unit adapted to communicate with an
external sound source.
24. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the transceiver comprises a
wireless transceiver.
25. The appliance of claim 1, comprising a C-shaped wire providing
a spring force to secure the actuator to one or more teeth.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Hearing loss affects over 31 million people in the United
States. As a chronic condition, the incidence of hearing impairment
rivals that of heart disease and, like heart disease, the incidence
of hearing impairment increases sharply with age.
[0002] Hearing loss can also be classified in terms of being
conductive, sensorineural, or a combination of both. Conductive
hearing impairment typically results from diseases or disorders
that limit the transmission of sound through the middle ear. Most
conductive impairments can be treated medically or surgically.
Purely conductive hearing loss represents a relatively small
portion of the total hearing impaired population.
[0003] Sensorineural hearing losses occur mostly in the inner ear
and account for the vast majority of hearing impairment (estimated
at 90-95% of the total hearing impaired population). Sensorineural
hearing impairment (sometimes called "nerve loss") is largely
caused by damage to the sensory hair cells inside the cochlea.
Sensorineural hearing impairment occurs naturally as a result of
aging or prolonged exposure to loud music and noise. This type of
hearing loss cannot be reversed nor can it be medically or
surgically treated; however, the use of properly fitted hearing
devices can improve the individual's quality of life.
[0004] Conventional hearing devices are the most common devices
used to treat mild to severe sensorineural hearing impairment.
These are acoustic devices that amplify sound to the tympanic
membrane. These devices are individually customizable to the
patient's physical and acoustical characteristics over four to six
separate visits to an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.
Such devices generally comprise a microphone, amplifier, battery,
and speaker. Recently, hearing device manufacturers have increased
the sophistication of sound processing, often using digital
technology, to provide features such as programmability and
multi-band compression. Although these devices have been
miniaturized and are less obtrusive, they are still visible and
have major acoustic limitation.
[0005] In a parallel trend, the advent of music players and cell
phones has driven the demand for small and portable headphones that
can reproduce sound with high fidelity so that the user can listen
to the sound without disturbing people who are nearby. These
headphones typically use small speakers that can render the sound.
With cell phones, there is a need to capture the user's voice with
a microphone and relay the voice over the cellular network so that
the parties can engage in a conversation even though they are
separated by great distances. Microphones are transducers just like
speakers. They change sound waves into electrical signals, while
speakers change electrical signals into sound waves. When a
headphone is equipped with a small microphone, it is called a
headset.
[0006] A headset may be used in conjunction with a telephone device
for several reasons. With a headset, the user is relived of the
need to hold the phone and thus retains his or her hands free to
perform other functions. Headsets also function to position the
earphone and microphone portions of a telephone close to the user's
head to provide for clearer reception and transmission of audio
signals with less interference from background noise. Headsets may
be used with telephones, computers, cellular telephones, and other
devices.
[0007] The wireless industry has launched several after-market
products to free the user from holding the phone while making phone
calls. For example, various headsets are manufactured with an
earpiece connected to a microphone and most of these headsets or
hands-free kits are compatible with any phone brand or model. A
possible headset can be plugged-in to the phone and comprise a
microphone connected via wires to the headset so that the
microphone, when in position, can appropriately capture the voice
of the user. Other headsets are built in with a Bluetooth chip, or
other wireless means, so that the voice conversation can be
wirelessly diverted from the phone to the earpiece of the headset.
The Bluetooth radio chip acts as a connector between the headset
and a Bluetooth chip of the cell-phone.
[0008] The ability to correctly identify voiced and unvoiced speech
is critical to many speech applications including speech
recognition, speaker verification, noise suppression, and many
others. In a typical acoustic application, speech from a human
speaker is captured and transmitted to a receiver in a different
location. In the speaker's environment there may exist one or more
noise sources that pollute the speech signal, or the signal of
interest, with unwanted acoustic noise. This makes it difficult or
impossible for the receiver, whether human or machine, to
understand the user's speech.
[0009] United States Patent 20080019557 describes a headset which
includes a metal or metallic housing to which various accessory
components can be attached. These components can include an ear
loop, a necklace for the holding of the headset while not being
worn on the ear, an external mount, and other components. The
components include a magnet which facilitates mounting to the
headset. The components are not restricted to a particular
attachment point, which enhances the ability of the user to adjust
the geometry for better fit.
[0010] With conventional headsets, people nearby can notice when
the user is wearing the headset. U.S. Pat. No. 7,076,077 discloses
a bone conduction headset which is inconspicuous in appearance
during wearing. The bone conduction headset includes a band running
around a back part of the user's head; a fastening portion formed
in each of opposite end portions of the band; a bone conduction
speaker provided with a knob which is engaged with the fastening
portion; and, an ear engagement portion, which runs over the bone
conduction speaker during wearing of the headset to reach and
engage with the user's ear. An extension of either the fastening
portion in the band or a casing of the bone conduction speaker may
be formed into the ear engagement portion.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 7,246,058 discloses a system for detecting
voiced and unvoiced speech in acoustic signals having varying
levels of background noise. The systems receive acoustic signals at
two microphones, and generate difference parameters between the
acoustic signals received at each of the two microphones. The
difference parameters are representative of the relative difference
in signal gain between portions of the received acoustic signals.
The systems identify information of the acoustic signals as
unvoiced speech when the difference parameters exceed a first
threshold, and identify information of the acoustic signals as
voiced speech when the difference parameters exceed a second
threshold. Further, embodiments of the systems include non-acoustic
sensors that receive physiological information to aid in
identifying voiced speech.
SUMMARY
[0012] In one aspect, An intra-oral hearing appliance includes an
actuator to provide bone conduction sound transmission; a
transceiver coupled to the actuator to cause the actuator to
generate sound; and a first chamber containing the actuator and the
transceiver, said first chamber adapted to be coupled to one or
more teeth.
[0013] Implementations of the above aspect may include one or more
of the following.
[0014] An actuator driver or amplifier can be connected to the
actuator. A second chamber can be used to house a power source to
drive the actuator and the transceiver. A bridge can connect the
first and second chambers. The bridge can have electrical cabling
or an antenna embedded in the bridge. The bridge can be a wired
frame, a polymeric material, or a combination of polymeric material
and a wired frame. A mass can be connected to the actuator. The
mass can be a weight such as tungsten or a suitable module with a
mass such as a battery or an electronics module. The actuator can
be a piezoelectric transducer. The configuration of the actuator
can be a rectangular or cantilever beam bender configuration. One
or more ceramic or alumina stands can connect the actuator to other
components. A compressible material can surround the actuator. A
non compressible material can cover the actuator and the
compressible material. A rechargeable power source can power the
transceiver and the actuator. An inductive charger can recharge the
battery. The chamber can be a custom oral device. A pre-built
housing can be provided for the mass. The pre-built housing can
have an arm and one or more bottom contacts, the arm and the
contacts adapted to bias a mass against a tooth. A microphone can
be connected to the transceiver, the microphone being positioned
intraorally or extraorally. A data storage device can be embedded
in the appliance. A first microphone can pick up body conduction
sound, a second microphone can pick up ambient sound, and a noise
canceller can be used to subtract ambient sound from the body
conduction sound. The actuator transmits sound through a tooth, a
maxillary bone, a mandibular bone, or a palatine bone. A linking
unit can provide sound to the transceiver, the linking unit adapted
to communicate with an external sound source. The transceiver can
be a wired transceiver or a wireless transceiver.
[0015] Advantages of preferred embodiments may include one or more
of the following. The bone conduction headset is easy to wear and
take off in use, and is further inconspicuous in appearance during
the user's wearing thereof. The device can be operated without
nearby people noticing the user's wearing of the headset. Compared
to headphones, the device avoids covering the ears of the listener.
This is important if (a) the listener needs to have the ears
unobstructed (to allow them to hear other sounds in the
environment), or (b) to allow them to plug the ears (to prevent
hearing damage from loud sounds in the environment). The system is
a multi-purpose communication platform that is rugged, wireless and
secure. The device can be used in extreme enviroments such as very
dusty, dirty or wet environments. The system provides quality,
hands-free, yet inconspicuous communication capability for field
personnel. The system overcomes hearing loss that can adversely
affect a person's quality of life and psychological well-being.
Solving such hearing impairment leads to reduced stress levels,
increases self-confidence, increases sociability and increases
effectiveness in the workplace.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1A shows a perspective top view of a bone conduction
hearing appliance.
[0017] FIG. 1B shows a perspective side view of the appliance of
FIG. 1A.
[0018] FIG. 1C shows an exemplary mechanical placement of
components of each chamber of FIG. 1A.
[0019] FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of a
hearing appliance.
[0020] FIG. 2B shows a cross-sectional rear view of the embodiment
of FIG. 2A.
[0021] FIG. 3A shows a perspective view of a third embodiment of a
hearing appliance.
[0022] FIG. 3B shows a top view of a fourth embodiment of a hearing
appliance.
[0023] FIG. 4 shows a diagram illustrating the coupling of the
actuator to one or more teeth.
[0024] FIG. 5 shows an equivalent model of the coupling of the
actuator to the teeth.
[0025] FIG. 6 shows another embodiment to couple the actuator to a
tooth.
[0026] FIG. 7A shows an illustrative configuration of the
individual components in a variation of the oral appliance device
having an external transmitting assembly with a receiving and
transducer assembly within the mouth.
[0027] FIG. 7B shows an illustrative configuration of another
variation of the device in which the entire assembly is contained
by the oral appliance within the user's mouth.
[0028] FIG. 8A shows a partial cross-sectional view of another
variation of an oral appliance placed upon a tooth with an
electronics/transducer assembly pressed against the tooth surface
via an osmotic pouch.
[0029] FIG. 8B shows a partial cross-sectional view of another
variation of an oral appliance placed upon a tooth with an
electronics/transducer assembly pressed against the tooth surface
via one or more biasing elements.
[0030] FIG. 9 illustrates another variation of an oral appliance
having an electronics assembly and a transducer assembly separated
from one another within the electronics and transducer housing of
the oral appliance.
[0031] FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate additional variations of oral
appliances in which the electronics and transducer assembly are
maintainable against the tooth surface via a ramped surface and a
biasing element.
[0032] FIG. 12 shows yet another variation of an oral appliance
having an interfacing member positioned between the electronics
and/or transducer assembly and the tooth surface.
[0033] FIG. 13 shows yet another variation of an oral appliance
having an actuatable mechanism for urging the electronics and/or
transducer assembly against the tooth surface.
[0034] FIG. 14 shows yet another variation of an oral appliance
having a cam mechanism for urging the electronics and/or transducer
assembly against the tooth surface.
[0035] FIG. 15 shows yet another variation of an oral appliance
having a separate transducer mechanism positionable upon the
occlusal surface of the tooth for transmitting vibrations.
[0036] FIG. 16 illustrates another variation of an oral appliance
having a mechanism for urging the electronics and/or transducer
assembly against the tooth surface utilizing a bite-actuated
mechanism.
[0037] FIG. 17 shows yet another variation of an oral appliance
having a composite dental anchor for coupling the transducer to the
tooth.
[0038] FIGS. 18A and 18B show side and top views, respectively, of
an oral-appliance variation having one or more transducers which
may be positioned over the occlusal surface of the tooth.
[0039] FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate yet another variation of an
oral appliance made from a shape memory material in its pre-formed
relaxed configuration and its deformed configuration when placed
over or upon the patient's tooth, respectively, to create an
interference fit.
[0040] FIG. 20 illustrates yet another variation of an oral
appliance made from a pre-formed material in which the transducer
may be positioned between the biased side of the oral appliance and
the tooth surface.
[0041] FIG. 21 illustrates a variation in which the oral appliance
may be omitted and the electronics and/or transducer assembly may
be attached to a composite dental anchor attached directly to the
tooth surface.
[0042] FIGS. 22A and 22B show partial cross-sectional side and
perspective views, respectively, of another variation of an oral
appliance assembly having its occlusal surface removed or omitted
for patient comfort.
[0043] FIGS. 23A and 23B illustrate perspective and side views,
respectively, of an oral appliance which may be coupled to a screw
or post implanted directly into the underlying bone, such as the
maxillary or mandibular bone.
[0044] FIG. 24 illustrates another variation in which the oral
appliance may be coupled to a screw or post implanted directly into
the palate of a patient.
[0045] FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate perspective and side views,
respectively, of an oral appliance which may have its transducer
assembly or a coupling member attached to the gingival surface to
conduct vibrations through the gingival tissue and underlying
bone.
[0046] FIG. 26 illustrates an example of how multiple oral
appliance two-way communication assemblies or transducers may be
placed on multiple teeth throughout the patient's mouth.
[0047] FIGS. 27A and 27B illustrate perspective and side views,
respectively, of an oral appliance (similar lo a variation shown
above) which may have a microphone unit positioned adjacent to or
upon the gingival surface to physically separate the microphone
from the transducer to attenuate or eliminate feedback.
[0048] FIG. 28 illustrates another variation of a removable oral
appliance supported by an arch and having a microphone unit
integrated within the arch.
[0049] FIG. 29 shows yet another variation illustrating at least
one microphone and optionally additional microphone units
positioned around the user's mouth and in wireless communication
with the electronics and/or transducer assembly.
DESCRIPTION
[0050] An exemplary removable wireless dental hearing appliance is
shown in FIG. 1A. The appliance is worn by a user in his or her
oral cavity. The appliance includes a power chamber 401 that
supplies energy to power the appliance. The power chamber 401
includes an energy reservoir 402 such as a battery. The battery is
charged by charger electronic 403 which can receive external energy
through inductive coupling or can directly receive a charge through
two terminals. If the charging is to be done inductively, a
recharging coil 404 is also enclosed in the power chamber 401.
[0051] The power chamber 401 provides energy for electronics in an
actuation chamber 407. Mechanically, the chambers 401 and 407 are
connected by a bridge 405. Inside the bridge 405 are cables that
supply power to the actuation chamber 407. Other devices such as
antenna wires can be embedded in the bridge 405. The chambers 401,
407 and the bridge 405 are made from human compatible elastomeric
materials commonly used in dental retainers, among others.
[0052] Turning now to the actuation chamber 407, an actuator 408 is
positioned near the patient's teeth. The actuator 408 is driven by
an electronic driver 409. A wireless transceiver 450 provides sound
information to the electronic driver 409 so that the driver 409 can
actuate the actuator 408 to cause sound to be generated and
conducted to the patient's ear through bone conduction in one
embodiment. For example, the electronic and actuator assembly may
receive incoming sounds either directly or through a receiver to
process and amplify the signals and transmit the processed sounds
via a vibrating transducer element coupled to a tooth or other bone
structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular, or palatine bone
structure. Other sound transmission techniques in addition to bone
conduction can be used and are contemplated by the inventors.
[0053] FIG. 1B shows a side perspective view of the appliance of
FIG. 1A. The oral appliance of FIG. 1A may be a custom-made device
fabricated through a variety of different process utilizing, e.g.,
a replicate model of a dental structure obtained by any number of
methods, as described below in further detail. The oral appliance
may accordingly be created to fit, adhere, or be otherwise disposed
upon a portion of the patient's dentition to maintain the
electronics and transducer device against the patient's dentition
securely and comfortably.
[0054] FIG. 1C shows a perspective view of the electronics housed
by the chambers 401 and 407. In the power chamber 401, the
recharging coil 404 is positioned at one end and the battery 402 is
positioned at the other end of the chamber 401. The control
electronics for the charging operation is in a circuit board 420B
behind the battery 402 and coil 404.
[0055] Correspondingly, in the actuation chamber 407, the actuator
408 in turn is made up of a piezoelectric actuator 408B that moves
a mass 408A. The driver 409 and wireless transceiver circuitry are
provided on a circuit board 420A.
[0056] FIG. 2A shows a second embodiment where the bridge as well
as the mechanical supports for the chambers are made from metallic
wire frames. As shown in FIG. 2A, chambers 411 and 417 are
supported by wire frames 413A and 413B, respectively. The support
wire frames 413A-413B are mechanically secured to a main wire frame
415. The cabling for electrical communication between chambers 411
and 417 can be made through wires running along the outside of the
wireframes.
[0057] FIG. 2B shows one embodiment of FIG. 2A where the main wire
frame 415 is hollow to allow wire cabling to run inside the main
wire frame 415. In this embodiment, once the cabling exits the main
wire frame 415, the wire assembly can be soldered or otherwise
connected to electrical contacts on the chambers 411 or 417 as
needed to connect circuits between chambers 411 and 417.
[0058] FIG. 3A shows a third embodiment where the power supply,
transceiver, and actuator are housed in a single chamber 430. In
this embodiment, the chamber 430 is mounted intra-orally to one or
more teeth. An actuator 432 is positioned adjacent the teeth. The
actuator 432 can include a mass and a piezoelectric transducer as
discussed above. A battery 434 provides power for the whole system
and the battery 434 can be recharged through a charger 436. The
actuator 432 is driven by an amplifier 438, which receives audio
input from a transceiver 440. The transceiver 440 contains an
antenna to capture wireless signals transmitted by a remote audio
device.
[0059] In one embodiment where the unit is used as a hearing aid, a
microphone can provide sound input that is amplified by the
amplifier or driver 438. In another embodiment, the system can
receive signals from a linking unit such as a Bluetooth transceiver
that allows the appliance to play sound generated by a portable
appliance or a sound source such as a music player, a hands-free
communication device or a cellular telephone, for example.
Alternatively, the sound source can be a computer, a one-way
communication device, a two-way communication device, or a wireless
hands-free communication device FIG. 3B shows a top view of a
fourth embodiment of a hearing appliance. The appliance has a body
portion 442 that supports two chambers 446A-446B that house the
actuator, transceiver, control electronic, and power supply, among
others and allows for communication between the two. Two
substantially C-shaped support wires 444A and 444B enable the
appliance to clip onto the wearer's dental arch around curved
regions 448 and to be secured therein. The C-shaped wire 444A or
444B provides a spring force to the actuator to keep it secured to
the teeth. The wire material can be stainless steel or Nitinol,
among others.
[0060] FIG. 4 shows an exemplary cross-sectional view showing the
coupling of the sound transducer to one or more teeth 450. In FIG.
4, a mounting unit 452 such as a retainer-like housing is placed
over one or more teeth 450. The mounting unit 452 can also be
adhesive or glue or a suitable system to secure the appliance to
the teeth 450. An actuator 454 rests above support arms or links
452A and 452B which are mechanically connected to the teeth
450.
[0061] In one embodiment, the actuator 454 is a piezoelectric
transducer made with PZT. PZT-based compounds (Pb[ZrxTi1-x]O3
0<x<1, also lead zirconium titanate) are ceramic perovskite
materials that develop a voltage difference across two of its
facets when highly compressed. Being piezoelectric, it develops a
voltage difference across two of its faces when compressed (useful
for sensor applications), or physically changes shape when an
external electric field is applied (useful for actuators and the
like). The material is also ferroelectric, which means it has a
spontaneous electric polarization (electric dipole) which can be
reversed in the presence of an electric field. The material
features an extremely large dielectric constant at the morphotropic
phase boundary (MPB) near x=0.52. These properties make PZT-based
compounds one of the most prominent and useful electroceramics.
[0062] The actuator 454 is also connected to a mass 458 through a
mass arm 456. In one embodiment, the actuator 454 uses PZT in a
rectangular beam bender configuration. The mass 458 can be a
tungsten material or any suitable weight such as the battery or
control electronics, among others. The support arms or links
452A-452B as well as the mass arm 456 are preferably made from
ceramic or alumina which enables acoustic or sound energy to be
efficiently transmitted by the mounting unit 454.
[0063] As shown in the two insets, the actuator 454 can be
commanded to contract or expand, resulting in movements with upward
arch shapes or downward arch shapes. The actuator 454 and its
associated components are encapsulated in a compressible material
460 such as silicone to allow actuator movement. In one embodiment,
the top of the appliance is provided with an acrylic encapsulated
protection layer 462 providing a fixed platform that directs energy
generated by the actuator 454 toward the teeth while the
compressible material 460 provides room for movement by the
actuator 454.
[0064] FIG. 5 shows a schematic equivalent of the system of FIG. 4.
In the model of FIG. 5, a tooth 450 is fixed between bone structure
451 and a mounting unit 455 such as a retainer, both of which are
spatially fixed in the model. An actuator 453 provides resistance
to drive energy into the tooth 450. Although FIG. 5 shows two fixed
point connections, it is contemplated that the actuator 452 can
have one fixed point connection as well. This resistance between
the tooth and the retainer applies the coupling force necessary to
keep the actuator in contact with the tooth at high
frequencies.
[0065] FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment to mount an actuator or
transducer. In this embodiment, a base 472 is secured to a tooth
470. The base has a clip type housing with an top arm 476 and two
bottom contacts 474 that together resiliently urge a mass 478
toward the top arm 476. Also positioned on the base 472 is a rod
480 with one or more pins to hold the mass 478 in position similar
to a spring that biases the mass 478 against the arm 476 to provide
a better contact or coupling between the mass and the tooth 470
through the base 472.
[0066] The appliance can be a custom oral device. The sound source
unit can contain a short-range transceiver that is protocol
compatible with the linking unit. For example, the sound source can
have a Bluetooth transceiver that communicates with the Bluetooth
transceiver linking unit in the appliance. The appliance can then
receive the data transmitted over the Bluetooth protocol and drive
a bone conduction transducer to render or transmit sound to the
user.
[0067] The appliance can have a microphone embedded therein. The
microphone can be an intraoral microphone or an extraoral
microphone. For cellular telephones and other telephones, a second
microphone can be used to cancel environmental noise and transmit a
user's voice to the telephone. A noise canceller receives signals
from the microphones and cancels ambient noise to provide a clean
sound capture.
[0068] The appliance can have another microphone to pick up ambient
sound. The microphone can be an intraoral microphone or an
extraoral microphone. In one embodiment, the microphone cancels
environmental noise and transmits a user's voice to the remote
station. This embodiment provides the ability to cancel
environmental noises while transmitting subject's own voice to the
actuator 432. As the microphone is in a fixed location (compared to
ordinary wireless communication devices) and very close to user's
own voice, the system can handle environmental noise reduction that
is important in working in high noise areas.
[0069] The system couples microphones and voicing activity sensors
to a signal processor. The processor executes a detection
algorithm, and a denoising code to minimize background acoustic
noise. Two microphones can be used, with one microphone being the
bone conduction microphone and one which is considered the "signal"
microphone. The second microphone captures air noise or ambient
noise, whose signal is filtered and subtracted from the signal in
the first microphone. In one embodiment, the system runs an array
algorithm for speech detection that uses the difference in
frequency content between two microphones to calculate a
relationship between the signals of the two microphones. As known
in the art and discussed in Pat. No. 7,246,058, the content of
which is incorporated by reference, this embodiment can cancel
noise without requiring a specific orientation of the array with
respect to the signal.
[0070] In another embodiment, the appliance can be attached,
adhered, or otherwise embedded into or upon a removable oral
appliance or other oral device to form a medical tag containing
patient identifiable information. Such an oral appliance may be a
custom-made device fabricated from a thermal forming process
utilizing a replicate model of a dental structure obtained by
conventional dental impression methods. The electronic and
transducer assembly may receive incoming sounds either directly or
through a receiver to process and amplify the signals and transmit
the processed sounds via a vibrating transducer element coupled to
a tooth or other bone structure, such as the maxillary, mandibular,
or palatine bone structure.
[0071] In yet another embodiment, microphones can be place on each
side of the ears to provide noise cancellation, optimal sound
localization and directionality. The microphones can be placed
inside or outside the ears. For example, the microphones can be
placed either at the opening or directly with the user's ear
canals. Each of the systems includes a battery, a signal processor,
a transmitter, all of which can be positioned in a housing that
clips onto the ear which, rests behind the ear between the pinna
and the skull, or alternatively can be positioned in the ear's
concha. The transmitter is connected to a wire/antenna that in turn
is connected to the microphone. Each transmitter transmits
information to a receiver that activates a transducer that is
powered by a battery. Each side of the head can have one set of
receiver, transducer and battery. This embodiment provides a bone
conduction hearing aid device with dual externally located
microphones that are placed at the entrance to or in the ear canals
and an oral appliance containing dual transducers in communication
with each other. The device will allow the user to enjoy the most
natural sound input due to the location of the microphone which
takes advantage of the pinna for optimal sound localization (and
directionality).
[0072] In another embodiment, the microphones receive sound signals
from both sides of the head, processes those signals to send a
signal to the transducer on the side of the head where the sound is
perceived by the microphone to be at a higher sound level. A
phase-shifted signal is sent to the transducer on the opposite side
of the head. These sounds will then "add" in the cochlea where the
sound is louder and "cancel" on the opposite cochlea providing the
user with the perception of directionality of the sound.
[0073] In yet another embodiment, the microphone at the first ear
receives sound signals from the first side of the head, processes
those signal to send a signal to the transducer on that same or
first side of the oral appliance. A second microphone at the second
ear receives a sound signal that is lower in amplitude and delayed
in respect to the sound sensed by the first microphone due to head
shadowing and physical separation of the microphones, and sends a
corresponding signal to the second transducer on the second side of
the oral appliance. The sound signals from the transducers will be
perceived by each cochlea on each side of the head as being
different in amplitude and phase, which will result in the
perception of directionality by the user.
[0074] In one embodiment where the microphone is mounted in the
user's ear canal, components such as the battery, the signal
processor, and the transmitter can either be located behind the ear
or within the folds of the pinna. The human auricle is an almost
rudimentary, usually immobile shell that lies close to the side of
the head with a thin plate of yellow fibrocartilage covered by
closely adherent skin. The cartilage is molded into clearly defined
hollows, ridges, and furrows that form an irregular, shallow
funnel. The deepest depression, which leads directly to the
external auditory canal, or acoustic meatus, is called the concha.
It is partly covered by two small projections, the tonguelike
tragus in front and the antitragus behind. Above the tragus a
prominent ridge, the helix, arises from the floor of the concha and
continues as the incurved rim of the upper portion of the auricle.
An inner, concentric ridge, the antihelix, surrounds the concha and
is separated from the helix by a furrow, the scapha, also called
the fossa of the helix. The lobule, the fleshy lower part of the
auricle, is the only area of the outer ear that contains no
cartilage. The auricle also has several small rudimentary muscles,
which fasten it to the skull and scalp. In most individuals these
muscles do not function, although some persons can voluntarily
activate them to produce limited movements. The external auditory
canal is a slightly curved tube that extends inward from the floor
of the concha and ends blindly at the tympanic membrane. In its
outer third the wall of the canal consists of cartilage; in its
inner two-thirds, of bone. The anthelix (antihelix) is a folded "Y"
shaped part of the ear. The antitragus is the lower cartilaginous
edge of the conchal bowl just above the fleshy lobule of the ear.
The microphone is connected with the transmitter through the wire
and antenna. The placement of the microphone inside the ear canal
provides the user with the most natural sound input due to the
location of the microphone which takes advantage of the pinna for
optimal sound localization (and directionality) when the sounds are
transmitted to the cochlea using a straight signal and
"phase-shifted" signal to apply directionality to the patient. High
quality sound input is captured by placing the microphones within
or at the entrance of the ear canal which would allow the patient
to use the sound reflectivity of the pinna as well as improved
sound directionality due to the microphone placement. The
arrangement avoids the need to separate the microphone and speaker
to reduce the chance of feedback and allows placement of the
microphone to take advantage of the sound reflectivity of the
pinna. The system also allows for better sound directionality due
to the two bone conduction transducers being in electrical contact
with each other. With the processing of the signals prior to being
sent to the transducers and the transducers able to communicate
with each other, the system provides the best sound localization
possible.
[0075] The appliance can include a data storage device such as a
solid state memory or a flash storage device. The content of the
data storage device can be encrypted for security. The linking unit
can transmit encrypted data for secure transmission if desired.
[0076] The appliance may be fabricated from various polymeric or a
combination of polymeric and metallic materials using any number of
methods, such as computer-aided machining processes using computer
numerical control (CNC) systems or three-dimensional printing
processes, e.g., stereolithography apparatus (SLA), selective laser
sintering (SLS), and/or other similar processes utilizing
three-dimensional geometry of the patient's dentition, which may be
obtained via any number of techniques. Such techniques may include
use of scanned dentition using intra-oral scanners such as laser,
white light, ultrasound, mechanical three-dimensional touch
scanners, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography
(CT), other optical methods, etc.
[0077] In forming the removable oral appliance, the appliance may
be optionally formed such that it is molded to fit over the
dentition and at least a portion of the adjacent gingival tissue to
inhibit the entry of food, fluids, and other debris into the oral
appliance and between the transducer assembly and tooth surface.
Moreover, the greater surface area of the oral appliance may
facilitate the placement and configuration of the assembly onto the
appliance.
[0078] Additionally, the removable oral appliance may be optionally
fabricated to have a shrinkage factor such that when placed onto
the dentition, oral appliance may be configured to securely grab
onto the tooth or teeth as the appliance may have a resulting size
slightly smaller than the scanned tooth or teeth upon which the
appliance was formed. The fitting may result in a secure
interference fit between the appliance and underlying
dentition.
[0079] In one variation, an extra-buccal transmitter assembly
located outside the patient's mouth may be utilized to receive
auditory signals for processing and transmission via a wireless
signal to the electronics and/or transducer assembly positioned
within the patient's mouth, which may then process and transmit the
processed auditory signals via vibratory conductance to the
underlying tooth and consequently to the patient's inner ear. The
transmitter assembly, as described in further detail below, may
contain a microphone assembly as well as a transmitter assembly and
may be configured in any number of shapes and forms worn by the
user, such as a watch, necklace, lapel, phone, belt-mounted device,
etc.
[0080] FIG. 7A illustrates a schematic representation of one
variation of two-way communication assembly 14 utilizing an
extra-buccal transmitter assembly 22, which may generally comprise
microphone 30 for receiving sounds and which is electrically
connected to processor 32 for processing the auditory signals.
Processor 32 may be connected electrically to transmitter 34 for
transmitting the processed signals to the electronics and/or
transducer assembly 16 disposed upon or adjacent to the user's
teeth. The microphone 30 and processor 32 may be configured to
detect and process auditory signals in any practicable range, but
may be configured in one variation to detect auditory signals
ranging from, e.g., 250 Hertz to 20,000 Hertz.
[0081] With respect to microphone 30, a variety of various
microphone systems may be utilized. For instance, microphone 30 may
be a digital, analog, and/or directional type microphone. Such
various types of microphones may be interchangeably configured to
be utilized with the assembly, if so desired.
[0082] Power supply 36 may be connected to each of the components
in transmitter assembly 22 to provide power thereto. The
transmitter signals 24 may be in any wireless form utilizing, e.g.,
radio frequency, ultrasound, microwave, Blue Tooth.RTM. (BLUETOOTH
SIG, INC., Bellevue, Wash.), etc. for transmission to assembly 16.
Assembly 22 may also optionally include one or more input controls
28 that a user may manipulate to adjust various acoustic parameters
of the electronics and/or transducer assembly 16, such as acoustic
focusing, volume control, filtration, muting, frequency
optimization, sound adjustments, and tone adjustments, etc.
[0083] The signals transmitted 24 by transmitter 34 may be received
by electronics and/or transducer assembly 16 via receiver 38, which
may be connected to an internal processor for additional processing
of the received signals. The received signals may be communicated
to transducer 40, which may vibrate correspondingly against a
surface of the tooth to conduct the vibratory signals through the
tooth and bone and subsequently to the middle ear to facilitate
hearing of the user. Transducer 40 may be configured as any number
of different vibratory mechanisms. For instance, in one variation,
transducer 40 may be an electromagnetically actuated transducer. In
other variations, transducer 40 may be in the form of a
piezoelectric crystal having a range of vibratory frequencies,
e.g., between 250 to 4000 Hz.
[0084] Power supply 42 may also be included with assembly 16 to
provide power to the receiver, transducer, and/or processor, if
also included. Although power supply 42 may be a simple battery,
replaceable or permanent, other variations may include a power
supply 42 which is charged by inductance via an external charger.
Additionally, power supply 42 may alternatively be charged via
direct coupling to an alternating current (AC) or direct current
(DC) source. Other variations may include a power supply 42 which
is charged via a mechanical mechanism, such as an internal pendulum
or slidable electrical inductance charger as known in the art,
which is actuated via, e.g., motions of the jaw and/or movement for
translating the mechanical motion into stored electrical energy for
charging power supply 42.
[0085] In another variation of assembly 16, rather than utilizing
an extra-buccal transmitters two-way communication assembly 50 may
be configured as an independent assembly contained entirely within
the user's mouth, as shown in FIG. 5. Accordingly, assembly 50 may
include an internal microphone 52 in communication with an on-board
processor 54. Internal microphone 52 may comprise any number of
different types of microphones, as described above. Processor 54
may be used to process any received auditory signals for filtering
and/or amplifying the signals and transmitting them to transducer
56, which is in vibratory contact against the tooth surface. Power
supply 58, as described above, may also be included within assembly
50 for providing power to each of the components of assembly 50 as
necessary.
[0086] In order to transmit the vibrations corresponding to the
received auditory signals efficiently and with minimal loss to the
tooth or teeth, secure mechanical contact between the transducer
and the tooth is ideally maintained to ensure efficient vibratory
communication. Accordingly, any number of mechanisms may be
utilized to maintain this vibratory communication.
[0087] Aside from an adhesive film, another alternative may utilize
an expandable or swellable member to ensure a secure mechanical
contact of the transducer against the tooth. As shown in FIG. 8A,
an osmotic patch or expandable hydrogel 74 may be placed between
housing 62 and electronics and/or transducer assembly 72. After
placement of oral appliance 60, hydrogel 74 may absorb some fluids,
either from any surrounding fluid or from a fluid introduced into
hydrogel 74, such that hydrogel 74 expands in size to force
assembly 72 into contact against the tooth surface. Assembly 72 may
be configured to define a contact surface 70 having a relatively
smaller contact area to facilitate uniform contact of the surface
70 against the tooth. Such a contact surface 70 may be included in
any of the variations described herein. Additionally, a thin
encapsulating layer or surface 76 may be placed over housing 62
between contact surface 70 and the underlying tooth to prevent any
debris or additional fluids from entering housing 62.
[0088] Another variation is shown in FIG. 8B, which shows
electronics and/or transducer assembly 80 contained within housing
62. In this variation, one or more biasing elements 82, e.g.,
springs, pre-formed shape memory elements, etc., may be placed
between assembly 80 and housing 62 to provide a pressing force on
assembly 80 to urge the device against the underlying tooth
surface, thereby ensuring mechanical contact.
[0089] In yet another variation, the electronics may be contained
as a separate assembly 90 which is encapsulated within housing 62
and the transducer 92 may be maintained separately from assembly 90
but also within housing 62. As shown in FIG. 9, transducer 92 may
be urged against the tooth surface via a spring or other biasing
element 94 and actuated via any of the mechanisms described
above.
[0090] In other variations as shown in FIG. 10, electronics and/or
transducer assembly 100 may be configured to have a ramped surface
102 in apposition to the tooth surface. The surface 102 may be
angled away from the occlusal surface of the tooth. The assembly
100 may be urged via a biasing element or spring 106 which forces
the ramped surface 102 to pivot about a location 104 into contact
against the tooth to ensure contact for the transducer against the
tooth surface.
[0091] FIG. 11 illustrates another similar variation in electronics
and/or transducer assembly 110 also having a ramped surface 112 in
apposition to the tooth surface. In this variation, the ramped
surface 112 may be angled towards the occlusal surface of the
tooth. Likewise, assembly 110 may be urged via a biasing element or
spring 116 which urges the assembly 110 to pivot about its lower
end such that the assembly 110 contacts the tooth surface at a
region 114.
[0092] In yet another variation shown in FIG. 12, electronics
and/or transducer assembly 120 may be positioned within housing 62
with an interface layer 122 positioned between the assembly 120 and
the tooth surface. Interface layer 122 may be configured to conform
against the tooth surface and against assembly 120 such that
vibrations may be transmitted through layer 122 and to the tooth in
a uniform manner. Accordingly, interface layer 122 may be made from
a material which attenuates vibrations minimally. Interface layer
122 may be made in a variety of forms, such as a simple insert, an
O-ring configuration, etc. or even in a gel or paste form, such as
denture or oral paste, etc. Additionally, layer 122 may be
fabricated from various materials, e.g., hard plastics or polymeric
materials, metals, etc.
[0093] FIG. 13 illustrates yet another variation in which
electronics and/or transducer assembly 130 may be urged against the
tooth surface via a mechanical mechanism. As shown, assembly 130
may be attached to a structural member 132, e.g., a threaded member
or a simple shaft, which is connected through housing 62 to an
engagement member 134 located outside housing 62. The user may
rotate engagement member 134 (as indicated by rotational arrow 136)
or simply push upon member 134 (as indicated by linear arrow 138)
to urge assembly 130 into contact against the tooth. Moreover,
actuation of engagement member 134 may be accomplished manually
within the mouth or through the user's cheek or even through
manipulation via the user's tongue against engagement member
134.
[0094] Another variation for a mechanical mechanism is illustrated
in FIG. 14. In this variation, electronics and/or transducer
assembly 140 may define a portion as an engaging surface 142 for
contacting against a cam or lever mechanism 144. Cam or lever
mechanism 144 may be configured to pivot 146 such that actuation of
a lever 148 extending through housing 62 may urge cam or lever
mechanism 144 to push against engaging surface 142 such that
assembly 140 is-pressed against the underlying tooth surface.
[0095] In yet another variation, the electronics 150 and the
transducer 152 may be separated from one another such that
electronics 150 remain disposed within housing 62 but transducer
152, connected via wire 154, is located beneath dental oral
appliance 60 along an occlusal surface of the tooth, as shown in
FIG. 15. In such a configuration, vibrations are transmitted via
the transducer 152 through the occlusal surface of the tooth.
Additionally, the user may bite down upon the oral appliance 60 and
transducer 152 to mechanically compress the transducer 152 against
the occlusal surface to further enhance the mechanical contact
between the transducer 152 and underlying tooth to further
facilitate transmission therethrough.
[0096] In the variation of FIG. 16, another example for a
bite-enhanced coupling mechanism is illustrated where electronics
and/or transducer assembly 160 defines an angled interface surface
162 in apposition to a correspondingly angled engaging member 164.
A proximal end of engaging member 164 may extend through housing 62
and terminate in a pusher member 166 positioned over an occlusal
surface of the tooth TH. Once oral appliance 60 is initially placed
over tooth TH, the user may bite down or otherwise press down upon
the top portion of oral appliance 60, thereby pressing down upon
pusher member 166 which in turn pushes down upon engaging member
164, as indicated by the arrow. As engaging member 164 is urged
downwardly towards the gums, its angled surface may push upon the
corresponding and oppositely angled surface 162 to urge assembly
160 against the tooth surface and into a secure mechanical
contact.
[0097] In yet another variation, an electronics and/or transducer
assembly 170 may define a channel or groove 172 along a surface for
engaging a corresponding dental anchor 174, as shown in FIG. 17.
Dental anchor 174 may comprise a light-curable acrylate-based
composite material adhered directly to the tooth surface. Moreover
dental anchor 174 may be configured in a shape which corresponds to
a shape of channel or groove 172 such that the two may be
interfitted in a mating engagement. In this manner, the transducer
in assembly 170 may vibrate directly against dental anchor 174
which may then transmit these signals directly into the tooth
TH.
[0098] FIGS. 18A and 18B show partial cross-sectional side and top
views, respectively, of another variation in which oral appliance
180 may define a number of channels or grooves 184 along a top
portion of oral appliance 180. Within these channels or grooves
184, one or more transducers 182, 186, 188, 190 may be disposed
such that they are in contact with the occlusal surface of the
tooth and each of these transducers may be tuned to transmit
frequencies uniformly. Alternatively, each of these transducers may
be tuned to transmit only at specified frequency ranges.
Accordingly, each transducer can be programmed or preset for a
different frequency response such that each transducer may be
optimized for a different frequency response and/or transmission to
deliver a relatively high-fidelity sound to the user.
[0099] In yet another variation, FIGS. 19A and 19B illustrate an
oral appliance 200 which may be pre-formed from a shape memory
polymer or alloy or a superelastic material such as a
Nickel-Titanium alloy, e.g., Nitinol. FIG. 19A shows oral appliance
200 in a first configuration where members 202, 204 are in an
unbiased memory configuration. When placed upon or against the
tooth TH, members 202, 204 may be deflected into a second
configuration where members 202', 204' are deformed to engage tooth
TH in a secure interference fit, as shown in FIG. 19B. The biased
member 204' may be utilized to press the electronics and/or
transducer assembly contained therein against the tooth surface as
well as to maintain securement of the oral appliance 200 upon the
tooth TH.
[0100] Similarly, as shown in FIG. 20, removable oral appliance 210
may have biased members to secure engage the tooth TH, as above. In
this variation, the ends of the members 212, 214 may be configured
into curved portions under which a transducer element 218 coupled
to electronics assembly 216 may be wedged or otherwise secured to
ensure mechanical contact against the tooth surface.
[0101] FIG. 21 shows yet another variation in which the oral
appliance is omitted entirely. Here, a composite dental anchor or
bracket 226, as described above, may be adhered directly onto the
tooth surface. Alternatively, bracket 226 may be comprised of a
biocompatible material, e.g., stainless steel, Nickel-Titanium,
Nickel, ceramics, composites, etc., formed into a bracket and
anchored onto the tooth surface. The bracket 226 may be configured
to have a shape 228 over which an electronics and/or transducer
assembly 220 may be slid over or upon via a channel 222 having a
corresponding receiving configuration 224 for engagement with
bracket 226. In this manner, assembly 220 may be directly engaged
against bracket 226, through which a transducer may directly
vibrate into the underlying tooth TH. Additionally, in the event
that assembly 220 is removed from the tooth TH, assembly 220 may be
simply slid or rotated off bracket 226 and a replacement assembly
may be put in its place upon bracket 226.
[0102] FIGS. 22A and 22B show partial cross-sectional side and
perspective views, respectively, of yet another variation of an
oral appliance 230. In this variation, the oral appliance 230 may
be configured to omit an occlusal surface portion of the oral
appliance 230 and instead engages the side surfaces of the tooth
TH, such as the lingual and buccal surfaces only. The electronics
and/or transducer assembly 234 may be contained, as above, within a
housing 232 for contact against the tooth surface. Additionally, as
shown in FIG. 22B, one or more optional cross-members 236 may
connect the side portions of the oral appliance 230 to provide some
structural stability when placed upon the tooth. This variation may
define an occlusal surface opening 238 such that when placed upon
the tooth, the user may freely bite down directly upon the natural
occlusal surface of the tooth unobstructed by the oral appliance
device, thereby providing for enhanced comfort to the user.
[0103] In yet other variations, vibrations may be transmitted
directly into the underlying bone or tissue structures rather than
transmitting directly through the tooth or teeth of the user. As
shown in FIG. 23A, an oral appliance 240 is illustrated positioned
upon the user's tooth, in this example upon a molar located along
the upper row of teeth. The electronics and/or transducer assembly
242 is shown as being located along the buccal surface of the
tooth. Rather than utilizing a transducer in contact with the tooth
surface, a conduction transmission member 244, such as a rigid or
solid metallic member, may be coupled to the transducer in assembly
242 and extend from oral appliance 240 to a post or screw 246 which
is implanted directly into the underlying bone 248, such as the
maxillary bone, as shown in the partial cross-sectional view of
FIG. 23B. As the distal end of transmission member 244 is coupled
directly to post or screw 246, the vibrations generated by the
transducer may be transmitted through transmission member 244 and
directly into post or screw 246, which in turn transmits the
vibrations directly into and through the bone 248 for transmission
to the user's inner ear.
[0104] FIG. 24 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of an
oral appliance 250 placed upon the user's tooth TH with the
electronics and/or transducer assembly 252 located along the
lingual surface of the tooth. Similarly, the vibrations may be
transmitted through the conduction transmission member 244 and
directly into post or screw 246, which in this example is implanted
into the palatine bone PL. Other variations may utilize this
arrangement located along the lower row of teeth for transmission
to a post or screw 246 drilled into the mandibular bone.
[0105] In yet another variation, rather utilizing a post or screw
drilled into the underlying bone itself, a transducer may be
attached, coupled, or otherwise adhered directly to the gingival
tissue surface adjacent to the teeth. As shown in FIGS. 25A and
25B, an oral appliance 260 may have an electronics assembly 262
positioned along its side with an electrical wire 264 extending
therefrom to a transducer assembly 266 attached to the gingival
tissue surface 268 next to the tooth TH. Transducer assembly 266
may be attached to the tissue surface 268 via an adhesive,
structural support arm extending from oral appliance 260, a dental
screw or post, or any other structural mechanism. In use, the
transducer may vibrate and transmit directly into the underlying
gingival tissue, which may conduct the signals to the underlying
bone.
[0106] For any of the variations described above, they may be
utilized as a single device or in combination with any other
variation herein, as practicable, to achieve the desired hearing
level in the user. Moreover, more than one oral appliance device
and electronics and/or transducer assemblies may be utilized at any
one time. For example, FIG. 26 illustrates one example where
multiple transducer assemblies 270, 272, 274, 276 may be placed on
multiple teeth. Although shown on the lower row of teeth, multiple
assemblies may alternatively be positioned and located along the
upper row of teeth or both rows as well. Moreover, each of the
assemblies may be configured to transmit vibrations within a
uniform frequency range. Alternatively in other variations,
different assemblies may be configured to vibrate within
non-overlapping frequency ranges between each assembly. As
mentioned above, each transducer 270, 272, 274, 276 can be
programmed or preset for a different frequency response such that
each transducer may be optimized for a different frequency response
and/or transmission to deliver a relatively high-fidelity sound to
the user.
[0107] Moreover, each of the different transducers 270, 272, 274,
276 can also be programmed to vibrate in a manner which indicates
the directionality of sound received by the microphone worn by the
user. For example, different transducers positioned at different
locations within the user's mouth can vibrate in a specified manner
by providing sound or vibrational queues to inform the user which
direction a sound was detected relative to an orientation of the
user. For instance, a first transducer located, e.g., on a user's
left tooth, can be programmed to vibrate for sound detected
originating from the user's left side. Similarly, a second
transducer located, e.g., on a user's right tooth, can be
programmed to vibrate for sound detected originating from the
user's right side. Other variations and queues may be utilized as
these examples are intended to be illustrative of potential
variations.
[0108] In variations where the one or more microphones are
positioned in intra-buccal locations, the microphone may be
integrated directly into the electronics and/or transducer
assembly, as described above. However, in additional variation, the
microphone unit may be positioned at a distance from the transducer
assemblies to minimize feedback. In one example, similar to a
variation shown above, microphone unit 282 may be separated from
electronics and/or transducer assembly 280, as shown in FIGS. 27A
and 27B. In such a variation, the microphone unit 282 positioned
upon or adjacent to the gingival surface 268 may be electrically
connected via wire(s) 264.
[0109] Although the variation illustrates the microphone unit 282
placed adjacent to the gingival tissue 268, unit 282 may be
positioned upon another tooth or another location within the mouth.
For instance, FIG. 28 illustrates another variation 290 which
utilizes an arch 19 connecting one or more tooth retaining portions
21, 23, as described above. However, in this variation, the
microphone unit 294 may be integrated within or upon the arch 19
separated from the transducer assembly 292. One or more wires 296
routed through arch 19 may electrically connect the microphone unit
294 to the assembly 292. Alternatively, rather than utilizing a
wire 296, microphone unit 294 and assembly 292 may be wirelessly
coupled to one another, as described above.
[0110] In yet another variation for separating the microphone from
the transducer assembly, FIG. 29 illustrates another variation
where at least one microphone 302 (or optionally any number of
additional microphones 304, 306) may be positioned within the mouth
of the user while physically separated from the electronics and/or
transducer assembly 300. In this manner, the one or optionally more
microphones 302, 304, 306 may be wirelessly coupled to the
electronics and/or transducer assembly 300 in a manner which
attenuates or eliminates feedback, if present, from the
transducer.
[0111] The applications of the devices and methods discussed above
are not limited to the treatment of hearing loss but may include
any number of further treatment applications. Moreover, such
devices and methods may be applied to other treatment sites within
the body. Modification of the above-described assemblies and
methods for carrying out the invention, combinations between
different variations as practicable, and variations of aspects of
the invention that are obvious to those of skill in the art are
intended to be within the scope of the claims.
* * * * *