COMPRESSIVE COUPLING OF AN IMPLANTABLE HEARING AID ACTUATOR TO AN AUDITORY COMPONENT

• Main Authors: SIMMS, WILLIAM J, KASIC, JAMES FRANK, ANDREWS, TRAVIS RIAN, BEDOYA, JOSE H
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 01.05.2013
• Subjects: BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; DEAF-AID SETS; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF,TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, E.G. STENTS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; FIRST-AID KITS; FOMENTATION; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKEACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; PROSTHESES; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS

Apparatus and methods are provided for maintaining a desired centered relationship between a vibratory actuator of an implantable hearing aid transducer and an auditory component post-implantation. In certain embodiments, at least two guide members may extend beyond a distal end of a vibratory actuator for positioning on opposing sides of an auditory component. The guide arms may be employed to restrict post-implantation auditory component movement, and additionally or alternatively, to apply a spring-loading force against an auditory component to reposition and thereby center such auditory component in the event of post-implantation auditory component movement. In certain embodiments, a distal end may be provided on a vibratory actuator, wherein the distal end has a plurality of differently-shaped concave surfaces. A selected one of the different concave surfaces may be positioned for contact engagement with an auditory component to optimize surface engagement. In one embodiment, a contact surface may be rotatably and pivotably disposed at the distal end of a vibratory actuator to facilitate positioning of the contact surface at an optimal orientation relative to an auditory component.