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| Concentric tubular centrifuge |
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| Implant with porous surface |
| OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1A shows a portion of an implant surface 1 having surface pores 2 arranged ... |
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| Extracorporeal blood processing methods and apparatus |
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| Sutureless corneal transplantation method |
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| Equine therapeutic device |
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Implantable device for treatment of tinnitus
| Details |
Inventors: Leysieffer, Hans;
Assignee: IMPLEX Aktiengesellschaft Hearing Technology (Ismaning, DE)
Primary Examiner: Lacyk; John P.
Assistant Examiner:
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Nixon Peabody LLP, Safran; David S.
An implantable device for treatment of tinnitus is provided comprising an electronic signal generation unit and a power source for supplying power. A hermetically gas-tight, biocompatible and implantable electroacoustic transducer is also provided as the sound-delivering output transducer which, after an at least partial mastoidectomy, can be positioned in the mastoid cavity such that the sound emitted from the electroacoustic transducer travels from the mastoid to the tympanic cavity via the natural passage of the aditus ad antrum. |
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION The aforementioned disadvantages are diminished or completely circumvented by the present invention providing a hermetically gas-tight, biocompatible and implantable electroacoustic transducer in an implantable device for treatment of the tinnitus which is provided with an electronic signal generation unit and a battery for power supply as the sound-delivering output transducer.
The electroacoustic transducer is designed such that, after at least partial mastoidectomy, it can be positioned in the mastoid cavity to permit the sound emitted from the electroacoustic transducer to travel via the natural passage of the aditus ad antrum from the mastoid to the tympanic cavity in the area of the middle ear.
This sound causes mechanical vibrations of the eardrum which travel via mechanical transmission through the middle ear ossicle to the inner ear or via direct acoustic excitation of the oval or round window of the inner ear.
In this manner, these vibrations cause an auditory sensation and thus the desired masking and noiser effect.
In the device of the present invention, the implantable output transducer therefore works electroacoustically, not electromechanically.
In another embodiment of the present invention, the electroacoustic transducer includes a preferably metal housing which is hermetically gas-tight on all sides.
The housing includes one wall made as a bendable, preferably circular membrane.
An electromechanical drive unit is positioned in the housing and coupled to the housing membrane such that output-side mechanical vibrations of the drive unit are mechanically coupled directly from the inside to the housing membrane.
In this way, the membrane is excited to bending vibrations which cause sound emission outside the transducer housing.
In doing so, the inside electromechanical drive unit may be based on all known converter principles, such as especially piezoelectric, dielectric, electromagnetic, electrodynamic and magnetostrictive.
The transducer housing is preferably cylindrical, especially circular cylindrical, and open on one side
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Heart Surgery 
